The last days of disco hit the Gertrude Hotel at the end of 2023. The pub on the corner of Gertrude and Napier streets – once easily identified by its two-storey high David Bowie-style lightning bolt and bold grey, pink and green paint job – has been transformed into an Italian-inspired gastropub and painted a calming cream and navy.

“We aimed to match the beautiful aesthetic of Gertrude Street’s top end but deliver it at a level that locals can join us every week,” the pub’s new managing director, Iza Dawkins, tells Broadsheet.

The neon-lit interiors of the old Gertude Hotel have been replaced and the pub now has an unfussy, airy and bright atmosphere, with natural wood finishes and heritage stone. Dawkins sourced decorative pieces from Italy to give the space a “lived-in feel”.

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These include framed vintage newspapers from the 1930s, old cut-glass sconces that frame the bar, and an oil painting in the dining room that Dawkins says influenced the colour palette for the space.

On the ground floor is a 60-seat dining room and a public bar, while the second level houses the terrace, a sizeable, light-filled space decorated with greenery and festoon lighting. There’s also room for 40 at the footpath tables on Gertrude Street, with additional outdoor seats expected in spring with the opening of a parklet on Napier Street.

In the kitchen, former Rockpool chef Andy Lockyear (Montague Park Food Store) has developed a seasonal menu that features both pub favourites and Italian staples.

There are oysters with an apple balsamic mignonette, fried pepper chicken with ranch, and summery heirloom tomatoes with stracciatella, vincotto and basil oil. For mains, you’ll find hand-stretched pizza, pasta (including the very popular crab linguine), Scotch fillet and eggplant parmigiana. There’s also ice-cream from Brunswick’s Billy Van Creamy and a top-tier tiramisu.

“We use freshly brewed Vacation coffee to soak the sponge fingers, [then add] whipped mascarpone and finish it with chocolate and hazelnut ‘soil’ which, gives the tiramisu texture and a surprising crunch,” Dawkins says.

The sizeable wine list, curated by Bradley Hobbins (ex-Bar Lourinha), numbers over 150 bottles with a split between Australian and European (predominantly Italian) drops. The cocktail menu, by Sam Wallace (ex-Gin Palace), also reflects the Italian theme, with an “exquisite” (Dawkins’s words) house Martini, that’s best enjoyed at the bar or outside on one of the footpath tables.

The Gertrude Hotel
148 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
(03) 9942 0995

Hours:
Mon to Wed 5pm–late
Thu to Sun 12pm–late

thegertrude.com.au