It’s always a blow to the neighbourhood when a local pub shuts for good, or is rebranded into something totally different. Thankfully that’s not the case with these new pub (re)openings, which have all been carefully restored and updated without losing the charm that made them so great in the first place. Drop in for a pint and meal, whether it’s a Wagyu Philly cheesesteak, a take on the classic Chiko Roll or flame-licked yakitori.

The Orrong Hotel
A crack team of publicans – including Marquis of Lorne’s Matt Vero – has ushered in a new era for The Orrong Hotel, an art deco gem that’s served Armadale for nearly 150 years. Bergman & Co carefully peeled back layer after layer of the pub to reveal its underlying charm and original elements. The old TAB has been given a fresh coat of paint, while the snug bar now also opens into a brand-new courtyard. Classic pub fare like chicken parma and Wagyu Philly cheesesteak reign, but there’s also handmade pasta and cheesy, mustardy ham-hock croquettes. “Everybody that walks in says, ‘Oh my God, I was really hoping you weren’t going to turn it into a modern gastropub, and I’m stoked it’s a traditional old pub’,” one co-owner tells Broadsheet. “That sort of makes the heart smile a bit when you hear that.”

Goldy’s Tavern
Collingwood’s backstreet watering hole, the Leinster Arms Hotel, has been around for more than 150 years, frequented by the likes of Mark “Chopper” Read. And after a short stint as a pop-up for now-closed cafe Toasta & Co, it reopened as neighbourhood pub Goldy’s Tavern with an old-school kind of warmth and kitsch. Classic counter meals are on the bill, but things get a bit left-of-centre on the snack menu: Goldy’s makes its own version of the Chiko Roll (it even comes in familiar-looking packaging, just with a different name), and there’s a cheesy grilled saganaki with parsley crisps. And on weekends, it’s serving a great British fry-up from 9am, with fried eggs, bacon, sage roast tomatoes, house-baked beans, chipolatas, mushrooms, greens and toast, plus a vegan version and Bloody Marys all day.

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Hotel Collingwood
The historic Robbie Burns Hotel has been transformed by the prolific cafe group behind Bentwood, Clubhouse and Stanley. It’s a bit lighter and brighter, but the pub’s old bones remain intact, including original ledges and the 100-year-old chevron tiling. Two ex-Lucas Group chefs head the kitchen, serving a menu that flits between classic pub grub and modern, Asian-inspired “beer food”. Start off with sashimi and pillowy bao buns, or order a bigger feed with panko-crumbed chicken parma and a mammoth 700-gram côte de bœuf for two. On the drinks front, there are local beers on tap, craft brews, a globetrotting wine list and fun cocktails that stick with the menu’s Asian inspiration, like the gin-spiked Lychee Lavender Collins.

Penny’s
Beloved Sydney Road pub The Penny Black has been bought by the same team that gave it its name in 2008 – but this new iteration is simply called Penny’s. It’s a homecoming for Scott Assender, director of the hospo group that owns both Welcome to Thornbury and Welcome to Brunswick, but don’t expect a carbon copy of what it once was. It now bears Japanese influences, with beer-friendly snacks like flame-licked yakitori and panko-crumbed pork rib-eye katsus the size of your face (by a former Mulberry Group chef), a fit-out inspired by Japanese post-Woodstock rock’n’roll, and – of course – live music. Expect to see fresh-faced artists and smaller touring acts in the bandroom, with space for 948 punters and high ceilings that emit a grand ballroom feel.

Perry’s
Since opening in 1847, 341 Smith Street has taken on many names, including The Albion Hotel and, up until recently, Punters Palace. Now it’s Perry’s – “a refreshment club” by the team behind game-changing wine shop Blackhearts & Sparrows. It’s not a pub you can just drop into for a drink, instead it’s used as a private events space with weather brick walls, hexagonal tiles, kitschy floral carpet and a bright outdoor area. The Blackhearts team can curate drinks for your event, with the option to add on cocktails by Romeo Lane.

Hotel Westwood
Footscray’s beloved Reverence Hotel closed in 2019, but Cult Leader – the management group behind Cherry Bar and Yah Yah’s – took over a year later. It first opened as a summertime beer garden with a pink-hued courtyard bar, but with the second stage of the revamp done, the front bar is now open, too. The awkward stainless-steel bench is gone, but the rest of the space feels warm and lived in, with the pool table still in place. And, as with The Rev, live music is still a focus; the main bandroom has been updated and a second, cabaret-style space with a turret-shaped fireplace called the Bistrotheque hosts trivia and bottomless brunches.

Kewpie
Closed since the onset of the pandemic, Fitzroy’s Bimbo finally reopened in November with a new name – and management. It’s now known as Kewpie, a nod to the familiar giant Kewpie doll on the building’s exterior, and run by hospitality group Australian Venue Co, which owns nearby Perseverance and a raft of other venues around Melbourne. But that’s about as far as the changes go; the ridiculously cheap pizzas – starting from just $5 a pop – aren’t going anywhere.

Additional reporting by Tomas Telegramma, Evan Jones, Scott Renton, James Williams and Luke Robertson.