The space which the Mallard now occupies has had a pretty peppered and assorted history: in the ‘60s it was a dining room; it was a nightclub and bar in the ‘80s and was a reception hall from the ‘90s until it became the Metropolis Dining Hall in 2010, which didn’t quite work out. Needless to say, the elegantly sprawling dining hall appears to be a true chameleon on the Melbourne landscape, which perhaps is arguably ultimately what this city craves.
After a huge amount of renovations including rebuilding a dilapidated kitchen, building a bar and a stage, it became the place you know today: a haul of op-shop furniture and couches, friendly vibes, a trendy-but-unassuming crowd, Australian craft beer and really mouth-watering pub food. “We went in balls-deep,” he says. “[But] it’s still evolving. We do whatever works.”
While the last two years have been a process of fine-tuning, e.g. focussing more on their hugely popular burgers, what’s working for the Mallard currently is sticking true to its original philosophy: down-to-earth and homemade with love and you can’t argue with that.
Dubbed ‘the prettiest live music pub in Melbourne,’ the Mallard is exceptional in it offers pretty much everything in one beautifully crafted package, which Meshers sees as its defining feature: it’s a one-stop shop for late-night dining, pub grub, weekly trivia and a 300-capacity live music venue. “We’re unique,” says Meshers. “We’re trying to do everything in the one place.”
So what does the future hold for the Spotted Mallard? A fair bit by the sounds of things. Meshers informs us he’s got plenty of exciting prospects in the works for the joint. He’d like to see downstairs expand into a casual tapas bar, and expand outside into a beer garden while keeping upstairs dedicated to live music, but there’s no set date yet as to when this might happen. For now, though, they’re “galloping along” and doing what they do best, which is, in all honesty, a really fucking hard thing to do: making everyone happy. “When it’s close to a full house,” he enthuses, “that really rocks my boat.”
If you asked Meshers to recall a particularly memorable moment in the Mallard’s short albeit colourful and vibrant history, it would appear he’s spoiled for choice, and you couldn’t blame him. “Let me have a couple of beers and think about it,” he chuckles.
Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses. We’d like to wish a ‘Happy Birthday’ to our feathered friend to the north. Here’s to the next two years and beyond.
