The Waterside Hotel opens its doors this Friday 14 November after an eight-year transformation into a spectacular seven-level venue.
Sitting on the corner of Flinders and King Streets, The Waterside Hotel represents the biggest Melbourne swing yet from Sand Hill Road, the hospitality group behind The Espy, Garden State Hotel and Richmond Club Hotel. They picked up the site back in 2017 and have spent the years since turning it into something that balances heritage preservation with contemporary ambition.
What makes The Waterside different is its scale and scope. Spread across seven levels, it’s designed to function as multiple venues in one, from ground floor pub sessions through to high-end dining, rooftop cocktails, and private event spaces with city views. The 1925 façade stays put, but everything behind it has been reimagined through collaboration with Techne Architects and interior designer Eleisha Gray.
The Waterside Hotel – Melbourne
- Ground floor Public Bar and Beer Garden opens Friday 14 November
- PAST / PORT restaurant opens Friday 21 November
- Corner of Flinders and King Streets, Melbourne
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Executive Chef Sarah Chan is running the food program across the entire Melbourne venue. She was instrumental in building The Espy’s Mya Tiger from the ground up, and she’s bringing that same approach here – South-East Asian influences meeting communal, high-energy dining, but adapted differently for each level.
Ground floor keeps things classic with a proper pub setup. The Public Bar and Beer Garden fits over 400 people across indoor and outdoor spaces, anchored by an 18-metre bar. Head Chef Kim Kim is working with Chef Chan on a menu of pub staples, pizzas and share plates, while Tommy Morison handles the drinks. Expect live music, DJs and sports on the screens.
Level two is where things shift into restaurant mode. PAST / PORT seats 160 and leans into Chan’s background, drawing from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia while using Australian produce. Working with Head Chef Liam Lee, the menu spans snacks through to mains and includes exclusive pre-order dishes for groups wanting to make an occasion of it. Her personal standout is a Sarawak laksa offered as a weekday lunch special, a nod to her hometown that she’s clearly proud of.
Drinks at PAST / PORT lean on local wine producers like Mac Forbes, Mulline and Yarra Yering, with cocktails built to work alongside the spice-forward food. Level three extends the restaurant vibe into a rooftop cocktail bar and outdoor terrace, functioning as either a pre or post-dinner spot or a destination in its own right.
Up on level five sits the Private Lounge Bar, an exclusive space for up to 50 people with butler-style service. It’s positioned as the venue’s premium offering for private events, while levels one and four handle larger functions and events ranging from 32 seated guests up to 300 for cocktail-style gatherings.
After 26 years of working on venues across Melbourne, Sand Hill Road is now focusing solely on The Waterside Hotel. It’s a statement of intent; a venue that functions as a traditional Melbourne pub at its core but stretches that concept across seven levels of different experiences.
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