When O’Sullivan’s closed and the building became Asian Fusion bar/restaurant “Ginger Annie” they barely took the Irish flags off the wall before re-opening. It was a minimal effort turnaround to get the doors back open and other than a refresh of the menu it was essentially the same pub, Which is why I was happy to see that they have actually put in some effort with the Essendon Hotel. The renovations look amazing, the pub now exuding a strong Garden State vibe. I ordered a second pint and my parma in the bar and took a seat in the bistro seating area out the back.

The vibe on the night was very festive. The Essendon Hotel opened for the first time at 4pm and I arrived just after 5 to find a very busy, salubrious pub. Free finger food was circulating and the whole venue had a great party vibe going that I can hope they can maintain once the hype dies down.

As far as tap lists go the Essendon Hotel didn’t blow me away. There’s an in-house Draught, Furphy, Kirin, Little Creatures Pale, Panhead XPA, Brooklyn Lager, Iron Jack and Little Creatures Cider with a larger selection available in the fridge (check their website for the full list). There is enough, however it would be nice to see one or two more craftier options on tap.

It has been 9 years since we last visited this building, and although they aren’t technically related, let’s take a look at the 2010 O’Sullivan’s parma before moving on to the 2019 Essendon Hotel parma…