The Angel of Malvern To Reopen After Three Years

The heritage-listed pub on the corner of Glenferrie and Dandenong roads has lived many lives. It served as a rest stop for travellers on the stock route in the 1850s, was remodelled as The Railway Hotel in the 1920s and, more recently, operated as The Angel. 

In 2017, developer Kokoda Property purchased a ​​4720-square-metre site, which included the pub. The group has built Malvern Collective on the site, a $450 million development featuring two buildings with 205 apartments in total.

The site started welcoming tenants in July, with the pub – renamed The Angel of Malvern – now housing three venues. The first, a ground-floor public bar, is expected to open this April. The other two will be a Mediterranean restaurant on level one and a speakeasy cocktail bar on level two.

Justin North (formerly a chef at Hotel Centennial and Mister Percy, both in Sydney) has come aboard as executive chef across the three venues, developing menus for the pub, restaurant and cocktail bar. 

At The Angel of Malvern, designed by architects from Studio McCue, heritage elements such as exposed brick and floor tiles have been retained. Before construction began, Kokoda ran the pub under its previous name for three years, closing it in 2023. “Running the pub for a couple of years gave us an idea of what works and what doesn’t, as well as what the locals want,” Kokoda Property founder Mark Stevens says. Punters can expect a front bar with pub classics served in a casual setting. 

“There were offices on level one, so we’ve gutted all of those and we’ll have a restaurant in place that’s distinct from the pub,” Stevens says. At the Mediterranean restaurant, “expect a seafood-leaning menu and European drinks to go with it.”

Level two will house a moody cocktail bar with DJs and an extensive drinks list designed for late-night kick-ons. Combined, the venues will have capacity for 1000 people.

“Each level is probably suited to different occasions – we want to give locals a reason to stop by for a quick drink after work but also provide experiences that people will travel for,” Stevens says.

The Angel of Malvern is at 641 Dandenong Road, Malvern. The pub is expected to reopen in April, with the restaurant and cocktail bar planned to open at the end of May.