Rustica’s founder, Brenton Lang, went to Williamstown in search of a spot to add to his five-cafe portfolio. And he walked away with the keys to the former Hellenic Hotel.

The three-storey neighbourhood pub has had its former name – Hobsons Bay Hotel – reinstated. And it’s been given an interior refurb by designer Fiona Drago, who’s behind most of the Rustica locations. “It was very blue, very Hellenic,” Lang tells Broadsheet. “We just wanted to bring back that feel of a pub, a pub that almost feels like a lounge room.”

Deep greens, brown-leather upholstery and natural timbers feature across three levels through a number of open-plan and private dining spaces and bars. On the first floor’s sweeping balcony, European-style tiles have replaced the Astroturf. But the most exciting addition is a stunning rooftop with bay views, which wasn’t used in any of the venue’s past lives. It’s built for summer, but bifold doors and a retractable roof will ensure it’s just as comfortable in winter.

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The centrepiece of the new Hobsons Bay Hotel, though, is the dining room. Lang has recruited former Supernormal head chef Ben Pigott, whose menu – much like the building – has rustic, classic charm. And a focus on flame-licked dishes, thanks to a woodfired grill and rotisserie in an open kitchen that stretches the length of the dining room. “Cooking over wood fire is something I get really excited about – it’s my favourite way to cook,” says Pigott. “It enables me to achieve that simplicity of focusing on the produce.”

The half rotisserie chook is destined to be Pigott’s signature. “You get that beautiful caramelised skin but really soft, juicy meat,” he says. “We just make a beautiful roast-chicken sauce and a little salsa verde-type dressing that goes over – really zingy and herby and complements that flame-grilled taste really well.” There are also two rotisserie specials: porchetta with braised sweet-and-sour radicchio, hazelnuts and brown-butter jus
on Saturdays, and a classic carved-to-order roast on Sundays.

The steaks are just as impressive, from Victorian grass-fed striploin to the mammoth 800-gram Cape Grim rib eye (for sharing, obviously). They’re served simply, with a condiment plate of house-made horseradish creme fraiche, green-peppercorn sauce and Dijon mustard – so the fire does most of the talking. “[It’s] really traditional, almost like a brasserie-type approach,” says Pigott. “We think it fits the period of the pub really well.”

His menu is designed so most items work well on the same plate. Veggie dishes include woodfired, maple-glazed butternut squash with buffalo curd; sugar snap peas, cooked directly over the coals until they blister and char, dressed with lemon, mint and pecorino; and grilled heirloom zucchini with stracciatella and basil.

On the more casual public-bar menu, find a minute steak with shoestring fries; and a rotisserie-chicken roll with hot sauce, aioli, pickles and lettuce.

Drinks-wise, there are Margaritas and Espresso Martinis on tap. Plus, a mix of classic and local craft beers including Balter XPA and Mountain Goat lager, and a Victorian-centric wine list that features pinot noir from the Bellarine Peninsula’s Marcus Hill and chardonnay from Geelong’s Austin’s.

Hobsons Bay Hotel
28 Ferguson Street, Williamstown

Hours:
Daily 12pm–late

hobsonsbayhotel.com.au

This article first appeared on Broadsheet on December 7, 2020. Menu items may have changed since publication.