Every visit to Melbourne calls for good food. After a night out at the famed Movida, we were still yearning for more Spanish fare. Our Melburnian friends suggested we gave Robert Burns Hotel in Collingwood a try. Robert Burns? What would Scotland's favourite son have anything to do with Spanish cuisine? I was soon to find out...
Yin Yin
www.weekendnotes.com
Don't let the tartan fool you in this haven where Spain meets the Scots. Stephen Downes reports.
The carpet might be tartan and the name might skirl a Scottish pipe. But the Robert Burns Hotel is – from its parillas to paellas – all Spanish.
Its simple offerings burst with brilliance and are cooked with great touch. A medium-sized list of Iberian and Chilean wines offers some relief for the lean of pocket and several good beers are on tap or bottled.
Service varies from good to desultory and the place is warm and homely on a cold night.
Stephen Downes
Taste.com.au | Herald Sun
FoodieAboutTown
Blogger | Foodieabouttown.com.au
On a rainy afternoon on Smith Street the Robert Burns Hotel is a little cosy watering hole with some Spanish flavour going on!
You can’t miss the massive bulls head mounted above the fire and anyone who didn’t realise Robert Burns was from Spain would be a little confused but once you meet the friendly staff and see the menu it all clicks into place and you get set for a trip to latin foodie heaven!
Best Restaurants
bestrestaurants.com.au
The Robert Burns Hotel is back and better than ever. After being completely refitted with a vibrant new interior and menu, local Collingwood residents can add another to their favourite restaurant list. The Spanish inspired menu, the Scottish name of the pub, all located in an Australian city takes you on a trot across the globe.
A nine-month renovation of Collingwoods Robert Burns Hotel is nearing completion for owner Colonial Leisure Group, which has kept the Spanish soul of the iconic Smith Street pub. Previous owner Urbano Gutierrez turned the old-fashioned drinking hole into an Iberian oasis when he took over in 1982 - and Colonial Leisure decided not to throw the baby out with the bathwater after buying it 2 years ago. Now, after a lengthy makeover, it is poised to throw open the doors of a revitalised Robbie Burns. There will be a tapas bar at the front of the restaurant serving traditional Spanish food with a seafood slant. The chef is Santander native Ivan Saiz, who was introduced to his new bosses through the Spanish consulate. The opening date is September 19th.
Article by Robert Burns
