Merivale’s Queens Hotel finally opens

It’s been a while coming but Merivale’s new Queen Victoria Hotel in Enmore finally opened on Monday.

Only now, it’s called the Queens Hotel. Shorter, hip and more to the point.

Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes describes Enmore Road as the next foodie hub.

“This area is buzzing — you just have to walk down the street at night and it just had this energy about it,” Hemmes told the Daily Telegraph.

“There is so much happening here it is a fantastic area and there are a lot of great places that are opening up.”

He said the two storey’s refurbishment is a total rejuvenation of the place.

The design team of Justin and Bettina Hemmes, combining with interior designer Amanda Talbot and architect Kelvin Ho, have created Queen Chow on the first floor. The décor features a long timber bar with a zinc top, surrounded by bar tables and leather banquettes, dark-stained timbers and rubbed-back finishes.  There’s also a restaurant with a Hong Kong street food approach. It all opens onto a shady courtyard.

Upstairs, there’s the Smelly Goat cocktail bar which has a hand-carved onyx bar top, fabric-lined walls, black timber panelling, silk sconces, taxidermy birds and native orchids. There’s enough there to keep anyone transfixed.

“There is not a surface that has been untouched,” Hemmes said.

“This style is a first for us, it has a New York tavern feel to it.”

And apart from the renovations and décor, there’s the food. The menu, according to Merivale, offers some of the best Chinese food in Sydney.

“Our food is Cantonese classics, traditional but probably the best you are going to get in Sydney, “head chef Patrick Friessen told the Daily Telegraph.

“This place is your neighbourhood pub meets your neighbourhood Chinese.

“You can come in for a drink or a snack or a full on banquet, we will even have a supper menu so people can come get something after a show at the (Enmore) theatre.”

by Leon Gettler, December 13^th 2016