Fitzroy North’s quirkiest pub reopens with one big difference

Just weeks after closing, what’s perhaps Melbourne’s pointiest pub – the triangular-shaped Fitzroy Pinnacle Hotel – has reopened on St Georges Road under new management.

Rechristened The Pinnacle, the pub is the latest project for Michael Bascetta, co-founder of inner-north favourites Bar Liberty wine bar, Capitano pizzeria and Falco bakery, businesses he’s now stepped away from.

Running the kitchen of the Fitzroy North pub is Scott Eddington, chef and co-owner of Kensington wine bar Arnold’s, alongside venue manager Jamie McDonnell, who’s clocked time at hatted Reed House in the CBD.

Despite the team’s pedigree, Bascetta is categorical about their vision: “First and foremost … we’re not opening a restaurant in a pub. We’re opening a pub, full stop.”

That pub looks a little different to what Pinnacle regulars might remember. The velvet curtains are gone, letting in more natural light, and the green walls have been splashed white. But there’s familiarity among the freshness, with all the ornate cornicing and most of the well-worn furniture retained, alongside church pews inherited from Carlton pub The Lincoln. The front bar’s disco ball now spins in the turret above the pub.

“First and foremost … we’re not opening a restaurant in a pub. We’re opening a pub, full stop.”

Michael Bascetta, current owner of The Pinnacle

As a long-serving live-music venue, the pub’s most controversial change has been replacing the stage at its pointiest end with a new entryway. “Right now, we’ve got a few people in the comments section pissed off that we’ve removed the stage,” says Bascetta. “But it would be 10 times that if we tried to program music – and did it poorly.”

Some live music will roll out in the beer garden, but Bascetta says the team is ultimately out to do what they do best: “We want to put our best foot forward in the food space.”

Eddington has cooked in various venues – from Critics’ Pick-listed Manze and Mexican favourite Mamasita, to Sydney’s now-closed Automata and A1 Canteen, to Belles Hot Chicken – but never a pub. His plan is to bring care and consistency to the classics, with a focus on produce that adds a “sprinkle of seasonality”.

“The sides and salads will be fresh in summer, grilled in autumn and braised in winter,” Eddington says.

Instead of dishing up roast beef and gravy in summer, his Sunday roast is a half chook with slaw and salsa verde to balance out the garlic mash and Yorkshire pudding also on the plate.

For the schnitzel, he sources whole chickens from Loddon Valley to break down and brine in-house, then pan-fries each piece to order. Fish comes direct through Harvest Stack, which connects chefs to fishers, so whatever’s served depends on the catch of the day.

Other pub grub includes a cheeseburger with house mustard, and an eggplant lasagne. There are wallet-friendly weekly specials, too, including $25 pot and parma night on Mondays, $28 steak night on Wednesdays, and a weeknight happy hour with $5 pots and $10 pints.

Of 10 beers on tap, some are big names – like Carlton Draught and Guinness – while others are local indie brewers. There’s also a house-batched elderflower spritz on tap, made with Marionette liqueur, and a “fancy” wine list you can get on request.

Open lunch Fri-Sun; dinner daily

251 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, thepinnacle.melbourne