Hawthorn’s abuzz with the restoration and reopening of this beloved old pub

Imagine taking over the pub where you and your mates got up to mischief as young ’uns.

To the amusement of their friends, that’s the reality for Julien Moussi and Tony Pantano, partners in the fast-growing Only Hospitality group (22 venues and counting), and the new custodians of Hawthorn’s The Beehive.

The hotel, built on the corner of Barkers Road and High Street in 1855, was most recently Mediterranean restaurant Serafina, but it will reopen on Wednesday, with its original name and its interiors restored.

“We’re going to end up spending nearly one million bucks, which wasn’t the plan,” says Moussi. “But we’re committed to the vision … and making sure we didn’t skimp on it.”

Outside, the beehive sculpture that crowns the hotel roof has been repainted a brighter yellow and it will be lit at night. Inside, the public bar’s terrazzo floor has been restored, the bistro walls have been clad in cork (for acoustics and aesthetics) with custom beehive lights added. A stand-up drinking space has been styled as a hall of fame, and will be decked out with memorabilia from local sporting clubs.

Melbourne-raised chef Chris Rendell – who’s worked in kitchens here as well as in New Zealand, London and New York – wrote the menu, which is approachable above all else. “On Tuesday night at your local pub, you don’t really want to be challenged,” he says.

Nevertheless, some cheffy touches prevail, thanks to the wood-fired oven and charcoal grill. A spud thrown on cooling embers after service forms the basis of a smoked potato aioli served with lamb rump and house-made mint pesto. The chicken schnitzel is (only slightly) fancied up, topped with shavings of ricotta salata and pickled zucchini.

Classic counter meals include a three-cheese chicken parma (and an eggplant alternative) and a Black Angus beef burger. But you’ll also find some handmade pasta dishes and, fittingly, a signature Beehive hot honey will add the final touch to dishes such as leek and comte croquettes. “Long term, there’s an idea to put urban beehives on the roof,” says Rendell.

Pouring from 12 taps are mainstays like Carlton Draught alongside a rotating craft selection. Moussi says the wine program is “not too polarising”, with affordable local drops and bigger-ticket French wines, including some great bottles of Chablis.

Open daily noon-late

84 Barkers Road, Hawthorn, thebeehivehotel.com.au