THE STAR HOTEL - RELAUNCH EVENT

160 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
Tel: 03 9682 6288

On Thursday night, we were invited to the relaunch party of The Star Hotel.  This venue has been transformed into a trendy space where the lines between inside and outside have been slightly blurred.

The interior is a mix of rustic industrial warehouse and outdoor greenery.  The space features concrete pipes used as large indoor pots for trees, artificial grass in a checkerboard pattern with timber decking, and festoon string lights which create a canopy of light above.  Highlights include the rooftop outdoor area and two-story high vertical garden.  We love the multiple spaces within which can cater for small and large groups.  The hotel has been refurbished by Reeb who specialise in building and interior styling.

Not just the interior has had a makeover, but also the food.  The Star Hotel's new head chef is Danny Callen, previously of The Post in St Kilda.  The food served at the relaunch event was an assortment of finger food - perfect for grazing alongside a refreshing beverage.

Here is what we were lucky enough to sample:

• Mushroom and truffle arancini balls - These were the highlight of the night.  Deliciously tasty with a lovely crunchy exterior.  We couldn't get enough of these balls of goodness.

• Salmon and eel croquettes - Love the salmon taste and delicate in flavour.

• Pulled pork sliders in brioche buns - A great staple in any contemporary pub menu. For us, a perfect grazing food.

• Chicken wings with chili aioli dipping sauce - While chicken wings offer a good alternative to other items on the menu, unfortunately we thought they were overly salty on the night.

• Beef tartare - Lovely meat with a delightful little hit of mustard. It was a shame that the toasted baguette was a little on the dry side.

• Zucchini flowers stuffed with goats cheese - Amazing!  These were simply gorgeous with their light batter. We'd go back for these babies.

• Mini wagyu beef burgers - The patties were deliciously juicy, albeit with tomato slices fairly out of proportion with the rest of the burger.  

Overall, the new Star Hotel is great place to catch up with some mates for drinks and a bite.

The Star Hotel is open 7 days a week, 11:30am to 3am.

We would like to give a big thank you to Kathryn from AMPR for the invitation.