Elgin Inn Hawthorn: Reviews, Menu, Photos, and More

The Elgin Inn (now branded The Elgin) has been a Hawthorn fixture since 1929 (A+ Insights), blending a ground-floor sports bar with a bistro and rooftop deck. This profile covers the menu, weekly specials including happy hour and the $20 lunch, reviews, and how to find it — drawing on the official venue site, TripAdvisor reviews, and a 3AW Pub of the Week editorial. You’ll get a clear picture of what to expect and when to visit.

Last checked: 2026-08-04

Address: 75 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, 3122 · Opening Hours (Mon-Thu): 11am – Late · Opening Hours (Fri): 11am – 1am · Opening Hours (Sat): Open 7… · Type: Pub, Bistro, Sport & Functions · Reputation: Hawthorn institution, casual pub-going experience

By Staff Writer

Elgin Inn Hawthorn Menu and Dining Experience

The bistro menu at the Elgin Inn leans on familiar pub classics. A 3AW Pub of the Week review scored the venue 15/20 and lists taco-style starters (vegetable, beef, chicken, fish), buffalo wings, spring rolls, a meat-lovers pizza, five salads, three steaks, and staples like burger, parma, and fish and chips. TripAdvisor categorizes the cuisine as bar, pizza, pub, and Australian, with vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free options flagged on the listing.

The $20 lunch menu runs Monday to Friday from 11:30am to 3pm, a straightforward play for a workday crowd. Weekly specials are broader than the lunch deal: the venue runs five regular specials, including happy hour from 5–7pm on Thursday and Friday, plus themed nights such as parma night and burger night during the week.

The internal layout separates the ground-floor sports bar from the lower split-level dining area, which 3AW describes as the main indoor dining space. The sports bar flows into the bistro, so you can watch a game while waiting for a meal.

What this means: the menu is built around reliability and value rather than experimental dishes, and the specials rotate enough to keep regulars coming back.

Elgin Inn Reviews and Photos

TripAdvisor’s aggregate rating for the Elgin Inn sits around 3.6 out of 5 based on roughly 61 reviews (TripAdvisor), placing it mid-range among Hawthorn restaurants. The Chinese-language TripAdvisor page ranks the venue about 50th out of approximately 157 restaurants in the suburb (TripAdvisor CN).

Review highlights cluster around food quality and atmosphere. One reviewer calls out “Great food and atmosphere” as a recurring theme, while another mentions “Fantastic food” and a third references an “Excellent catch up with friends” — suggesting the venue works well for social gatherings. A reviewer on the English listing described the upper deck/terrace as having “good city views”, reinforcing the promotional description of the rooftop space.

“Great food and atmosphere”

TripAdvisor reviewer

“Excellent catch up with friends”

TripAdvisor reviewer

The photos on TripAdvisor and Yelp show the exterior signage, the interior sports bar, and the rooftop deck, giving a visual sense of the space before you visit.

The pattern: the reviews skew positive on food and social atmosphere, with the main caveats being noise during sports events and the mid-range aggregate score.

Elgin Inn Steak Night and Special Events

The official venue site brands the Elgin as a pub, bistro, sport and functions venue, and the ground-floor sports bar carries TAB and Keno facilities with multiple screens showing live sports. That makes a natural fit for race days and footy finals.

On steak night: related search terms suggest a dedicated steak night may be offered, but this isn’t confirmed on the official website or in the 3AW editorial review. The venue does run themed nights — 3AW specifically mentions parma night, burger night, and happy hour nights during the week — so the specials calendar is worth checking directly.

For functions, the split-level layout (sports bar upstairs, dining area below) and the rooftop deck provide flexible zones for group bookings. The rooftop is partly undercover with festoon lighting and booth seating, advertised as offering city views.

The bottom line: the sports and functions angle is well documented, but the specific steak night is not confirmed by official sources — call ahead or check the website.

Elgin Inn specifications

Price range

The Elgin Inn sits at the budget end of Melbourne pub dining. Express specials are around $12, entrees average $16, and mains around $27. Steaks run from about $25 (per a TripAdvisor review) to the mid-to-high $30s (per 3AW). The $20 lunch menu is the cheapest regular option.

Pros and cons

Best for

• Sports fans: live screens, TAB, Keno
• Budget diners: $20 lunch specials, express specials around $12
• Social groups: rooftop deck, split-level dining, group-friendly
• Pub enthusiasts: historic venue, no pokies, classic pub food

Location and getting there

The Elgin Inn is at 75 Burwood Road, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, in the Boroondara area. The address is confirmed across the official website, OpenTable, and Yelp listings.

Nearby alternatives

If the Elgin Inn doesn’t fit your plans, a few options exist in Hawthorn. The Auburn Hotel is another pub in the suburb with a similar bistro-and-sports profile. For a different vibe, Elgin Saigon appears in related searches for “Elgin” — though it’s a separate venue with no connection to the Elgin Inn.

Elgin Inn history

• Pre-1929: The site operated as the Railway Hotel, which later became known as the Elgin Inn Hotel (Hawthorn Historical Society)
• 1929: The Elgin Inn was built, beginning its run as a local pub (A+ Insights)
• 2022: 3AW Pub of the Week scored the venue 15/20
• Present: Rebranded as “The Elgin” on the official website

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Frequently asked questions