13/11/2026
A piece of Melbourne history, still standing. The Mitre Tavern sits in what's widely regarded as Melbourne's oldest surviving building, a relic from the 1840s, when Melbourne was little more than tents and timber huts along the Yarra.
Originally built as a private residence, it became the Mitre Tavern in 1868 when vintner William Thompson secured a publican's licence, with his brother Henry soon taking over. By the 1870s it was already a Melbourne institution, serving as the unofficial clubhouse for polo players, hunters and Melbourne's legal fraternity.
As the city grew upward and outward around it, that same building has held onto its character while evolving with the times. Upstairs, what was once the House of Lords Restaurant became today's Steakhouse, and downstairs, the old-world charm of the wood-panelled walls remains exactly as it always has. Same building, same spirit, nearly 200 years on.
