The landmark East Village Hotel on the Balmain peninsula has sold to a pub industry newcomer, as city-fringe hotels are increasingly about the appeal of experiential dining.
Affectionately known by devotees as ‘The EVH’ the pub provides a public bar, popular bistro, function space and bottleshop. The inner west local is proudly both ‘pokie-free’ and dog friendly.
Originally opened as the Commercial Hotel in 1875, the current structure was built in 1918. In the 1930s Tooheys took over the freehold and operation. After briefly serving as a Belgian Bier Café in the 2000s, its East village moniker was adopted in 2011.
In 2017 the lease was purchased from Balmain hotelier Tim Condon by former Macquarie Bank bigwig John White, and his wife Peta.
The couple have focused on the Village’s gastro credentials in the upmarket precinct, accumulating several nominations for AHA Awards for Excellence over the last eight years, and cultivating the business to generate annual revenues north of $2.6 million.
It has now been acquired in an off-market transaction by local restaurateur Matt Turner – the former owner and operator Rozelle’s successful Rosebud restaurant.
Turner has plans for a “compelling and contemporary” f&b offering he hopes will resonate with the younger demographic in the area, which may include further refurbishment and the possibility of activating the first floor into a restaurant.
Foodservice has steadily grown in importance in the affluent inner west and surrounds. The Balmain peninsula has been no stranger to this, seeing Merivale roll out Totti’s in the revived Three Weeds Hotel in Rozelle and Peninsula Hospitality Group relaunching the Dry Dock Hotel – winner of Best Restaurant at the AHA NSW 2025 Awards.
More recently Jon Adgemis’ repossessed Town Hall Hotel sold pre-auction in July for $9.5 million to an unnamed operator rumoured to be bringing a high-profile chef from Melbourne to head up a new dining offering.
Despite increasing numbers of patrons looking for elevated food and beverage options, it has become increasingly difficult to keep fine-dining restaurants profitable, with the standard in hotels rising and what might be seen as “a more approachable atmosphere” filling the void.
“We’re seeing more and more hoteliers seeking to collaborate with high end chefs in order to activate restaurant quality food and beverage concepts upon pub trading footprints,” suggests HTL Property’s Sam Handy, who negotiated the sale with colleagues Andrew Jolliffe and Blake Edwards.
