• Classic Aussie pubs are back

Toorak residents: don't be alarmed. You haven't missed a beat. The Toorak Hotel isn't a new pub that's sprung up overnight, but a gentle remoulding of The Bush Inn.

When the Wheatland family took over in June 2018, the pub consisted of a wine bar called 505 Wine Room and a TAB with sports bar attached. Ryan Wheatland describes it as "a very odd combination that didn't make much sense".

So the family used the downtime of Melbourne's lockdowns to make some changes. Last month, they put the finishing touches on what's now The Toorak Hotel.

New chef Daniel Wilson has introduced a fresh menu, the wine room is now a contemporary 60-seat front bar and the sports bar has morphed into a formal dining space for 120, with table service and white tablecloths.

"It's like walking into a different world," says Wheatland of the two spaces. "The front bar is packed, with loud music in the background and live sport on the TVs, but you can walk through to the restaurant with candlelight, tablecloths and soft jazz music."

That mix is attracting young professionals in the area as well as long-time residents who might normally have dinner next door at Bistro Thierry.

Wilson, whose CV includes several pubs and steakhouse Butcher & Vine, is offering pub fare plus several pastas and Med-leaning dishes such as spiced lamb rump with mint, feta and yoghurt. High-end steak is a big focus, even on steak night, when a 300-gram Black Onyx sirloin is served.

"We've always believed in charging a little bit more and doing a really good steak night," says Wheatland.

A raffle for the Prahran Football Club still runs every Friday, organised by a patron who's been visiting the pub for 60 years. It's a nod to classic pubs, but the meat tray is from Peter Bouchier, naturally.

Open Tue-Thu 4pm-late, Fri-Sun noon-late.

505 Malvern Road, Toorak, 03 9824 2855, toorakhotel.com.au