Revamped suburban hotel draws crowds with $6m makeover and mouthwatering mix of pub classics
It’s a suburb best known for chocolate, but Claremont is also home to a revamped, family-friendly eatery – affectionately known as The Mont – with a modern twist on traditional pub favourites.
TasWeekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from TasWeekend. Followed categories will be added to My News.
These days, Claremont is a bustling suburb of Hobart but, back in the day, critics were sceptical of chocolate-making giant Cadbury’s decision to open their Australian factory there. “No doubt [the directors] should be told they were foolish for choosing Hobart,” opined the Launceston Daily Telegraph in 1920, “as Tasmania has some rather severe handicaps in its isolation from the mainland”. On the other hand, “the one great factor was the climate which was altogether in favour for the manufacture of (chocolate)”.
Cadbury went ahead with the factory, of course, and recently celebrated in Claremont – churning out more than 250 million chocolate bars a year. But dreams of a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory moment (sadly, factory tours stopped in 2008) aren’t the only thing drawing people to the suburb. A $6 million, 10-month revamp of local pub The Mont (as The Claremont Hotel is affectionately known) is proving popular with residents and visitors alike.
When we arrive on a Wednesday evening, the car park is packed – spots for tradies with utes are a nice touch – and it’s just as busy inside.
There’s a spacious dining area – the Bistro – full of family groups, a birthday party and some smaller tables, but we opt for the slightly quieter Lounge area. There, we’ve got our choice of bar-height tables with stools, regular tables and low tables with luxuriously proportioned armchairs. A vaulted ceiling gives the area a spacious feel and a fireplace in the far wall is a cosy focal point for winter. Deep green Moroccan-style tiles line the walls and a striking green and grey carpet anchors the space.
My husband heads to the bar for a beer while I peruse the menu. There’s something to suit everyone no matter the size of your appetite or budget, with some especially well priced meals for seniors (two courses for $18, three courses for $21).
If schnitties are your thing, options include a vegan schnitzel ($25) and a Mont mega schnitzel (two 300g crumbed chicken breasts or 500g crumbed beef, $38/$36).
We start with a generous portion of tempura mushrooms ($15) served atop a smear of sweet chilli and sweet soy sauces. The batter is light and crisp and still crunchy when I devour the last one 10 minutes after they arrived. The mushroom pieces are large and meaty and I’d happily eat this as a main with a garden salad ($8).
We stick with pub classics for our mains. My steak sandwich ($20) is excellent – plenty of char on the bacon and the steak, which is tender enough to bite into easily.
The Turkish bread bun is up to the task of containing the filling, without overpowering it and leaving you feeling like you just ate a loaf of bread. On the menu it includes a fried egg, but I order it without and that’s not a problem at all.
The staff are friendly and helpful, keeping us updated on the status of our meals before we’ve even had a chance to ask. Not bad considering how busy they are and how many kids they have to dodge.
There’s a wonderful family-friendly vibe at The Mont and kids of all ages are enjoying their meals as well as the play area that was a new addition during the revamp. Other patrons include older couples, friend groups and a couple of senior gents I think were the owners of the impressive Harleys parked out front.
“The refurbished venue and motel rooms have been extremely well received,” says hotel manager Tom Cashion. “We’re now able to cater to a wider range of customers, particularly with the new lounge bar and addition of the kids’ area adjacent to the bistro.
It’s been great to offer the new menu with all the pub classics you want, revamped with a few of the Claremont local favourites like The Mont Mixed Grill and the Chicken Bosco.”
My husband’s scotch fillet with chips and vegies ($41) comes perfectly cooked to order (medium, which isn’t always a popular choice with cooks and chefs) and his off-menu request for a side of mustard is happily accommodated. The chips are chunky and crisp and the only thing that’s distracting him from them is the first episode of Married At First Sight that’s playing on a TV over my shoulder.
The Mont is serving good meals at good prices and its popularity among locals is well deserved. We’d be happy to have a beer and a steak there anytime.
THE CLAREMONT HOTEL (THE MONT)
1 Main Rd, Claremont
Opening hours: Mon- Sat: 8am – 12am, Sun: 8am – 11pm
ON THE MENU
Tempura mushrooms, $15; steak sandwich, $20; scotch fillet, $41
Is this the sweetest foodie opening of the year?
This recently opened family-friendly Northern cafe makes a sweet new addition to this business’s growing empire
Warning: This hobby could become an obsession
A thriving Tassie festival will celebrate our beekeepers and world-renowned honey industry while highlighting dangers of introduced pests to the small but mighty heroes of our gardens and farms.