Ungolden

The Fleece, with its thirsty manequin, lies on the corner of Buckhurst Street and manic Montague Street. Buckhurst Street is the continuation of Bay Street (on the South Melbourne side of Ingles Street) so, like The Palace, this pub is much closer to the heart of Port Melbourne than its postal code would suggest.

The loss of the Golden prefix (and Hotel suffix) is an indication of the wholesale eradication of anything remotely traditional in this 'bar/restaurant', and they seem to have been early adopters of the current trend for splashes of lurid lime green. This is a flashy pub sat in a not particularly flashy location.

Unfortunately any hint of old fashioned charm has gone out the window too with the manager being, in my experience, a uniquely grumpy character. They also have an application underway to install 25 gaming machines. On the plus side, the food is meant to be good, there is a deck upstairs, and the pictures in the toilets are genuinely amusing.

Beers on tap: Carlton Draught, Cascade Light, Pure Blonde, Asahi, Fat Yak
Wine range: $7.00 - $8.50
Parma: No
Gastro: Yes
Tradie vs Yuppy: Yuppy all the way