Looking for a standout bar and restaurant in Port Melbourne? There's a particular kind of restaurant that Melbourne does better than almost anywhere else in the world, and it's not the degustation temple or the hatted fine-diner chasing a third chef's hat. It's the neighbourhood room that shines so that locals want to keep coming back - a bar you'd happily prop up alone with a negroni, and a restaurant serious enough to warrant a special occasion booking six weeks out. The Gilroy, tucked into Bay Street in Port Melbourne, is exactly that rare, difficult-to-pull-off thing. And having spent an evening working my way through its menu, I can say with some confidence that Port Melbourne has just landed one of the best openings anywhere in Melbourne this year. It's a bold claim in a city that produces new contenders for that title every month, but The Gilroy backs it up with a level of consistency, from front door to final course, that's genuinely hard to fault.
Is It a Bar? Is It a Restaurant? Yes.
The Gilroy occupies that increasingly rare middle ground where a stool at the bar and a booth for four are equally legitimate ways to spend your evening. The room itself is spacious without losing intimacy - high ceilings, moody low lighting, exposed brick softened by lush velvet booths that practically demand you settle in for the long haul. It's the kind of fit-out that strikes a careful balance between understated luxury and old-school hospitality, humming with an eclectic energy that feels thoroughly modern while never losing an old-world sensibility. Think of it as the sort of room built for an escape from the outside world, which on a cold Port Melbourne evening is exactly the mood you want.
Credit for that atmosphere goes squarely to owner Shane, whose pedigree in Melbourne hospitality speaks for itself - time at Milk the Cow and involvement with Gambino among the many credentials he brings to the room. He engages the room in a way that feels almost extinct in hospitality now - genuinely spending time at tables, delivering the kind of old-school service that makes you feel like a regular on your very first visit. It's a small thing that makes an enormous difference, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.
The Drinks: Classic, Confident, Accessible
The cocktail list doesn't try to reinvent anything, and that's precisely its strength. A Negroni built on Campari, Mulassano Rosso sweet vermouth and Tanqueray gin is textbook and beautifully balanced, while the Boulevardier swaps in Woodford Reserve bourbon for a warmer, more autumnal spin on the same bones. These are drinks made with confidence, not novelty, and they're exactly what a room like this should be pouring. You can however, indulge in specialty cocktails different to the classics.
The wine list deserves particular mention, because it does something a lot of Melbourne wine lists talk about but rarely deliver - genuine accessibility at every price point. There's a run of exceptional wines available at just $15 a glass, sitting comfortably alongside more serious drops for those who want to trade up.
It's the kind of list that rewards curiosity: over the course of the meal we worked through a crisp, zesty Staffelter Hof Magnus Riesling Trocken from Germany, a refreshing, citrus-driven Wild Duck Creek Harlequin Picpoul Blanc from Heathcote, an unusual and delicious Beaujolais Blanc from D. Piron - a Chardonnay-based white from a region famous for red Gamay, showing bright apple, pear and citrus with real mineral drive - and a robust Felline I Monili Tarantino Primitivo, its red berry and cherry fruit shot through with eucalyptus, liquorice and soft, well-managed tannins. Each pairing had clearly been considered rather than defaulted to, which is not always a given even in venues twice The Gilroy's size.
The Food: French Technique, Italian Soul
In the kitchen, head chef Derek is doing something genuinely interesting: a menu that leans on elevated French technique while borrowing generously from Italy's soulfulness. Produce-driven, technically precise, but never precious.
Start, as we did, with the Oysters, served two ways. The natural preparation comes with a genuinely excellent vinaigrette - apple and shallot mignonette that avoids the trap of blandness so many mignonettes fall into. The Kilpatrick version, built on St Helens oysters with streaky bacon, mushroom XO, balsamic and sesame, arrives suitably warm with a generous, quality portion of bacon rather than the token scattering you sometimes get elsewhere. Both versions use Sydney Rock or Farm Bay oysters, freshly shucked, with a choice of lemon cheek or yuzu alongside the green apple and shallot - small details that show a kitchen paying attention.
If there's a single dish you order without hesitation, though, it's the Escabeche. White anchovy and smoked local mussels are piled onto grilled focaccia with a crispy chilli mayonnaise, and the combination is extraordinary - creamy, smoky, savoury seafood goodness where the bread does as much work as the fish itself, soaking up every last bit of that mayo. This is the dish I'd send a table of first-timers to order without a second thought.
The Shark Bay scallops are another highlight, pan-fried and served with Jerusalem artichoke purée, artichoke scratchings, morcilla sausage and nasturtium. The morcilla brings a welcome smokiness that grounds the sweetness of the scallop, while the artichoke purée adds silkiness without tipping into heaviness. It's a dish with real technical control behind it, the kind of plate that reads simple on the menu description but clearly involves a lot of careful work in the kitchen.
Then there's the pasta - and it's worth noting that everything here is house-made, which shows. The Spaghetti chitarra, a Venetian classic built around Coffin Bay vongole, soave, garlic, chilli, parsley and extra virgin olive oil, has exactly the right amount of heat and smokiness running through it.
The fresh pasta itself has that particular springy, slightly rough texture that only comes from being made in-house, and it's the kind of dish that makes you wonder why more Melbourne kitchens don't bother with house-made pasta when the difference is this obvious on the plate.
For the main event, the Scotch fillet is not to be skipped. MB+9 Pure Black Wagyu, 300 grams, prepared as the kitchen's version of the classic steak au poivre, arrives with a peppercorn sauce built on Cognac cream, chives and shoestring fries. The steak itself was cooked exactly as ordered - no small feat with wagyu of this marbling - but it's the sauce that lingers in the memory. The Cognac cream brings a genuine sense of indulgence to the dish, rich without being cloying, and it's the sort of preparation that reminds you why steak au poivre became a classic in the first place.
Dessert brought a sticky date pudding with whisky sauce, and there's not much more to say beyond: order it.
The texture was exactly right - moist, dense, not overly sweet - and the whisky sauce added a warmth that felt entirely appropriate to close out a meal built on this much confidence. It was paired, notably, with a Kanosuke single malt Japanese whisky, aged across a mix of ex-shochu casks and American white oak with a touch of peated malt, giving it a subtle smokiness that echoed nicely against the pudding's caramel notes.
The Verdict
The Gilroy succeeds because it refuses to make you choose. It's a bar when you want a bar, a restaurant when you want a restaurant, and both experiences are handled with the same level of care and craft. Shane's presence on the floor gives the room its warmth (as well as other staff), Derek's kitchen gives it its substance, and the wine list gives it genuine accessibility across every budget. This is a venue built on relationships - with producers, with fishermen, with the neighbourhood it now calls home - and that sense of connection comes through in every course.
Whether it's a spontaneous weeknight dinner, a long-overdue catch-up, or a proper celebration, The Gilroy has quickly established itself as exactly the kind of neighbourhood haven Port Melbourne didn't know it was missing. Old-school hospitality, new-school energy, and a menu that more than earns its place on Bay Street. Port Melbourne, you're eating extremely well.
You Might Also Like
If The Gilroy has you exploring more of Melbourne's food and wine scene, these might be worth a read next:
- Best Italian Restaurants in Melbourne (2026) — our local's guide to the city's top Italian tables, including more Port Melbourne favourites.
- Best Wine Bars in Melbourne (2026 Guide) — for more spots pouring accessible glasses alongside serious bottles.
- Best Melbourne Bars — our guide to the city's standout bars, from laneway dens to neighbourhood favourites like The Gilroy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Gilroy a bar or a restaurant?
It's genuinely both. The Gilroy operates as a fully-fledged bar and eatery, with a cocktail and wine list built for dropping in for a drink, and a French-Italian menu substantial enough to anchor a full sit-down dinner.
Where is The Gilroy located?
The Gilroy is on Bay Street in Port Melbourne, in the heart of the suburb's main strip.
Who owns The Gilroy?
The Gilroy is owned by Shane, whose hospitality background includes Milk the Cow and Gambino.
Who is the head chef at The Gilroy?
The kitchen is led by head chef Derek, whose menu blends elevated French technique with Italian-inspired dishes.
What are the must-order dishes at The Gilroy?
Standouts include the oysters served two ways, the escabeche with white anchovy and smoked mussels, the Shark Bay scallops, the house-made spaghetti chitarra vongole, the MB+9 wagyu scotch fillet, and the sticky date pudding with whisky sauce.
Is the wine list at The Gilroy affordable?
Yes. The list is accessible across price points, with a strong selection of wines available by the glass from around $15, alongside more premium options.
Does The Gilroy take bookings?
The Gilroy welcomes both walk-ins at the bar and bookings for the restaurant, making it suited to a spontaneous weeknight drink or a planned celebration dinner.