Garden State Hotel is a multi-level venue renowned for its expansive beer garden and diverse dining options, and has had many different lives.

Its first life began as Denniston & Co Pty. Ltd. Clothing Factory, designed by Sydney Herbet Wilson and built by R. McDonald between 1907 and 1908. The clothing manufacturer also owned 91-93 Flinders Lane next door.

It was around this time that Flinders Lane was a hub for clothing manufacturing, and many warehouses traded in.

The façade of the original building survives to this day, as does most of the existing building which dates back to 1938, when a fire destroyed the majority of what was the original rear.

Fast forward to the 1980s when it became Rosati, one of the hottest bars in Melbourne.

The Age noted in 2014: “Rosati was a pioneer in Melbourne’s avant-garde restaurant scene. One of the city’s first warehouse dining conversions, Rosati was a smash hit – selling, The Age reported at the time, more Moet than any other establishment in Australia.”

In 2016 The Age wrote: “If you’re old enough to remember the opening of Rosati restaurant in Flinders Lane in 1985, you’ll remember the buzz the restaurant and bar generated. At the time it embodied all that was exciting, authentic, yet completely contemporary, about Italian cuisine and culture. Designer Piero Gesualdi was behind the concept (with partner Ronnie Di Stasio)…”

Underlining its “hot spot” credentials, Rosati, with its vast interior and intricate mosaic tiled floors, served as the backdrop for Kylie Minogue’s ‘I’ve Got To be Certain’ video clip.

In 2016, the venue became the Garden State Hotel. Featuring a sprawling four-level layout, including a public bar and expansive beer garden. The building retains its Victorian-era façade, with classical architectural elements, high-arching windows, and a distinctive saw-tooth roof.

Drop in and savour our history in a contemporary setting.