Blog Post

Royal Saxon

  • By Adrian Pante
  • 16 Nov, 2018

381 Cremorne

Out for a good time

You can update a hotel, turning it into a sophisticated and lively bar cum bistro, but that doesn’t mean that old-fashioned good-time feel has gone.

Royal Saxon fronts Church Street at the Cremorne end of Richmond, and its cool exterior is much as it was back in the days when this precinct was more about work than play.

Behind that façade, it’s been superbly renovated, opening up into a series of inviting open spaces, including Mediterranean style internal courtyard and glassed-in eatery.

The name might sound like bangers-and-mash territory but it’s actually all about the flavours of Italy. Head chef Simone Righetto is from Veneto, on the north-east coast of Italy, so expect perfect pasta and risotto as well as gourmet pizzas.

This is casual dining, an easy drop-in style place, with brilliant craft beers and a carefully selected wine list. When it really starts to warm up is after 9pm, and on the weekend it’s the place not just to eat but also to be seen. A young crowd out for a good time.

Choose your space to suit your mood: restaurant, upstairs bar and balcony or courtyard. While not exactly a music venue, they take their music seriously, and that’s why, as the evening wears on, there’s a great atmosphere to enjoy.

So, if your stay at 381 Cremorne is during the week, you could try Royal Saxon for a late-evening Italian-style meal in stylish surroundings. If you’re around on the weekend, and ready to enjoy yourself, then get down Church Street to this revamped and very popular bar and bistro. It’s open until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, until 11pm on Sundays.

Royal Saxon is at 545 Church Street, Richmond, directly across the road from the fabulous old B&M building, a classic example of Victorian federation architecture with its red brick pillars and cream trim.


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