The General Assembly
The General Assembly is "the only venue outside the brewery itself to stock all of the Matilda Bay beers on tap," per Concrete Playground, a riverside pub a two-minute walk from the MCEC.
Why go
The place is run by Matilda Bay Brewing Company, so the tap wall is the reason to cross the promenade. Concrete Playground reads the kitchen as keeping "things simple with craft beer on tap, good bar food and riverside views," and the one dish the review pushes is the whole snapper. Long wooden tables and a deck over the Yarra make it a workable spot for a conference group that wants a table fast.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the whole snapper, which Concrete Playground calls
wonderfully cooked and covered with capers, lemon and beurre noisette.
Start with the beer paddle,5 glasses for $16,
to work through the Matilda Bay range. - Avoid: counting on the deck at peak. It fills on event afternoons, so get a table down early or plan to stand at the rail.
What locals & experts say
- Concrete Playground: the pub is
brought to you by the good people of Matilda Bay Brewing Company
and isthe only venue outside the brewery itself to stock all of the Matilda Bay beers on tap.
1 - Concrete Playground on the food: it
keeps things simple with craft beer on tap, good bar food and riverside views,
singling out the whole snapperwonderfully cooked and covered with capers, lemon and beurre noisette.
1
Good to know
- Timing: open through the day and into the evening on the wharf. Check the venue page for current hours.
- Booking: recommended for a group, especially when the convention center has an event on.
- Near MCEC: roughly a two-minute walk along the South Wharf promenade.
Verdict
could-visit — A competent riverside pub at the MCEC's shoulder with one real draw: every Matilda Bay beer on tap, plus a snapper the reviewer rates highly. Go if you are on the wharf and want beers by the water; it does the simple things well without being a destination.