New look for historic venue

WITH their one-year anniversary looming, the owners of the recently revamped Hotel Canberra are looking back on their overhaul of the 1880s-era venue.

Formerly the Canberra Hotel, the business has been given new life under the management of brothers Pete and Paul Dillon, and executive chef Jigs Liwanag.

Pete, who serves as general manager, and said the venue has undergone several changes since the new owners took over in September last year.

“The first thing we did was with our wine bar which is focusing on artisans and hard-to-find stuff that’s all 100 per cent Victorian,” he said.

“We’ve got about a five-page list of about 40 beers and 80 wines. We turned it from a high tea function room into a contemporary wine bar.

“Then we redid the cafe at the back of the property with a full redesign and a fully-functioning kitchen.

“In February, we opened our flagship restaurant called Vesta by Jigs. We have an eight-course degustation menu which changes every week so it brings a lot of creativity for our team.”

Future plans include constructing a courtyard to connect to the current building with the stables

A long-term goal is to expand the hotel from its current one-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments setup.

Pete said much of the venue’s direction has been about honouring his family.

“Vesta is named after my mother. She was a pretty ordinary cook so we thought naming a fancy restaurant after her was ironic but a nice way to honour her,” he said.

“The bar is called Bobby’s after my dad who only ever drank long necks of Melbourne Bitter.

“Jigs is my partner. We’ve got his name on the door so it’s a nice way to bring him into this as well.”