Murphys opens rooftop bar

The rooftop bar at Murphys is officially open, heralding the final stage of renovations for the Geelong West venue.

Built in 1855, Geelong’s only Irish pub was purchased by four mates back in 2016 who have spent the better part of a million dollars and two years restoring the Aberdeen Street pub to its former glory.

The pub now offers a Dublin-meets-Fitzroy vibe, retaining many of the drinks, fare and quirks that made the old Irish Murphy’s great while adding a modern flavour with the introduction of the rooftop bar, which includes a pizza kitchen, craft beers, cocktails and some of the best views in the region.

Co-owner Shaun Aspinall said that he and his friends purchased the venue in 2016 because of its rich history and their desire to revive what was then known as Gin & Co by bringing back Irish Murphy’s.

“After a short period of operating Irish Murphy’s, we realised the potential of the venue and got to work on designing the best customer experience we could while bringing something unique to Geelong – a great local pub with a vibrant rooftop bar.

“We went to more than 50 venues in Melbourne and overseas – taking notes, pictures and talking to people about what they loved about each venue. The brand-new Murphys is a culmination of two years of research into what makes a good venue a great venue.

“The biggest and most exciting change to the venue is the brand-new rooftop bar which includes both a rooftop terrace and sky deck providing uninterrupted views of Corio Bay, the You Yangs and even the city of Melbourne.

“It also has a dedicated pizza kitchen, and the chef Enzo is from the birthplace of pizza – Naples, Italy.”

For more information, head to murphysgeelong.com.au or facebook.com/MurphysGeelong.