Croxton Park Hotel: Pub Menu, History & Live Music

Croxton Park Hotel restaurant menu

The bistro at The Croxton focuses on pub classics with an emphasis on local Victorian produce. According to the official dining page, the kitchen serves “succulent steaks, wholesome pastas, fresh seafood, and familiar pub fare” daily for lunch and dinner (The Croxton official dining page). TripAdvisor reviewers echo this, noting good-quality steaks, fish and chips, and vegetarian options (TripAdvisor).

Pub classics and daily specials. The regular menu includes items like parma nights (often in the $18–$30 range, per local guides) and a rotating selection of specials. Bistro service runs lunch 11:30 am–3 pm and dinner 5:30 pm–9 pm (Pubspy listing). The kitchen is open seven days a week.

Drinks and bar offerings. The bar is well-stocked with a large tap beer selection plus spirits, wine, and cider sourced from Victorian suppliers (EatDrinkCheap). With bar hours extending until 6 am on some reports, late-night food service may be limited.

The bottom line: The menu is straightforward pub fare—steaks, seafood, pasta—priced competitively for the area, with local produce highlighted. Vegetarian options exist but are not extensive.

Croxton Park Hotel history

The Croxton Park Hotel began life as the Pilgrim Inn on 27 April 1844, when Robert Duff was granted a licence for what became Darebin’s first hotel (Darebin Libraries). Originally located on Plenty Road, it served shepherds, drovers, and gold prospectors heading towards Whittlesea. The inn was later renamed the Red House Inn before taking the Croxton Park Hotel name in 1869.

The Red House Hotel and racetrack. In 1865 licence holder Josiah Goyder developed private paddocks behind the hotel into a horse-racing track. The inaugural meeting at the Red House Racetrack happened on 28 October 1865, making it Melbourne’s first privately owned racetrack (Harnessbred). In 1869 billiards champion Charles Hitchen led a syndicate that bought the licence and renamed the venue Croxton Park, after an English sporting pub (Wikipedia). The sports ground operated until 1918, when the hotel licence was transferred to Grace Hardess and the land was subdivided for housing.

Grandstand tender of 1869. A tender for a grandstand was placed in February 1869, confirming that the hotel’s owners saw the sports venue as a commercial draw. The proximity of alcohol service to the racetrack caused local controversy, but the venue remained privately owned by the hotel’s proprietors.

After the sports ground closed, the hotel continued as a licensed venue. In the late 1940s the Steinfort family purchased it, and Lou Steinfort ran the pub from 1957 until the family sold it in May 1979 to Marcel Gilbert for a seven-figure sum—the 22nd sale of the property at that time (Darebin Libraries).

The pattern: The site has cycled through multiple owners and transformations—from gold-prospector stop to racetrack pub to ballroom music venue—while retaining its core identity as a community gathering spot.

Croxton Park Hotel events

The Croxton Bandroom is the hotel’s dedicated live-music space, hosting everything from touring bands to DJ sets. The venue’s entertainment calendar is listed on the official site and at thecroxton.com.au (The Croxton official site).

Weekly entertainment. Regular offerings include trivia nights, cover bands, and themed parties. The bistro also hosts private functions and corporate events.

The Croxton Bandroom shows. The bandroom was originally a mid‑20th‑century ballroom that fell into disuse during the 1990s and 2000s. After a full refurbishment in 2015—including new front bar, beer garden, and professional PA system—it reopened as a 500‑capacity venue targeting a contemporary Thornbury audience (Something You Said interview). Upcoming shows are promoted via social media and ticketing platforms. For example, a Saturday 5 September 2026 event is currently listed.

What to watch: The bandroom schedule is the main draw; if you’re planning to visit for a meal, check event nights first—the venue can get busy on show days.

Croxton Park Hotel reviews

Online reviews portray The Croxton as a reliable local hub. On TripAdvisor, the restaurant is rated positively for its steaks and fish and chips, with several reviewers noting the friendly service and spacious dining area. One reviewer described it as a “great local pub with good food,” while another appreciated the “live music vibe” (TripAdvisor).

Beat Magazine’s 2015 article characterised the venue’s 1970s–80s heyday when it hosted AC/DC, Cold Chisel, and INXS, contrasting it with the pokie‑focused period that followed (Beat Magazine). The 2015 bandroom relaunch was widely seen as a positive shift, bringing live music back to the forefront.

Community feedback on local forums (Beat, WordPress) reinforces the view that the venue is a stable, affordable option for a night out, though some lament the presence of gaming machines. The general consensus: The Croxton offers a decent pub meal and a chance to catch emerging bands without the city price tag.

The trade-off: You get a historic setting and live music, but the gaming room remains part of the experience—worth knowing if you prefer a pokie‑free environment.

The Croxton Bandroom

The Croxton Bandroom is physically attached to the hotel at 607 High Street and operates as a separate venue for live music and events. It has its own entrance and ticketing. The room was refurbished in 2015, and its capacity (around 500) puts it in the mid‑sized bracket for Melbourne’s northern suburbs (Something You Said).

Bandroom events. The bandroom books a mix of local indie acts, tribute bands, and national touring artists. Ticketing is handled through thecroxton.com.au and third‑party platforms. Past line‑ups include punk, rock, and electronic acts.

The bottom line: If you’re going for the music, the Croxton Bandroom is a solid choice—good sound, reasonable drinks prices, and a more intimate feel than larger city venues.

The Croxton

“The Croxton” is the modern brand name used interchangeably with “Croxton Park Hotel” across the venue’s official site, social media, and event listings. It is the same entity—the same address, the same phone number, the same operating hours. The dual naming reflects the hotel’s dual function: the historic pub (Croxton Park Hotel) and the music venue (The Croxton). The bandroom is sometimes referred to simply as “The Croxton” to distinguish the music space from the bistro and gaming areas.

In practice, both names point to the same 607 High Street site, and the venue’s own website uses both. This can cause confusion for first‑time visitors, but the unified branding under “The Croxton” is now standard for marketing.

Why this matters: When searching for tickets or menus, using either name will get you to the right place—just check the page header to see if you’re looking at the bandroom schedule or the bistro menu.

Location and getting there

The Croxton Park Hotel is at 607 High Street, Thornbury, Victoria 3071. It sits on the border of Thornbury and Northcote, on a busy shopping strip with tram and bus connections. The nearest tram stop is on High Street (route 86), and the Thornbury railway station (Mernda line) is about a 15‑minute walk away.

Free on‑street parking is available on side streets after 6 pm; paid parking operates during the day. The venue is accessible by bus routes 513 and 514.

Alternatives in the area

If you’re exploring historic Melbourne pubs with similar heritage credentials, consider these nearby venues:

• Railway Hotel South Melbourne: Menu, Reviews & History – Another 19th‑century pub with a focus on food and community.
• Royal Richmond Hotel Review: A 170‑Year‑Old Pub & Stay – A pub with accommodation and a long history parallel to Croxton Park’s.

Frequently asked questions