Nightlife cluster
The Espy St Kilda: Live Music Pub Guide
Five levels, 12 bars, a 1924 music room, and a National Trust facade on The Esplanade. This page is the building. Other rooms live on the venues guide.
Direct answer
The Espy is the Esplanade Hotel at 11 The Esplanade, opposite St Kilda Beach. It runs 12 bars across five levels plus a basement. Book Gershwin Room tickets. Basement gigs are usually free. Tuesday steak is $26 in the Public Bar. Tap Myki. The building is no longer a hotel.
11 The Esplanade, St Kilda
Ticketed, about 500 capacity
Free live music most nights
16 at the door. Myki required
What changed when The Espy was renovated?
Sand Hill Road (Garden State, Prahran Hotel) bought the building in 2017 and closed it for 18 months. The 2018 works removed the sticky carpet and added retractable glass ceilings. The National Trust facade stayed. Live music stayed seven nights a week. Capacity grew from a cramped three-level pub to 12 bars across five levels, six if you count the rooftop terrace. Food moved from Bain Marie hot dogs to Espy Kitchen (rotisserie) and Mya Tiger (Cantonese). Upper floors closed for 60 years reopened. What did not change: the Gershwin Room sprung dance floor and Art Nouveau proscenium, free Basement sets, and the bay windows that have framed Port Phillip sunsets since 1878.
Value night: Tuesday $26 steak in the Public Bar, beachfront windows included. Confirm the special on the venue site before you go.
How do I navigate The Espy's five levels?
First-timers call it overwhelming. Use the table, then pick one room as the night's job.
| Level | Room | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Public Bar and Espy Kitchen | $10 wine, $26 Tuesday steak, rotisserie chicken, Moreton Bay bug rolls |
| 2 | Mya Tiger and The Sunroom | Cantonese plates. Sunroom windows at golden hour. First-come seats |
| 3 | The Gershwin Room | Ticketed acts, 500 capacity, 1924 music room |
| 4 | Louey's Bar and Kitchen | Italian-American, neon, DJs late |
| 5 | The Ghost of Alfred Felton | Speakeasy cocktails. Library Room for 20 to 30 |
| - | The Basement | Free emerging acts. Poster-lined stairs |
Level 1: Public Bar and Espy Kitchen
The ground-floor Public Bar keeps the working-class DNA. Original gig posters found in the works line the walls. Espy Kitchen sits in the former loading bay: rotisserie chicken with fries and gravy, Moreton Bay bug rolls. A glass corridor lets diners watch bands walk from green room to stage.
Level 2: Mya Tiger and The Sunroom
Mya Tiger opened December 2018 with Peking duck and Cantonese small plates. The Sunroom is the window seat people photograph. Arrive by 6:00pm. First-come, fills fast. Palais ticket holders eat here in five minutes. See dinner before Palais Theatre.
Level 3: The Gershwin Room
Added in 1924 as a jazz and dance room, it turned 100 in December 2024. Paul Kelly recorded his 1996 live album here. Jet played NYE. SBS RocKwiz filmed 180-plus episodes (2005-2016). G-Flip's first live show was here. Acoustics and air-con were updated. Doors typically 8:00pm for 9:00pm shows. Weekend queues from 7:30pm. Other St Kilda rooms, capacities, and parking live on the live music venues guide.
Level 4: Louey's
Neon, red leather, Italian-American menu, DJs until late. The contrast to the live rooms below is deliberate.
Level 5: The Ghost of Alfred Felton
Top-floor speakeasy, elevator or grand staircase. Cocktails keyed to NGV works from the Felton Bequest. Tierra Del Fuego: ginger, pear, cardamom, salted rim. The Library Room is the private booking with the best sunset.
The Basement
Poster-lined stairs. Free live music most nights. Emerging and experimental. This is the old Espy's paying-your-dues room, kept.
Who was Alfred Felton?
Alfred Felton, chemist then industrialist, lived in room 34 from 1892 to 1904. He died in the hotel and left his fortune to the Felton Bequest, which funded NGV works including Picasso, Rembrandt, and Turner. Staff still tell ghost stories about the original rooms. Mark Twain stayed in the 1880s and Sarah Bernhardt in 1920. Felton is the name that stuck. Building history in suburb context lives on the history of St Kilda.
What live music happens at The Espy?
The venue claims Australia's longest continuously running live music pub, three stages, seven nights.
- Gershwin Room: Ticketed $30 to $80. Indie, rock, established locals. Capacity about 500.
- Basement: Free, about 9:00pm. Experimental, punk, folk, emerging.
- Main Bar: Acoustic sets and DJs from 4:00pm. No cover.
RocKwiz no longer films here. Trivia still runs in the Public Bar. Download the Espy app or check the site on Thursdays. Popular Gershwin shows sell out about 48 hours out. Confirm lineup on hotelesplanade.com.au.
What should I eat and drink?
- Tuesday: $26 steak night, Public Bar.
- Daily: $10 wine by the glass. No bottles over $100 across the bars, per venue copy.
- Weekend: $10 Espy Special breakfast, Public Bar, Saturday and Sunday.
Mya Tiger handles vegetarian and gluten-free with notice. Espy Kitchen has vegan pizza. Peak kitchens are high-volume. Flag severe allergies. Post-renovation drinks sit around $12 to $15 pints, $18 to $24 cocktails, $10 to $14 wine. Mixed-diet groups who want a dedicated vegan room should use the vegan dining guide, then come back for the gig.
When should I visit The Espy?
- Sunset: 5:30pm to 6:00pm Thursday to Sunday. Sunroom (2) or Ghost of Alfred Felton (5). Winter light drops near 5:00pm.
- Music: Friday and Saturday are the crush. Sunday 4:00pm to 8:00pm in the Public Bar is the quieter session.
- Talk: Skip Friday and Saturday 8:00pm to midnight when all three stages run. Wednesday or Sunday afternoon.
- Budget: Tuesday steak, weekday lunch 12:00pm to 3:00pm, free Basement from about 9:00pm.
Foreshore alcohol ban: 1 November to 31 March on beaches and nearby parkland. Drinks stay inside licensed rooms. Event-night parking is in the parking guide.
How do I get there?
- Address: 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda VIC 3182, opposite the beach and a short walk from Luna Park.
- Tram: Route 16 stops outside. Route 96 to stop 138. Free Tram Zone ends before St Kilda. Tap Myki. See how to get to St Kilda.
- Access: Public Bar and Espy Kitchen are wheelchair accessible. Gershwin and Basement need stairs. Elevator to level 5 with staff help. Call ahead.
- Dress: No code. Casual Public Bar. Smart-casual Mya Tiger and The Ghost.
- Rooms: Guest rooms closed in the 1990s. Stay listings live on where to stay near the beach.
The renovated Espy is not the 1990s dive. The music still runs seven nights. The beer still pours. The bay still hits the windows at dusk. Foreshore sunset rooms next door live on foreshore dining. Broader bar crawl live on St Kilda nightlife.
Frequently asked questions
What is The Espy in St Kilda?
The Esplanade Hotel at 11 The Esplanade. Five public levels plus a basement, 12 bars, Gershwin Room gigs, Mya Tiger, and Espy Kitchen. National Trust facade since 1878. It is not a hotel any more.
Do I need tickets for The Espy?
Gershwin Room shows are ticketed, typically $30 to $80, and often sell out 48 hours ahead. Basement and Public Bar sets are usually free. Check hotelesplanade.com.au on Thursdays for the weekend lineup.
How do I get to The Espy?
Tram 16 stops outside. Tram 96 is a short walk from stop 138 at Luna Park. St Kilda is outside the Free Tram Zone, so tap Myki. There is no dedicated Espy car park.
Who was Alfred Felton?
A chemist turned industrialist who lived in room 34 from 1892 to 1904. He left his fortune to the Felton Bequest, which funds National Gallery of Victoria acquisitions. The top-floor bar is named The Ghost of Alfred Felton.