Four years ago the The Coro Hotel and its well-regarded seafood restaurant Lure suddenly closed for good, with staff ceasing service one night and not reopening the next. The closure left a considerable hole in the local hospitality scene, with only the on-site cafe remaining to labour in obscurity at the base of the McDougall Street building. Since then Milton has re-emerged as a go-to precinct for dining and revelry, and now fortunes have changed for The Coro Hotel as well. The hospitality savvy team at the Anthony John Group has taken on ownership of The Coro Hotel, and have set about revitalising it within and without. We’re not just talking a lick of paint here – renovations saw the dismantling of the venue’s disparate dining areas which separated Lure from The Coro’s main bar, creating one spacious interior space stretching from main bar, past the central kitchen to the function room at the rear. Gaming facilities were removed in favour of increasing dining space, and brand-new windows and ample greenery have been added to bring life to the space. The new-look venue – which officially reopened in early May – is looking to recapture the local market with an approachable and affordable pub-style offering – favouring choice classics over niche nosh.
The Coro Hotel’s menu stretches from morning through to night, starting at the ground-floor cafe, which also scored a new coffee machine and kitchen equipment in the renovations. The cafe menu offers healthy grab-and-go eats and classic sit-down fare for breakfast and lunch, including corned-beef and zucchini fritters, buckwheat pancakes, Middle Eastern baked-egg shakshuka and stuffed pita pockets. Upstairs, the central kitchen pumps out share plates and mains, perfect for those looking to graze with friends or sit down with the family. Small bites include panko-crumbed onion rings, Louisiana-style hot wings, butter-chicken quesadillas and soft-shell tacos. Bigger options run the gamut of pub classics, such as wagyu-beef burgers, potato gnocchi with heirloom tomatoes and pine nuts, chicken parmigiana coated with house-made crumb and sugo, and slow-cooked lamb-shank pie served on a fluffy bed of truffled mash. The Coro Hotel isn’t looking to compete with the established craft-beer saloons in the area, choosing instead to open its taps to mainstream labels. That being said, a forthcoming bottle shop will give the venue opportunities to stock bespoke brews alongside an evolving selection of wine.
The Coro Hotel is now open to the public. For opening hours and contact details, click over to the Stumble Guide.
