Duke of Wellington. CBD
146 Flinders Street,
Melbourne VIC 3000
Melbourne’s oldest pub
Public bar: 11am-late
Dining room + rooftop: 12pm-late
Open 7 days
I recently paid a visit to Melbourne’s oldest licensed pub The Duke of Wellington, located right in the heart of the city. With three stories including a public bar, dining room, cocktail bar and rooftop, this iconic pub has something for everyone—almost! Here’s a detailed look at its accessibility features.
Situated on the corner of Flinders and Russell Street, The Duke offers step free entrances on both streets. The Russell Street entrance leads directly into the front bar, while the Flinders Street entrance opens onto a staircase and lift, providing access to the first floor and rooftop.
On the ground floor, you’ll find a classic front bar where you can grab a beer, enjoy a traditional pub meal, and watch the footy. I loved the variety of seating, mixing both standard tables and chairs, along with higher options. For a more refined dining option, I headed to the dining room on level one via the lift. This space features plush booths leading into the main dining room, which offers all standard height tables and chairs. I was able to choose a table that suited my space requirements perfectly. One more level up, the rooftop features additional booths and a bar with an adjoining outdoor balcony overlooking Russell Street.
There were a few aspects that missed the mark for me. On the way to the dining room on level one, you pass by Arthur’s Cocktail Bar. This area is located a few steps down. When I asked about accessibility, I was informed that a portable ramp existed, but the staff member wasn’t sure where it was (it’s at this point I kind of felt like an inconvenience). Similarly on the rooftop, while the lift gets you to the entrance, reaching the bar and balcony means tackling three steps. I was told the portable ramp is used here also. I didn’t see the ramp so can’t comment on its suitability. (Staff did offer to go find the ramp, but I declined).
Conveniently, there are accessible toilets on the ground floor and near the dining room on level one.
There are three car parks nearby, two on Flinders Street: the Wilson carpark next to St. Paul’s and the ACDC parking garage, along with the Federation Square carpark. All of these carparks have accessible spots. For street parking, there’s oneaccessible spot across the road on Russell Street and another on Flinders Street near The Forum.
The ground floor and level one offer great accessibility for grabbing a meal or drink before or after the footy. However, ensuring easy ramp access to all areas would be beneficial. I can’t stress enough the importance of training staff on accessibility to make everyone feel welcome.
Report Card | B+
Entrance 10/10
Space 7/10
Toilet 9/10
Parking 8/10
