On a Heidelberg Road corner in Fairfield, the Grandview Hotel now runs two kitchens under one roof: the Front Bar’s modern Australian pub classics and SAMA, a Lebanese dining room the official website lists as part of the hotel. This briefing sorts the venue’s reported 1888 history, its listed OpenTable prices and its small but split review record into one research-stage read — so you know which details to book around and which to confirm by phone.
Last checked: 2026-10-27
Compare the lowest rates and guest reviews. Many options with free cancellation.Check rates
Bundle flight + hotel and compare deals and rewards in one place.Check ratesThis link contains affiliate advertising. Prices and availability may change on the destination site.
Venue type: Family-friendly pub and bistro · Location: Fairfield, Melbourne · Service: Front bar 7 days; bistro dinner Thursday-Sunday · Signature deal: $20 pasta night (five pastas)
- Two kitchens: the Front Bar (modern Australian) and SAMA (Lebanese) run under one roof.
- Listed mains: A$25 Caesar salad to A$47 300-gram scotch fillet on OpenTable’s Fairfield listing.
- Reported origin: a compiled history dates the corner pub to 1888 — a date no heritage register confirms yet.
- Reported review split: roughly 3.8/5 on Tripadvisor (21–22 reviews) versus 4.8/5 for SAMA on OpenTable (33 reviews).
- 2018 scorecard: 3AW’s professional review gave the pub 10.5 out of 20.
The Grandview Hotel Fairfield at a glance
- 429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield VIC 3078 (Grandview Hotel official website)
- The official SAMA page lists SAMA as a dining venue within the hotel (official SAMA page)
- OpenTable shows Front Bar mains from A$25 (Caesar salad) to A$47 (300g scotch fillet) (OpenTable Australia)
- OpenTable’s related listing adds chicken schnitzel at A$29 (OpenTable listing)
How we researched this
Last checked: 2026-10-27.
Sources reviewed: official venue website, official SAMA page, OpenTable Australia listing, compiled review and menu summaries at Koalahotel.org, and secondary references to 3AW, Time Out, Yelp and Tripadvisor.
No on-site visit or staff interview was performed; prices outside the OpenTable listing and the reported menu summaries were not independently verified; and the hotel’s 1888 founding date and Boom Style description are not confirmed by a government or council heritage register. The “Sama Grandview Hotel Fairfield” phrase from related searches was not treated as a fact source because none of the retrieved materials define it.
Key facts
| Venue type | Historic corner pub with two dining rooms — the Front Bar (modern Australian) and SAMA (Lebanese) |
|---|---|
| Address | 429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield VIC 3078 |
| Reported operating since | 1888 (not yet confirmed by a heritage register) |
| Reported SAMA launch | Late 2025, in the former bistro space |
| Front Bar price spread | A$25 Caesar salad to A$47 300g scotch fillet (OpenTable) |
| Gluten-free note | Fish and chips at A$28 listed with a gluten-free option (OpenTable) |
| Reported SAMA rating | 4.8/5 from 33 OpenTable reviews |
| Reported venue rating | approx 3.8/5 from 21–22 Tripadvisor reviews |
| 2018 professional review | 10.5/20 from 3AW |
| Menu caution | Reported menu versions from December 2025 and March 2026 differ |
Grandview Hotel Fairfield reviews
The review record here is split by platform, by date, and by which room you are dining in, so the averages deserve context. The clearest professional data point is a 2018 3AW review: the pub scored 10.5 out of 20, and the bar-food menu was described as “fairly priced but basic”. The full history of that review, and the menu versions around it, is collected in our guide — Grandview Hotel Fairfield: Menu, Reviews & History — which preserves the original price points alongside the current ones.
“The steak sandwich was fairly priced at A$12 on special, but the steak portion was minimal.”
— Tony Leonard, 3AW review of the Grandview Hotel Fairfield, 2018 (quoted via Koalahotel.org)
A March 2021 Yelp review, held in the same compiled summaries, took a more positive view of the kitchen. The reviewer praised the chicken parmigiana and noted that vegetables could be swapped for chips; the calamari salad was called generous, with the croquettes the weak point.
“The calamari salad was generous, while the croquettes fell short.”
— Yelp reviewer, March 2021 (quoted via Koalahotel.org)
Front Bar and SAMA: two reputations
The reported platform ratings repeat the split. A compiled summary at Koalahotel.org puts the broader Grandview Hotel venue at roughly 3.8 out of 5 from about 21–22 Tripadvisor reviews, while SAMA’s reported OpenTable record sits at 4.8 out of 5 from 33 reviews. The numbers measure different rooms and different eras: the Tripadvisor sample covers the hotel as a whole, and the OpenTable sample covers SAMA, which reportedly only launched in late 2025.
The Grandview Hotel Fairfield prices
The most concrete price record is OpenTable’s listing for The Pub at the Grandview Hotel (linked in the snapshot above), which prices the Front Bar menu in Australian dollars. The spread runs from a A$25 Caesar salad to a A$47 300-gram scotch fillet, with most mains between A$25 and A$36: vegetable curry A$28, fish and chips A$28 (with a gluten-free option noted), steak sandwich A$28, Grandview beef burger A$28, chicken schnitzel A$29, chicken parmigiana A$31, pan-seared barramundi A$34 and seafood linguini A$36.
Listed Front Bar prices
Two secondary menu summaries agree on the band even where the items differ. A reported December 2025 menu version listed garlic bread at A$10, duck spring rolls at A$19, and butter chicken and eggplant masala at A$28 each, with starters around A$10–A$26 and mains around A$22–A$29. A reported March 2026 version revised items and prices, so both versions are snapshots rather than today’s menu.
Reported SAMA pricing and menu notes
For SAMA, the retrieved record is thinner. A four-course banquet was reported at A$65 when the restaurant launched — a price first flagged by Time Out and repeated in the compiled summaries — and one OpenTable diner’s quoted verdict was “fantastic food and service”. No full SAMA à la carte price list was captured in the research record.
Price bands at a glance
- Starters (reported Dec 2025): about A$10–A$26.
- Front Bar mains (OpenTable): A$25–A$47; most sit at A$28–A$36.
- Steak tier (OpenTable): A$47 for a 300g scotch fillet.
- SAMA banquet (reported at launch): A$65 for four courses.
The bottom line: budget for Front Bar mains around A$28–A$36, add A$47 if the scotch fillet is the order, and treat the reported A$65 SAMA banquet as a launch-era price that needs a direct check.
Grandview Hotel Fairfield menu
The hotel’s current shape is two menus rather than one. The Front Bar is the modern Australian pub side — schnitzel, parmigiana, burgers, fish and chips, salads, curry and a grill — while SAMA is the Lebanese dining room the official website lists inside the hotel, introduced in the former bistro space in late 2025, according to the compiled history.
Front Bar: modern Australian pub classics
The OpenTable listing fills in the Front Bar menu: chicken schnitzel and parmigiana, fish and chips with a gluten-free option, a steak sandwich, the Grandview beef burger, Caesar salad, vegetable curry, seafood linguini, pan-seared barramundi and a 300-gram scotch fillet. That spread matches the 2018 3AW verdict that the bar food was basic but fairly priced.
SAMA: Lebanese dining in the former bistro space
SAMA’s menu is Lebanese rather than pub food, and the reported November 2025 menu summary shows the two kitchens side by side: duck spring rolls, eggplant masala and butter chicken sat alongside the pub staples at similar prices. The structural confirmation is the official SAMA page, which presents the room as part of the hotel, and the reported OpenTable rating suggests early diners responded well.
“Fantastic food and service.”
— OpenTable diner review of SAMA (quoted via Koalahotel.org)
What this means: the Front Bar is the menu with the most public price data; SAMA is the newer kitchen with the stronger reported rating but less of its full list captured in the record.
Grandview Hotel Fairfield history
The building’s story, as told by a compiled venue history, begins on Heidelberg Road in 1888, when the site reportedly began trading as a corner pub. The same profile describes the property as a three-storey Boom Style brick building from the late nineteenth century and calls it one of the older pub buildings in the Yarra region. Those details are evocative, but no council or government heritage register was retrieved in this research, so they are treated here as reported history rather than confirmed status. Our companion profile — Grandview Hotel Fairfield: Historic Pub & Sama Lebanese Dining — follows that thread in more detail.
What the record does and doesn’t confirm
What is confirmed: the address at 429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield VIC 3078, appears on the official website, and the official SAMA page confirms the hotel’s current two-room shape. What remains unconfirmed is the 1888 founding date and the Boom Style label, both of which trace to the same secondary compilation. The 2018 3AW review and the March 2021 Yelp review add texture to the recent record, and SAMA’s reported late-2025 launch is the newest chapter.
The catch: the most atmospheric history claims are the least verified. If the heritage story matters to you, ask the venue directly — the official site is the only primary confirmation of what is operating now.
Pros and cons
- Two kitchens under one roof: modern Australian pub classics in the Front Bar and Lebanese food at SAMA, with the official site confirming SAMA’s place in the hotel.
- Concrete price map: OpenTable lists Front Bar mains from A$25 to A$47 in Australian dollars.
- Reported strength in the newer room: SAMA’s reported OpenTable rating is 4.8/5 from 33 reviews.
- Dietary note: the OpenTable listing flags a gluten-free option for fish and chips.
- Small review samples: the venue-wide Tripadvisor record is roughly 3.8/5 from about 21–22 reviews.
- Basic-food verdict on record: the 2018 3AW review scored the pub 10.5/20.
- Menu drift: reported menu versions from December 2025 and March 2026 differ, so prices can shift.
- Unverified heritage claims: the 1888 date and Boom Style description trace to a secondary compilation, not a register.
Note — menu check: the OpenTable listing and the reported December 2025 menu summary agree on the general price band, but a reported March 2026 menu version changed items. Confirm the day’s menu and any specials before you book.
Who the Grandview Hotel Fairfield suits best
The venue’s usefulness depends on which room you choose and how much certainty you want before booking.
- First-time dinner guests: the OpenTable listing gives a priced map of the Front Bar before you book.
- Groups splitting the difference: one table can order pub classics while another goes Lebanese, because both kitchens run in the same hotel.
- Heritage-interested visitors: the reported 1888 origin and Boom Style description give the building a story, even though they are not yet register-confirmed.
- Review-conscious diners: with roughly 21–33 reviews per platform, reading individual comments (the 2018 steak sandwich, the 2021 parmigiana) is more useful than the averages.
Front Bar or SAMA? The in-house choice
The realistic choice for most first visits is between the hotel’s two rooms, not between the hotel and another venue. The Front Bar has the public price record; SAMA has the newer kitchen and the stronger reported rating.
| Dining option | Kitchen style | Price record | Reported rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Bar | Modern Australian pub classics | Mains A$25–A$47 on OpenTable | 10.5/20 in the 2018 3AW review |
| SAMA | Lebanese / modern Middle Eastern | A$65 four-course banquet reported at launch | 4.8/5 from 33 OpenTable reviews (reported) |
Why this matters: the booking decision is menu confidence versus newness — the Front Bar is the documented choice, and SAMA is the reported surprise. Neither option requires a separate venue search.
Our pick: how to choose between the two rooms
Our pick: the Front Bar for a first visit, SAMA for the second.
Start with the Front Bar because it has verified prices, a straightforward pub-classics menu and a gluten-free option on record. Come back for SAMA once you have confirmed the current menu and any banquet price directly with the venue; its reported 4.8 rating is the strongest number in the dataset, but the sample is small and the kitchen is new. Either way, the OpenTable listing is the fastest way to check table availability for the pub dining room.
Tip — booking: OpenTable lists the pub dining room as “The Pub at the Grandview Hotel” with prices in Australian dollars — the quickest way to check availability for the Front Bar side.
The Grandview Hotel Fairfield specs
| Venue name | The Grandview Hotel |
|---|---|
| Location | 429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield VIC 3078 |
| Reported established | 1888 (reported; not confirmed by a heritage register) |
| Dining rooms | Front Bar (modern Australian); SAMA (Lebanese) |
| Reported SAMA launch | Late 2025 |
| Price source | OpenTable lists the pub dining room with AUD pricing |
| Listed mains | A$25 (Caesar salad) to A$47 (300g scotch fillet) |
| Reported SAMA banquet | A$65 for four courses at launch |
| Reported ratings | 3.8/5 (Tripadvisor, 21–22 reviews); SAMA 4.8/5 (OpenTable, 33 reviews) |
Where it is on the map
Warning — heritage claim vs heritage listing: the 1888 date and the Boom Style description come from a compiled secondary source, not from a council or government register. Treat them as reported history until the venue or a register confirms them.
Short version: the Grandview Hotel Fairfield is a two-kitchen corner pub with a verified Heidelberg Road address, listed Front Bar prices between A$25 and A$47, and a reported history that still awaits official confirmation. Choose the Front Bar for a documented pub dinner and SAMA for the newer Lebanese menu, and confirm the current menu and the reported A$65 banquet before you book.
koalahotel.org, koalahotel.org, koalahotel.org, grandviewhotel.com.au
Frequently asked questions
Where is The Grandview Hotel Fairfield?
At 429 Heidelberg Road, Fairfield VIC 3078. The official website confirms the address and describes the hotel as operating in Fairfield, Melbourne.
What are the two dining options at The Grandview Hotel?
The Front Bar serves modern Australian pub classics, and SAMA is the Lebanese dining room the official website lists as part of the hotel.
Which Front Bar prices are listed on OpenTable?
OpenTable lists Caesar salad at A$25, vegetable curry at A$28, fish and chips at A$28, steak sandwich at A$28, the Grandview beef burger at A$28, chicken schnitzel at A$29, chicken parmigiana at A$31, barramundi at A$34, seafood linguini at A$36, and a 300-gram scotch fillet at A$47.
Is there a gluten-free option in the Front Bar?
Yes. The OpenTable listing notes a gluten-free option for the fish and chips, listed at A$28.
How did 3AW rate the Grandview Hotel in 2018?
The 2018 3AW review scored the pub 10.5 out of 20 and described the bar-food menu as “fairly priced but basic”.
Sources cited
- Time Out — reported the A$65 four-course SAMA banquet at launch; specific article not retrieved (referenced via Koalahotel.org).
- 3AW — published the 2018 professional review scoring the pub 10.5/20; specific article not retrieved (referenced via Koalahotel.org).
- Yelp — hosted the March 2021 customer review of the pub kitchen; specific review not retrieved (referenced via Koalahotel.org).
- Tripadvisor — reported rating source for the broader venue (approx 3.8/5; 21–22 reviews); listing carries an “Updated 2026” label (rating referenced via Koalahotel.org).
Primary pages linked inline in this article: the Grandview Hotel official website and official SAMA page, the OpenTable Australia listing for The Pub at the Grandview Hotel, and Koalahotel.org’s compiled venue summaries.