st kilda’s icon: The Fifth Province
What makes The Fifth Province the best Irish pub in St Kilda – or better yet – the best Irish pub in all of Melbourne?
It could be the week daily happy hours, or our iconic Power Hour on a Friday starting with pints of Guinness from just $6.
Perhaps it’s the Irish homestyle cooking with robust dishes like beef and Guinness stew, bacon and cabbage, or our elevated spice bag (rated by Good Food).
You could also say it’s live music four days a week — our Monday trad sessions, our late-night DJs ... but we reckon it’s mostly the craic.
A History Of The Fifth Province
The Fifth has been part of the fabric of St Kilda for more than a decade now. Originally built in 2014 and taking over a former Wagamama’s site, the pub is housed in St Kilda’s former railway station and is constantly expanding. New additions including the Whiskey Bar, The Verandah and the soon-to-be-complete functions and events space (internal linking to functions page), The Carriage Bar.
Since the pub’s inception, owner Liam Ganley, has expanded to owning and operating a total of six venues, including The Fifth Province, Freddie Wimpole’s in 2016, The Bay Hotel in 2017, Angus & Bon in 2018 and most recently, acquiring The Windsor Castle and The Carlton Club in 2025, with more on the way.
What does The Fifth Province mean?
The Fifth Province is named for the historic ‘Fifth Province’ of Ireland. In the modern day there are four recognised provinces: Leinster (east), Munster (south), Connacht (west), and Ulster (north) and in times past there was a fifth province, a place of peace and meeting, originally in the centre of the island. Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson famously used the phrase in her inaugural speech in 1990: "The Fifth Province is not anywhere here or there, north or south, east or west. It is a place within each one of us – that place that is open to the other, that swinging door which allows us to venture out and others to venture in". And so, The Fifth Province in St Kilda is a place where everyone is welcome — for whatever the craic might be.
Live Sport At The Fifth
The Fifth is known across Melbourne as being the place to go to see every major sports match live. We show every AFL match of the season live and loud, the UFC, all international and Irish soccer and football matches including World Cup qualifiers, Gaelic football, the Rugby 7s and major relevant sporting matches like the F1 Grand Prix, cricket, the NRL and more.
For the full line-up of sport visit our What’s On page (link to What’s On page).
Happy Hours At The Fifth
Our Happy Hour runs Monday-Thursday, from 4-6pm and Power Hour is every Friday afternoon from 3pm, with drinks starting at $6, increasing in price on the hour until 8pm.
Food At The Fifth & Weekly Specials
Outside of our Irish fare, we also serve a stack of Aussie pub classics, from the humble chicken parma (where The Fifth often contends for the best in Melbourne according to the AHA), competes for the best in Melbourne AHA), a Sunday roast... steak ... . For the full menu head this way ...
What’s On At The Fifth
There’s something on every day of the week at The Fifth.
Start the week right with our Monday Club. Enjoy a pint of Guinness or an Irish whiskey from $10 accompanied by a our lively trad session with a motley assortment of players dipping in and out each week. And if you’d like to play, head this way – there's free beers for players.
On Tuesday tuck into our Steak Day, with our signature flame-grilled 250g porterhouse from $30 and Hapy Hour from 4-6pm with pints starting at $10.
Wednesday brings Burger Day and Trivia Night, making for a mighty mid-week reason to get out of the house. Our weekday Happy Hour runs from 4-6pm, then sit yourself down to a wagyu burger for $22 and chime in to trivia with our mates at The Craic Co. at 7pm, bookings recommended.
Thursday we run our Parma Day all day with plantain or chicken available for $25. Our Happy Hour runs from 4-6pm and live music in the afternoon and evening.
Start the weekend right with Power Hour on Friday, with pints kicking off at just $6 from 3pm, and live music all afternoon through the evening, including DJs late.
Saturday prepare yourself for all the usual weekend craic and live music all afternoon and into the evening with DJs playing late.
Book ahead for our Sunday Roast with all the accoutrements for $38 and live music in the main bar.
What’s On Tap At The Fifth
On tap, it’s not just Guinness – although it’s widely regarded The Fifth pours the most consistent and best Guinness in all of Melbourne (internal link to Guinness page). We also serve 12 other tap beers showcasing the best in craft beer (and for even more craft beer head over the road to our sister venue Freddie Wimpole’s) and international brands like Heineken & Krombacher, as well as special collaborations with our mates at local breweries.
The Whiskey Bar & The Whiskey Club
The Whiskey Bar in The Fifth holds more than 100 varieties of Irish whiskey — and for the dedicated whiskey drinker in your life, there’s our Whiskey Club. Each month we inform members on rare bottles, share expert tips, and give you a little taste of Irish humour. Members are first in line for tickets to our bi-monthly Whiskey Dinner (purchase tickets here) where we focus on a specific theme, conversation around the whiskey and a paired with a degustation. All that said, the Whiskey Bar is more than just for the whiskey connoisseur. The dedicated, more formal space inside The Fifth also operates as a cocktail bar, serving a blend of boutique Irish spirits and Australian native ingredients to capture the best of both worlds.