Is this Canberra's more political pub?
At just 10 minutes away from Parliament House, The Statesman Hotel certainly is in the right location. And when it comes to history, it has also seen its fair share of scandals, most notably as the place where former political journalist Laurie Oakes received the 1980 budget papers, days before they were released.
But now, thanks to a major renovation, it has the look of Canberra's more politically-inspired pub.
The first hint - before you even walk in the door - is the names of the different areas. The hotel rooms are named after the Upper and Lower Houses, as well as Cabinet - all of which have a completely digital check. Meanwhile, Ballot Box is the hotel's new cafe, while Policy Dining is now the main bistro, dishing out everything you'd want from a gastropub.
Then there is the Nancy B Cocktail Bar. The adults-only area named after the former Australian senator and the first woman to drink at the previously male-only Members' Bar, Nancy Buttfield, it is an intimate space that feels miles away from the rest of the world.
Then you walk into The Statesman Hotel where hand-painted murals of Bob Hawke, Gough Whitlam and Nancy Buttfield by Sydney artist Lance Corlett take up the walls - which are also accompanied by images of Old Parliament House and the National Carillon. While the interiors themselves have a modern take on 1970s design - a nod to the 54 years of history that the hotel has witnessed. And also, the community that it has formed over the years.
And that's what the new owners wanted to preserve throughout the renovations. After the owners inherited the property from their father, who died unexpectedly in 2018, they wanted to give the hotel new life while still keeping its regulars happy.
"You just have to sit here for five minutes to know that this hotel belongs to Curtin, without question. This is Curtin's hotel," general manager Kirsty Danks-Brown said.
"So what the owners wanted to do was just basically gut it, turn it on its head and give something back. And each of them, because they sort of grew up in the hotel, they've got a strong attachment to the hotel and wanted to retain that tongue-in-cheek, political dig at everything, but at the same time being very relaxed, with that mid-century vibe.
"The whole point was to make it fun and light-hearted, with great, vibrant colours, and something that would appeal across the levels as well.
"We wanted not just the regulars to feel comfortable coming here, but to open it up to families and women and couples, everyone, wanting to come here. And come here for different reasons, with all of the different spaces."
As well as giving the hotel a physical makeover, The Statesman Hotel also gave the menu an upgrade.
The wine list now has plenty of local options, and the cocktail menu devised for the Nancy B Cocktail Bar is filled with drinks named after different female politicians. Plus, for any women who host their events there, there is the option for a personalised cocktail to be designed and named after them.
Meanwhile, the bistro, which was originally contracted out externally, has been taken back under control by The Statesman Hotel.
The hotel then employed the help of a culinary advisory team to help create a menu from scratch. And the aim? To create a menu filled with solid pub food.
"We are aiming to be the best local pub in Canberra, and we're changing directions [with the menu] to be a little bit more like a gastropub," chef consultant Jun Hwang said.
"We are aiming to be the best local pub in Canberra. So we are changing directions into a little bit more gastropub. So a little bit more of the woodfire grill side of things - that will be our signature with dishes like the John Dory, and the Scotch fillet and the T-bone to share."
