The Palace Hotel occupies a corner site on City Road, close to the border of South Melbourne and Port Melbourne, and trades as a straightforward, independently owned neighbourhood pub. The beer list runs to around 17 taps with a focus on small Australian breweries, and the kitchen sticks to pub classics, with the fish and chips and the pub steak sandwich frequently singled out by regulars. The venue is split across several distinct spaces: a small front bar near the entrance, a side room with a pool table, and a larger, light-filled back room that spills out into a dog-friendly beer garden when the weather allows. An open fireplace keeps the pub cosy through winter, and the venue runs regular live music, trivia nights and daily food and drink specials to keep the calendar full. Families are also catered for, with a kids-eat-free deal running on Sunday nights alongside the pub's Sunday roast. The Palace Hotel has built a loyal following among locals precisely because it doesn't try to be anything other than a proper pub, and its dog-friendly policy across the bar and beer garden has made it a particular favourite for owners walking dogs around the surrounding streets.