Overview
When your working day is spent kicking around in the heart of the concrete jungle, it can feel like nature and green stuff is in pretty short supply. But you're in for a little reprieve, as the CBD's newest watering hole Bourke Street Green opens its doors, showing off a foliage-filled space that's sure to cure some of those inner-city blues.
A greenhouse-inspired bar tucked behind floor-to-ceiling glass, this light-drenched newcomer is working a snappy fit-out by Bates Smart and a locally focused offering from both kitchen and bar.
Pull up a sunny spot beneath the retractable roof and watch the Bourke Street buzz pass by as you get acquainted with the almost all-Aussie drinks list. Victorian drinks reign supreme, with beers like 3 Ravens pilsner and the IPA from Hawkers, alongside drops from the likes of the Yarra Valley's Rochford Estate. There's big love for local spirits, too, in cocktails like the Misty Forest, a blend of Tiny Bear gin, lime, cucumber, tonic and smoked applewood.
A monthly-changing beer takeover features $10 pints each Thursday (Hawkers is kicking things off for September), plus you'll find wine specials on Mondays and a slew of $12 cocktail specials every hump day.
As for the food, expect a seasonal celebration of top Victorian ingredients, across a range of arancini, snacks, cheese boards, pizzas and trapizzino (Roman-style pizza pockets), stuffed with combinations like blue swimmer crab and finger lime hollandaise. After-work punters will appreciate the snacking flights of arancini and mini burgers – settle in for a trio of small bites, paired with three curated brews.
And if you're citybound on the weekend, Saturday offers all-you-can-eat feasts for $59 per person, starring 90 minutes of bottomless trapizzinos, beers and spritzes and other cocktails. Stay tuned for a program of food and drink events celebrating homegrown heroes, as well as regular gigs from local DJs and artists.
Find Bourke Street Green at 501 Bourke Street, Melbourne. It's open Monday to Friday from 11.30am until late, and on Saturdays from 11am.