Bar Holiday

Overview

Charming hand-drawn menus on blackboards, exposed brick walls, vinyl collections and an abundance of natural light are what await you when you step into Bar Holiday in Lincoln Square — the former airy home of Kaprica.

A succinct selection of wines, beers, Victorian spirits and Italian aperitifs are available at Bar Holiday, which is one of those bars where you can sit down for a hearty meal instead of having to adjourn to a restaurant after. Think casarecce blanketed in a pork and fennel ragu — a mainstay on the menu — pasta e fagioli, barramundi served alongside a prawn bisque, and tarragon chicken with brussels sprouts and a mustard sauce.

Danielle Castano

If you're hankering for a snack, Bar Holiday does those too — Sicilian olives, white anchovy toast, and eggplant chips are some of the many on offer. If you'd like to skip straight to dessert, there's the likes of a burnt cheesecake or French cheeses like a triple cream brie and comté.

More than capable of holding its own in the sea of Italian eateries in Carlton, Bar Holiday is — much like Kaprica was in the same space — a spot you'll keep returning to time and time again. It's both a classic neighbourhood bar and a destination worth travelling for.

Matthew Hurst

Top images: Danielle Castano.