Trinity St Kilda

This bar, beer garden and food truck park makes its home in a historic former church hall.
Libby Curran
Published on June 22, 2022
Updated on November 24, 2022

Overview

At the intersection of Brighton Road and Chapel Street, St Kilda's historic Trinity church hall has entered a new phase of existence, reborn as a 300-person pub, beer garden, event space and food truck park. The brainchild of third-generation Melbourne hospitality owner Matt Nikakis, pet-friendly Trinity has fast become a St Kilda go-to.

In front, an all-weather courtyard is filled with outdoor tables and fringed by that day's food truck lineup. There are always a couple of guests on rotation (think, Nem 'n Nem and Cha Chas Vegan Mexican) joining Trinity's resident kitchen, housed in a shiny 1956 Airstream.

This is your pitstop for snacks like fried chicken tenders ($14), mac 'n' cheese bites ($13) and crispy onion rings ($9), alongside a range of things in buns — maybe a double beef and bacon number ($20), a Southern-style chicken burger ($17), or a fried fish roll with dill tartar ($17).

The red-brick former church hall building has been converted into a lofty, light-filled beer hall, complete with soaring ceilings and a huge central bar. You'll find roomy booths in emerald velvet, a separate sitting room filled with a curation of vintage furniture, and a suite of elegant Art Deco-inspired finishes throughout. The glass-walled mezzanine level is available for private functions and sports its very own bar.

The drinks offering is a hefty one. A 12-strong tap list heroes familiar favourites from Balter, 4 Pines and Mountain Goat, while the beer fridges showcase drops like Colonial's pale ale ($9), the Kaiju Krush tropical ale ($9) and a slew of Saintly seltzers.

Wines are largely local — think, Seville Estate's Sewn Chardonnay, or the Wilds Gully Tempranillo out of King Valley — and cocktails celebrate reworked classics. Settle in with one of three margaritas, try the house ode to Four Pillars' shiraz gin ($22), or get into the good times groove with the mezcal-infused Holy Trinity ($25).

Images: Nicole Cleary

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