Overview
Brick Lane Brewing tapped its very first keg at the Queen Vic Winter Night Market in 2018, and now — five years later — the team is set to launch its latest bricks-and-mortar restaurant and bar across the road from that very same spot.
On Wednesday, November 29, on the second week of this season's Queen Vic Summer Night Market, Brick Lane Brewing's huge new venue — aptly named Brick Lane Market Upstairs — will open to the public.
Brick Lane already has its brewhouse in South Dandenong, Brick Lane Shed on Queen Vic Market's String Bean Alley and Brick Lane Market located beneath the new venue — but the upstairs section will be altogether more impressive.
Taking over the second floor of the former Mercat Cross Hotel, the totally renovated space will now boast a 120-seat dining room with an open kitchen, a 16-seat private dining room and a 150-seat wrap-around terrace overlooking the market itself.
And this proximity to the market isn't just about foot traffic and views. The team is set to work collaboratively with vendors, featuring local produce throughout the site.
This will most notably be seen in the Brick Lane Market's raw bar. Here, the team will serve up fresh oysters and seafood sourced directly from QVM's newly refurbed Food Hall, which is also set to open in November.
Chef Ankit Padmani (ex-Indu, Mejico and Collins Quarter) will oversee the restaurant's main menu, pushing a market-to-plate ethos, serving up dishes chock full of local and seasonal produce sourced from the market itself.
Of course, beer will be the star of the show at Brick Lane Market Upstairs. Thirty-six taps will be scattered throughout the venue, pouring the brewery's core range, seasonal specials and one-off Pilot Batches. These more experimental brews are for those wanting to try something a little different and are set to be inspired by Queen Vic Market itself.
Brick Lane Market Upstairs will open on Wednesday, November 29, at 456 Queen Street, Melbourne, operating seven days a week from 11.30am till late. For more information, check out the venue's website.
Images: Carmen Zammit.