Yarra River's Over-Water Boozer Ponyfish Island Is Getting a Full Makeover

For almost a decade, it's boasted one of the most unique locations of any Melbourne bar, nestled between footpath and river, halfway along the Evan Walker Bridge. And soon, Ponyfish Island will have a sleek new look befitting that quirky address, as it undergoes a dramatic makeover.

While the venue is closed under COVID-19 restrictions, Owners Jerome Borazio (Laneway Festival, Back Alley Sally's), DJ Grant Smillie (Melbourne City Brewing Co, and LA's EP & LP) and Andrew Mackinnon (from marketing communication agency The Taboo Group) have kicked off a hefty raft of renovations that'll see it transformed into a chic over-water drinking destination.

Adelaide's Studio Gram (whose work includes the likes of Africola and Surry Hills' Hotel Harry) is heading up a total overhaul of the space, reimagining every last corner but for the original frame of the bar. When doors open in late spring, expect a refined mix of colours, textures and curves, with additional lounge areas, new lighting, and Palm Springs-inspired custom-made shades. The front sculpture has also been given the boot, leaving room for extra seating and a bigger kitchen.

Putting the latter to good use, a revamped food and drink offering is also in the works. A seafood-centric menu will feature dishes like a prawn roll, matched by crafty cocktails including a barrel-aged rum negroni. It seems the beer-line gods have also smiled down from above and the bar's set to feature draught beer for the first time ever.

Ponyfish Island's makeover plans have actually been in the works for a good five years. Though, with that location in the middle of the Yarra proving challenging even for day-to-day bar operations, you can only imagine the headaches in store for any full-blown construction. Powering appliances have the potential to black-out half of nearby Southbank, flooding is all too common, and someone has to lug the entire ice supply in by hand. During the rebuild, demolition required a barge to be sent in via the river, while the current City of Melbourne works on the footbridge above have presented hurdles of their own.

Ponyfish Island is slated to reopen by the end of November 2020, in time for its tenth birthday celebrations in December. We'll keep you posted with more details closer to the launch.