Melbourne's New Greenery-Filled Floating Bar Yarra Botanica Is Launching This Week

Melbourne might be heading towards its cooler months, but we have an inkling there's still plenty more waterfront wining and dining to come. That's because the city has just scored a bumper new year-round floating bar, with Yarra Botanica making its permanent home atop the Yarra River beside Sandridge Bridge.

Set to welcome punters from Wednesday, March 16, the two-storey pontoon bar and eatery is much more than just a pretty face and multimillion-dollar drinking destination. The brainchild of Australian Venue Co (Fargo & Co, State of Grace, Kewpie, The Smith), Yarra Botanica has made it a mission to champion Victorian produce and booze. Its entire drinks list is sourced from within the state and a good 90 percent of the food menu is following suit.

The bar boasts space for almost 700 punters across its two open levels, which sport a lush collection of planter boxes, herb gardens and climbing vines. It's an aesthetic that reflects the venue's strong sustainability focus across waste minimisation, recycling processes and energy choices.

If you've got chills just thinking about being on a openair river deck during deepest winter, you can breathe easy — the pontoon has been carefully designed to stand up to Melbourne's woolly weather, with oversized umbrellas, lattice pergolas and heaters aplenty.

That locally-focused drinks offering is a bountiful one, promising plenty of exciting sips no matter your booze preference. A 12-strong list of tap brews runs from Stomping Ground's Big Sky park ale to a Hawkers hazy IPA, while Moon Dog and Wolf of the Willows headline the seltzer selection.

A carefully curated vino list tours the state's leading wine regions and the botanically-charged cocktails and spritzes hero native ingredients, as well as makers like Autonomy, Grainshaker and Brogan's Way. Try a quandong sour made from gin and marmalade, or opt for a wattleseed-infused espresso martini.

The matching menu is primed for snacking and sharing, starring smalls like the crispy mushrooms with koji mayo, savoury doughnuts stuffed with rainbow trout, and a pork terrine with wattle crackers.

Sourdough pizzas showcasing local ingredients like Murray cod belly and Warrigal greens pesto will be on offer and there's a trio of loaded grazing boards to order by the metre.

And if all that sounds like your ultimate brunch situation, you're in luck. Bottomless brunch sessions are set to run Saturdays and Sundays from March 26, clocking in at $69 for three signature sips, a brunch dish and a hemp soft-serve cone for dessert.

Find Yarra Botanica beside Sandridge Bridge, Southbank, from March 16. It'll open 12–11pm Monday–Wednesday, 12pm–12am Thursday, 11.30am–1am Friday, 11am–1am Saturday, and 11am–12am Sunday. Bookings are open now via the website.