Pink Lemonade Is Richmond's Effervescent New Outdoor Bar and Food Truck Stop

Richmond's newest venue has flipped the script on that classic ditty about turning paradise into a parking lot. Gracing a Swan Street space once home to a hire vehicle company's car park, you'll now find Pink Lemonade — a vibrant openair oasis decked out with eye-catching murals, Astroturf and fairy-lit palms.

Bringing an injection of colour into this once concrete-heavy pocket beside Richmond Station, the al fresco watering hole underwent its striking transformation over the course of a couple of lockdowns. Owners Darren Legg and Brad Hicks pulled inspiration from their own favourite outdoor spaces and pastimes, commissioning local street artist and illustrator Juzpop, aka Justine Millsom, to beautify the site with a swath of art in vivid pinks, purples and aquas.

Art by Juzpop

Launched late December last year, Pink Lemonade now boasts an assortment of outdoor tables, shipping containers fitted out with timber booths and dry bars crafted from barrels, where punters can kick back sipping, sunning and socialising.

More converted shipping containers house the Pink Lemonade bar — slinging spritzes, tap brews, boozy slushies and Grey Goose cocktails aplenty — and resident kitchen, Hells Bellz BBQ Smokehouse. It's dishing up US-style barbecue fare, available by the serve or loaded onto a meaty combination platter. Think, pork ribs, smoked chicken wings, kransky snags and house-made slaw, alongside plant-based options like grilled portobello mushrooms and mac 'n' cheese. More food trucks will be joining the rotation soon.

Hells Bellz

As with all good outdoor drinking spots, this one will have a stack of things to fill your calendar with, too. Resident DJs are already spinning tunes every weekend, themed cinema nights are in the works, and there'll be plenty of dance parties and other music events to look forward to. Plus, kicking off this month is a series of weekly bottomless brunch sessions, set to run every Saturday.

Meanwhile, onsite cafe Black Drum is slinging coffee, smoothies and toasties by day, conveniently located just a few steps from the station.

Find Pink Lemonade at 23 Swan Street, Richmond. It's open from 12–9pm Friday to Sunday. Black Drum Cafe is at the same site, open 6am–3pm Monday to Friday, and 7am–3pm on weekends.