After huge success with Sydney’s Newtown crowd, Odd Culture Group has brought its unique namesake bar and bottle shop to Fitzroy's Brunswick Street. A celebration of all things fizz, fermentation and funk, the new watering hole holds capacity for 300 thirsty travellers and has already begun to draw in curious crowds for a midweek Negroni and booze browse.
The ornate former Fitzroy Post Office heritage site is the latest acquisition in the group’s growing portfolio of restaurants and pubs, which includes Sydney-based venues the Duke of Enmore, the Old Fitzroy Hotel and the Oxford Tavern. And it marks an exciting first foray into the Melbourne hospitality scene.
For Odd Culture Group’s CEO, James Thorpe, opening a venue in Fitzroy seemed like a natural step, especially considering the suburb's similarities to Newtown.
“Our passion for the concept has continued to grow as we’ve gone about crafting the venue and the range of really special beverages and collaborations we’re able to showcase has increased too,” says Thorpe. "It’s all about the enjoyment of everything weird and wonderful, and we reckon that’s something anyone can get around.”
Led by Melbourne hospo legend, general manager Gerry Nass, northsiders can expect top-notch hospitality with an eclectic mix of natural wines, wild ales and a seasonal cocktail menu showcasing local produce. Dive deep into terroir talk with the refreshingly enthusiastic staff, or grab a brand new bottle or two to take home and try with a fellow grape lover.
The cocktail on everyone’s lips since the bar opened is the signature Sour Negroni, made from a blend of in-house acidified vermouth with kriek (cherry lambic). The koji-fermented appletinis and in-house fermented tepache are also worth a taste.
Though similar in the beverage offerings, the Fitzroy venue differs slightly from its Newtown sibling, being an all-in-one bottle shop and bar with a focus on high-quality bar snacks rather than a restaurant menu. The chicken liver pate with Chappy’s potato chips and fish caramel is slated to be a cult favourite, and you can also nibble on Baker Bleu baguettes, charcuterie from Meatsmith, Cantabrian anchovies with butter and eschalot, and a hearty duck and a pistachio terrine.
The bar and bottle shop leads out into a beer garden in the back lane (a world-renowned graffiti hot spot), with big communal tables, picnic-style umbrellas and plenty of space for DJs to come in and throw a laneway party, should such an event be on the cards. And come summer, we bet it will be.
