Get ready for a Sunday service with a difference at Trinity St Kilda — the 100-year-old church hall has been transformed into a 300+ capacity bar with food trucks, private mezzanine and vintage Airstream slinging burgers and bar bites.
Established in 1925, the red-brick building has long been a gathering place for the local community, but recently, it was a car dealership with a concrete yard and a barbed-wire fence. Now, venue owner Matthew Nikakis has a 50-year lease and determination to return the site to the people, albeit with less preaching and more partying.
The interior has undergone a full renovation including the addition of lush green booths, copper beer tanks, and a deep blue bar that spans the length of the main room. Meanwhile, the church hall’s original hardwood trusses and iconic windows have been restored to peak condition.
First up, head inside to grab a drink. There are 12 beers on tap, ranging from Melbourne Bitter to Four Pines plus a tank of CUB’s unpasteurised Carlton Draught. In a courtyard out back, you’ll find a kid-friendly play area featuring a refurbished 1960s ski boat and sandpit, and an Airstream caravan that’ll serves the venue’s main kitchen. When we spoke to Nikakis, he was still taste-testing the food offering, however he tells us that burgers are the main game here.
Out front there’s more seating and a spot for two rotating food trucks. In April, expect cameos by the Greek Trojan Food Truck and Mr Yes, Mr No (they do “fusion”). The bar itself will be open seven days from noon to late, with food available until 9pm.
