Brendan Keown, owner of new contemporary bar Yarra Falls, describes his new venture as being all about hot bread, cold drinks, cool tunes and great times, and we couldn’t agree more.
Found in the heritage-listed Tavistock House – one of only a handful of pre-Gold Rush buildings left in Melbourne – the Flinders Lane bar works to weave stories of Melbourne into almost every element of its offering. It stands close to where the Yarra Falls once stood, a historic meeting place for many of the peoples of the Kulin Nation both pre-European settlement and after, which explains the indoor waterfall found inside the bar.
The menu is small but mighty: think freshly shucked oysters, hot potato bread with butter, vegemite and cheese from the Yarra Valley. All the native produce and botanicals used are ethically sourced, with a focus on building authentic relationships with Indigenous-owned businesses. The rotating beer and wine list has been sourced from local, sustainable producers, including Fin Wines and Local Brewing Co., paired with spirits from across the globe.
You’ll notice the playlist champions local Australian and First Nations artists, with Triple R supplying the tunes in the bathroom. To top it all off, they make sure to ‘pay the rent’ to the Koorie Heritage Trust every week.