Meet up with your mates at these venues in Melbourne’s inner west

At this point we can safely say we’re all a bit over meeting up at the park, so the timing of this snazzy interactive map from the City of Maribyrnong couldn’t be better. Aimed at introducing locals and visitors alike to new favourites and help support local business, Love Your Local not only covers the well-trod dining and retail destinations of Footscray, Yarraville and Seddon, but also highlights a wealth of hidden finds in smaller retail strips.

So next time you’re looking for a novel place to gather with friends and family, consider venturing outside of your regulars. Myrtle Wine Café, a cosy new spot adjoining Footscray Community Arts Centre, is serving peppy brunch dishes, Five Senses coffee and letting diners to eat under umbrellas on the front lawn. Green-thumbed vegans are looked after at One for the Crow in Maidstone, a sun dappled nursery-café where you can eat a nourishing plant-based meal while picking up a fig leaf for the house. 

Occupying the site of a former hair salon, Corner 90 Beer Garden and Café combines beer garden, bar and café with a kitchen in a custom-built container serving an eclectic range of small bites and hearty meals. Perfectly made for the times we live in, open-air bar Lickety Split is welcoming back drinkers and diners with a hankering for Margaritas and Mexican eats.

Meanwhile, night owls will be tickled by the news that legendary rock’n’roll venue Cherry Bar has rebirthed in Footscray, taking over the old Reverence site and renaming it Hotel Westwood. For now it’s just tacos and tap beers, but there’ll certainly be some long and loud nights to come. 

For many more suggestions on where to eat, drink, shop and play head to the Love Your Local website.