This buzzing beer hall, with limited-edition craft beers and fun Japanese snacks, is a winner for post-work drinks, date nights, and the dog-loving crowd.
On a sunny day, Benchwarmer’s tables on the footpath and in the back beer garden are hot property. On a winter’s night, groups head inside the 135-year-old building and gather around the fireplace under the glow of red and purple lights. Whatever the weather, the combination of unexpected international and local beers paired with Japanese-style snacks is a crowd-pleaser. Beyond the wall of fridges stocked deep with craft beers, nine taps feature rotating brews, from Tokyo to California, including exclusive collaborations with breweries.
The orange booths down the back of the bar are great for a date, and a good spot to watch the kitchen pumping out the sorts of dishes you’d find at Japan’s casual izakaya bars. Pair a pint with snacks such as karaage fried chicken, roasted cabbage with seaweed butter, or anything from the section of the menu dedicated to “things on sticks”.
Inside and out, Benchwarmer is dog friendly (there’s even a dedicated Instagram account to the @doggosofbenchies).
This is approachable neighbourhood eating and drinking at its best. Score a table outside in the sun and the friendly staff will find you a beer you’d never think to order and get the small bites flowing. Before you know it, a few hours have passed and a few more friends have joined your table. The menu is a choose-your-own-adventure affair according to your hunger levels. You might get a couple of plates of edamame or seaweed fries before heading to a dinner reservation elsewhere, or leave it up to the kitchen and go with the daily bar-snack selection.
Benchwarmer is one of the few places in Melbourne to have chocolate-fudge stouts from Hong Kong and ginger ale sours from New York one week, and a Japanese black lager and a barrel-aged cherry sour ale from Melbourne the next.
