Victoria Street Richmond is not typically the place you would venture to for a sophisticated drinking and dining experience. An awkward-turn-boozy dinner at Binh Minh with your estranged high school friends, sure, but not really the place you’d expect to find great, refined-but-not-pretentious pub food and bartenders who really know their shit. You poor, naïve little soul.
Tucked away from the madness of Vic Street, but bustling and buzzing in its own right, The Aviary Hotel is situated smack bang in the middle of Melbourne’s ‘Little Saigon’ and is one of a small collection of choice drinking spots along the strip. Bigger sister to The Vic just a few doors down, The Aviary Hotel boasts an extensive drinks list with a great selection of beers on tap (anyone with White Rabbit Dark Ale is a friend of ours), many bottled local and imported brews, magnificent cocktails by the glass and by the jug, and a wine list long enough to satisfy even your most pompous of friends.
The bartenders, oh the bartenders! They know what you want before you do. Simply tell them what you like and they’ll whip up something off the top of their heads. If that’s not a practical talent, we don’t know what is. The food menu isn’t huge but is done so well you wouldn’t want too many options clouding your decision-making, believe us you’re going to have a tough time as it is. Pro’s tip: order a steak… or the Southern fried chicken burger… or the beef and mushroom pie… yeah, we might be here for a while yet.
The beer garden, simply put, is pretty spectacular and worth getting to the venue early in the evening to secure a spot; with copper pillars intricately detailed framing the whole outside and an incredible feature wall makes it the perfect setting for afternoon beers that will inevitably turn into evening cocktails. The combination of fine food at reasonable prices, a drinks list to keep you satisfied for hours and DJs throughout the weekend means you really needn’t leave. Why would you want to, anyway?
The Aviary Hotel keeps things interesting with regular weekly events, like the burger night every Monday where 12 bucks will get you a burger and a pot of Boag’s Draught. Tuesdays feature a juicy 250g-rump steak with your choice of Boag’s pot, wine of the day or soft drink for $22, but the main event specials-wise in our opinion is their succulent Sunday Roast Sessions. A mouth-watering chook is charcoaled on the rotisserie in their stunning beer garden and served with all the trimmings, not to mention cocktail and beer jug specials throughout the afternoon. Their main men will be spinning vintage soul, Motown and funk all afternoon from 4pm. Happy hour runs every Friday with sensational 1990’s prices: $3 pots, $6 pints, $10 cocktails and $2 croquettes.
THE AVIARY HOTEL 271 Victoria St, Abbotsford (across the road from North Richmond station) is open every day 12pm to 1am. Bookings accepted.
