The Yarra Hotel is widely considered as the veteran pub of Abbotsford amongst locals. While the pub itself is probably older than your grandmother and grandfather combined, the new owners, who took over the joint in 2012, have worked tirelessly to recreate the pub as it originally stood all those years back. Thankfully for us, they’ve managed to do exactly that, and the Yarra maintains all the old-school charm that made it the best booze-haunt in town, all the while transforming it into one of a stellar drinking hole that preserves its Melbourne edge.
The Yarra’s mammoth beer garden is testament to this. The huge space features a large undercover area to keep you comfortable during those dreary Melbourne nights, as well as an al fresco section, where you can munch down on something spectacular from the fish and burger kitchen. The immense brick fireplace, built by one of the pub’s long term residents, Johnny the Scot emits a super homely feel. And, if you wander round the back of the beer garden, you’ll discover Jim Clark’s Champion Motorcycle Workshop, which was originally the change rooms for a little football team called the Collingwood Football Club.
Oh, and if you were lucky enough to wander into the beer garden during the recent footy finals, you would’ve seen a huge projection of the game onto the wall of the three storey flats near the venue. According to the owners, the screen is large enough to rival the one in Fed Square, so during summer they’ll showcase an eclectic bunch of silent film oddities. So wander down Davey Lane (yes, the lane behind the Yarra has recently been changed), and get your drink on in this Melbourne institution.
THE YARRA HOTEL 295 Johnston St, Abbotsford is open 4pm to late Monday to Thursday; 12pm to 1am Fridays and Saturdays, 12pm to 11pm Sundays.
