98 Lygon St Bar & Bistro has unveiled a refreshed courtyard bringing European summer to Brunswick East.
Brunswick East bar 98 Lygon St has opened its revamped courtyard space for summer. White-washed walls, linen tables and a 50-year-old olive tree frame the new Mediterranean-inspired area, which now hosts a daily Aperitivo Hour from 4-6pm where two cocktails get you a free snack.
Owners Ben Clark and Simon Aukett, who cut their teeth at London venues including Rockwell Bar, Soho House and Mondrian, have leaned into European bistro culture with the refresh. Parisian lo-fi beats play while Champagne gets poured and oysters are shucked beneath the olive tree’s shade, creating a pocket of Mediterranean atmosphere on Lygon Street.
Head Chef Brian Macalister has come on board to lead the kitchen, bringing experience from Michelin-starred Ynyshir in Wales and Dublin restaurants The Pig’s Ear and Chapter One. More recently, he worked within Melbourne’s Traderhouse Group at Cutler & Co and The Builders Arms before landing at 98 Lygon St.
98 Lygon St Bar & Bistro – Brunswick East
- Where: 98 Lygon Street, Brunswick East
- When: Open now, seven days from midday until late
- Aperitivo Hour: Daily, 4-6pm
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Macalister’s summer menu for the stunning new Brunswick East courtyard includes Shell-Baked Scallops with wild garlic butter, Shallot Tart Tatin with Dijon mustard and mizuna, and Market Fish with leek beurre blanc. Chef’s Selection offerings feature a Fruits de Mer spread with oysters, prawns, scallop ceviche and Moreton Bay seafood, plus Cape Grim MB4 Côte de Boeuf with béarnaise and frites.
Cocktails for Aperitivo Hour include the Cherry Ripe Milk Punch and La Renaissance, alongside the venue’s freezer-door Martini available dry, dirty or filthy. This season’s wine list leans into orange wines, chilled reds and lighter styles while maintaining a focus on old-world wines and Australian producers.
Brunswick East gains another courtyard option as 98 Lygon St positions itself as a neighbourhood spot for that European approach of drinks leading into dinner.
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