"Church B.E.E.R.S"
Attendees: Cam, Ben, Michael, George, Jaffa, Paige, Dom, Emma
Price: $9 Boags, $9.60 Coopers. Pretty standard.
Location: 250 High St Northcote - in the thick of it.
Distance: 15 min tram ride.
Ambience: Candles and rough stone walls have a lot of charm. Feels like a medieval tavern. The hushed tones of the chapel meets the rustic charm of the tin roof wooden ceiling beams.
Character: Has a very strong historic character (in fact the building was originally constructed in 1869 as a Methodist church). Iron chandeliers lit by candles softly light the bar while the raw stone walls, minimal decorations and huge vaulted ceiling help to open up the space.
Decor: The character of the building speaks for itself without the need for too much decoration.
Comfort: The bar is quite big and takes up a large part of the room meaning most of the tables are squashed in around it. However we had no problem sitting the lot of us in one of the 'confessional' style booths and the low walls provide a lot of privacy.
Patrons: An older more 'Northcote' crowd . A bit more subdued and wordly, enjoying a quite beer or glass of red. City cool people.
Staff: A bit of a debated area - some thought they were helpful while others found them a little indifferent.
Selection: Limited. Some decent but 'safe' craft options. Semi-boutique. Very impressed with the Estrella!
Outdoor: A very large outdoor area complete with a roaring fireplace. Lots of tables to sit at and some greenery and quirky decorations to finish it off. A definite must-visit for the summer months. On-street seating out the front as well.
Specials: $10 Boags jugs before 6pm. Band room is host to popular local gigs most nights of the week. Very fast food service as well (maybe suspiciously fast?)
LSR: Soft music in the background keeps the focus on the chat and the ambience created by the room rather than smothering it with volume. A tasteful tweak of the dimmer switch at 9.30 kept the lighting spot on as the night went on! Candles also add a classy touch.
Amenities: Basic, nothing too special. Plenty of graffiti but clean enough.
Top suggestion: Rejig the bar and table layout to open up the room a bit more and celebrate the awesome historic space that it is.
Field notes: Doesn't seem like a huge amount of effort has gone into the actual bar and making the place a unique experience but the building makes up for it with oodles of charm. Could be better but it has a lot going for it and the punters keep coming back for more. Definite local hangout.
Arbitrary Score: 75
A big old religious institution sees a new life as one of High St's drinking institutions. While it lacks some of the sophistication of other venues, the charm of the building and generous beer garden make this one a High St favourite.
Attendees: Cam, Ben, Michael, George, Jaffa, Paige, Dom, Emma
Price: $9 Boags, $9.60 Coopers. Pretty standard.
Location: 250 High St Northcote - in the thick of it.
Distance: 15 min tram ride.
Ambience: Candles and rough stone walls have a lot of charm. Feels like a medieval tavern. The hushed tones of the chapel meets the rustic charm of the tin roof wooden ceiling beams.
Character: Has a very strong historic character (in fact the building was originally constructed in 1869 as a Methodist church). Iron chandeliers lit by candles softly light the bar while the raw stone walls, minimal decorations and huge vaulted ceiling help to open up the space.
Decor: The character of the building speaks for itself without the need for too much decoration.
Comfort: The bar is quite big and takes up a large part of the room meaning most of the tables are squashed in around it. However we had no problem sitting the lot of us in one of the 'confessional' style booths and the low walls provide a lot of privacy.
Patrons: An older more 'Northcote' crowd . A bit more subdued and wordly, enjoying a quite beer or glass of red. City cool people.
Staff: A bit of a debated area - some thought they were helpful while others found them a little indifferent.
Selection: Limited. Some decent but 'safe' craft options. Semi-boutique. Very impressed with the Estrella!
Outdoor: A very large outdoor area complete with a roaring fireplace. Lots of tables to sit at and some greenery and quirky decorations to finish it off. A definite must-visit for the summer months. On-street seating out the front as well.
Specials: $10 Boags jugs before 6pm. Band room is host to popular local gigs most nights of the week. Very fast food service as well (maybe suspiciously fast?)
LSR: Soft music in the background keeps the focus on the chat and the ambience created by the room rather than smothering it with volume. A tasteful tweak of the dimmer switch at 9.30 kept the lighting spot on as the night went on! Candles also add a classy touch.
Amenities: Basic, nothing too special. Plenty of graffiti but clean enough.
Top suggestion: Rejig the bar and table layout to open up the room a bit more and celebrate the awesome historic space that it is.
Field notes: Doesn't seem like a huge amount of effort has gone into the actual bar and making the place a unique experience but the building makes up for it with oodles of charm. Could be better but it has a lot going for it and the punters keep coming back for more. Definite local hangout.
Arbitrary Score: 75
A big old religious institution sees a new life as one of High St's drinking institutions. While it lacks some of the sophistication of other venues, the charm of the building and generous beer garden make this one a High St favourite.
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