A good time is never far away in Thornbury, and once you’re on High Street you’re home and hosed. On a character-filled stretch of the strip that’s less than a kilometre long, you’ll find everything from lovingly restored espresso bars to tucked-away cocktail haunts and a rooftop bar with one helluva of a view.
First stop: Capers. It’s like yiayia’s house morphed into a vibey northside bar, replete with a DJ out front, a leafy courtyard out back and a glorious Greek-inspired offering. Classic home-style dishes like pastitsio and moussaka are served on vintage plates, but the drinks are where the team has the most fun. A Greek-salad Martini hits the vinegary-sweet spot, while you can also sip Greek-imported beers aplenty and a crowd-pleasing edit of local wines, like the off-beat rosé from Grampians winemaker Blood Moon.
Not far away, indie bottle-o and bar Carwyn Cellars has been a go-to for easy-drinking and exciting craft booze since 2007. But it’s also where you want to be for Friday knock-offs, when its side-street seating area really starts to go off. Commandeer a bench with your mates and choose from more than two dozen brews on tap: maybe a wet-hopped pale ale from King River Brewing or a hearty stout from Braeside’s Boatrocker.
Over the road at the effortlessly charming Thornbury Espresso Bar, which first opened in 1956 but was reborn during the pandemic, you can get caffeinated, boozy or both. The sky-blue frontage often blends into the background as local gents sit on the footpath sipping espresso, smoking cigars and playing cards. Pull up a seat alongside them and peruse the locally loaded drinks list: perhaps it’s a completely gluten-free beer from Dromana’s Two Bays Brewing Co or a glass of La Zona pinot grigio from the King Valley.
Elsewhere, it’s easy to miss the buzzy Ballard’s, hidden as it is behind venetians. But this local hangout puts all things plant-based on a pedestal, making it perfect for punters with dietaries. Deliciousness isn’t compromised, though: the lion’s mane mushroom steak, for example, is chargrilled and convincingly meaty. And that attention to detail flows into the wine list, which is constantly rotating to keep it interesting. You might get a skinsy friulano from Mildura’s MDI or a big-bodied red from Heathcote’s Little Reddie.
There’s one place you want to be as the sun sets over the suburbs: Gigi, one of the area’s only rooftop bars, which, it should be noted, shuts up shop over the cooler months. Perched above sibling Italian diner Umberto Espresso Bar, it’s worth scaling the stairs for a tropical pale ale from local brewery 3 Ravens – only a couple of kilometres away – and work your way through a tight but terrific menu of Italian-ish snacks.
Next is Franklin’s – also on High Street. Look for a big blue door and a glowing neon sign that reads “cocktails” to find this neighbourhood watering hole (that’s usually much busier than it seems from outside). Locals flock to the converted warehouse space for not-so-classic cocktails – like the Plum Boulevard, with The Gospel’s Solera Rye whiskey, Autonomy’s Davo Plum aperitivo and Dolin Rouge’s sweet vermouth – as well as rustic, slow-fermented pizzas.
And at Shotkickers, live music is king, but not the be-all and end-all. As well as top local bands, the Midwest saloon-inspired bar is one for the concrete cowboys. Time your visit to coincide with a gig that suits your style, then drop in early for a feed at the Saloon Kitchen (think deep-fried pickles, loaded potato skins and brisket burritos) and a pickleback shot. To finish the night? A Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin Negroni.
By Tomas Telegramma