Feel like some novelish culture with your martini tonight? It’s all in the fine print for St. Kilda’s lavish Mockingbird Tapas Bar. Owner George Lentzos named this carefully refurbished gem after his late mother’s favourite book and nods to the To Kill a Mockingbird namesake can be found sprinkled through the well-balanced cocktail list.

Blinking with sloe style out of the historic George Hotel, this birdcage-esque watering hole has seen a few different incarnations before it settled on it’s current tapas format. Fronting Fitzroy Street it’s the perfect place to perch as the weather turns to longer days.

A huge front window lets in mellow afternoon light as groups gather at the marble topped bar or vie for a spot above the street in the plush raised window seating. Details from the old hotel linger and have been heightened with the addition of new nouveau and deco inspired artworks gracing walls and doors, with just a hint of theatrical red velvet.

You wont need much encouragement to enjoy this old-world glamour after a long day on the St Kilda sands, but share plates, gins or a house Mockingbird beer make a compelling case.