Back Alley Sally’s

A previously abandoned multi-storey printing factory in Footscray’s Yewer Street now houses Back Alley Sally’s, a grungy bar from the team behind the original St. Jerome’s laneway bar, as well as the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival.

In a suburb famed for its multicultural cuisines, Back Alley Sally’s is part of a thriving little network of spots in this part of town where you can get a decent cocktail. But its location toward the Maribyrnong River also separates it from the rest of the pack.

And the concept here is – and always has been – kept simple. No-nonsense local brews from the likes of Two Birds and Sunshine Lager are pouring on tap. The bar sits above Slice Girls West, a pizza joint serving slices, nachos and toasties named for the Spice Girls, which can be ordered from downstairs.

The warehouse is fitted with industrial lights, cosy booths and fake grass. It’s a relaxed place to kick back after work, sparing west-side locals the trauma of being shoehorned into a CBD bar.