Misery Guts

The bright, high-ceilinged corner site is decorated with kitsch ornaments, vintage propaganda and other souvenirs collected during owner Julia Pleadin’s time abroad.

There’s a mismatch of chairs and tables, including two old cinema chairs with the words “Misery loves company” scrawled across them. A blue, mosaic-tiled patch of floor is leftover from the site’s days as a Greek restaurant. The vault, leftover from the site’s days as a bank, is now the bathroom. There’s a framed, instructional Heimlich-manoeuvre poster. A vintage, cotton police banner threatens: “Disperse or we use tear smoke”.

All the tap beers are Australian (Coopers, 4 Pines and the like) and change seasonally. Packaged beers are as local as possible, and include less-common varieties, such saisons and praline porters. There’s a short but interesting selection of wines, and classic cocktails.

There’s no kitchen, so food is limited to snacky items such as cheese and charcuterie, pickles, anchovies, olives and nuts.