Sweet Nectar Inn

Sweet Nectar Inn combines the best of two, very different worlds. The unpretentious spot blends the charm of the Australian milk bar with the laid-back appeal of an American dive bar.

What does that look like? You can come for a casual drink in the afternoon and leave with some wine and groceries for dinner. A curated pantry section offers City Larder pates, Acide pickles, hot salami and dill pickle potato chips. Anything from the pantry can be enjoyed inside or at one of the small footpath tables.

There’s an all-Australian list of wines and rotating tap beers. Drink specials, such as the occasional spritz, are scrawled on the blackboard and the bar has refillable one-litre flagons you can fill with wine from producers like Fin Wines and Konpira Maru for home.

The neighbourhood hangout is run by partners Devon Hunter and Sam O’Farrell, who did most of the fit out themselves. It features warm wooden furniture and a bar top covered in 300 handmade tiles that O’Farrell crafted. They’re adorned with colourful hand-painted motifs and tie into the flower-shaped ceramic light fixtures she also made. Warm light fills the space in the hours before sunset, dreamily showing off the owners’ handiwork.