With its beer hall and restaurant, featuring a glittering green bar and expansive banquet table, the Brunswick Mess Hall is the latest meeting place for those hungry for a treat right on Sydney Road.

Inside, the philosophy is about shared experiences. For a start, there’s a time-honoured summer punch and craft beer poured into mugs so huge that revellers won’t need to refill for some time.

Brunswick Mess Hall adapts a subtle animal theme throughout. The owners (a group of mates, including Emans and Whitney, who also own Portello Rosso and Murmur in the city) have taken cues from the building’s distinctive architecture, reminiscent of an overturned ark.