First Look: At Bernie’s Bar in Fitzroy North, Liv Flanagan Created the Queer Space She Was Missing

For owner Liv Flanagan, opening Bernie’s was both personal and political. At her FLINTA* (an acronym with roots in 1970s West Germany that’s typically rendered in English as: female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, transgender and agender) bar, she set out to create a space where lesbian joy is foundational, while remaining open and welcoming to the broader queer community and allies. 

“As a lesbian who’s spent years moving through queer spaces, I’ve felt how rare it can be to find places that genuinely centre lesbians – not as a special event or sidenote, but as part of the foundation,” she says. 

Flanagan previously ran two food trucks – Frankie Little in Sorrento and Cafe Del Sol in Safety Beach – before taking over the former North Island cafe space in Fitzroy North last April. She completely gutted the site, adding 35 seats inside between bar tops and low tables, and another 40 in the courtyard. “It was a proper labour of love,” she says. “Mostly renovated with the help of friends and family, which made it all the more special.” By October, Bernie’s was officially open.

A new dark wooden bar sits beneath pendant lamps finished with white lace. You can pull up for a glass of orange wine from Dormilona, a chilled red from Fin Wines, classic cocktails and, on Mondays, a selection of $15 Martinis.

There’s no kitchen or food served on site, but guests are encouraged to bring food or order takeaway to the venue. You can grab spicy Italian sausage tagliatelle from Good Times to pair with Bernie’s Montenegro spritz; match the tap-drawn Stomping Ground hazy pale ale with chicken and chips from Super Tasty Rooster; and grab a biryani from Citrus to pair with Bernie’s most popular drink, the Spicy Margarita.

Although Melbourne is home to a number of queer bars, Flanagan says that even in a city with a reputation as diverse and progressive, queer people still navigate hostility. “There is a constant vigilance that many of us carry, whether that is the risk of homophobia, transphobia, racism or the quieter but equally harmful micro-aggressions that queer people face in heteronormative spaces. That hyper-awareness takes its toll. Queer spaces interrupt that and allow us to be able to take a breath and let our guards down.” 

Less than six months in, the bar has already won over locals. “For me, the biggest compliment is when someone says they feel comfortable coming in alone, or that they feel safe here,” Flanagan says. “That’s exactly what I hoped the space could be.” 

Bernie’s Queer Bar
111 Scotchmer Street, Fitzroy North
No phone

Hours:
Sun to Thu 4pm–11pm
Fri & Sat 4pm–1am

@berniesqueerbar