Coming Soon: The Bar Bellamy Team To Open a Second Venue – Right Next Door

Husband-and-wife duo Danielle and Oska Whitehart’s first venue – Hot-Listed wine and cocktail spot Bar Bellamy – was always meant to be the kind of place where you could drop in regularly for a cocktail and a plate of anchovy-topped devilled eggs.

But with its ambitious drinks program – where each cocktail is only made 100 times before it leaves the menu – and in the current cost of living crisis, some people can be a bit “priced out,” Daneille tells Broadsheet. “That’s not what the point of it ever was.”

Now, they’re readying Melitta Next Door, a more accessible wine and cocktail bar that’s expected to open in April.

“We really want to do something that is a bit more affordable, especially for people in their thirties and under, or people who just want to eat out more … and make it really fun,” she says.

There’ll be a Mediterranean barbecue menu by Melitta head chef Lorena Corso of pop-up series Sicilian Smokeout. And Lachy Boyle – who worked at The Black Pearl for over four years – is on board to oversee drinks. Unlike at Bar Bellamy, where cocktails are made to order, Melitta will focus on pre-batched cocktails, which will help keep staff costs and prices down. “We want to make it a lot more spritzy and fun – aperitivo hour vibes,” says Danielle.

“We were trying to think of what that space would be if it was a person. It’s kind of like Bar Bellamy in their early twenties – very fun, going out a bit more, wanting to eat some quick food before maybe going to a gig.”

The couple signed the lease for the former pizza shop right next door to Bar Bellamy in January. They’re gutting the space and renovating it with honey-coloured finishes, a nod to the name Melitta, which means honey in Greek.

Melitta Next Door is expected to open at 160 Rathdowne Street, Carlton in April 2025