Belinda Linton and Luke Kelly don’t want their soon-to-open bar Pendant to be defined by any single thing. “If we’re a cocktail bar to you, fantastic. If you’re here to drink pints in the window, great,” Linton tells Broadsheet. “We don’t really mind what we are to people, we just want you to feel as comfortable as you do at the pub.”

But comfort won’t come at the expense of a considered offering. The bar will focus equally on beer, wine and cocktails that all meet the high standards of institutions including Mr West, where Kelly learnt about beer, and at Congress, where Linton developed her wine knowledge.

While they’re “not looking to challenge anyone” who’s not up for it, both Linton and Kelly love guiding people in their drinking and are “down to get adventurous” when customers call for it – particularly when it comes to cocktails.

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The couple have worked at some of Melbourne’s best cocktail bars: the recently closed Everleigh (where they both worked for three years, Linton as venue manager and Kelly as bar manager), Apollo Inn and Black Pearl (where Kelly and Linton currently bartend, respectively).

“Anyone that has worked at The Everleigh has such an advantage when it comes to recommending off-menu drinks. It’s a skill we definitely don’t take for granted,” notes Linton. “While our offering will be more casual, having this classic cocktail knowledge in our back pocket means that at Pendant the cocktail options will always go far beyond what is listed.”

They’ve talked about opening their own bar for the past eight years, and as a result, have spent the better part of the last decade collecting spirits – in particular, one-off independent bottlings – some of which can no longer be found.

The duo hope to create the sense that Pendant has always been there, which should be helped by the fact it’s opening in the former Enoteca Zingara site, which was also formerly home to bars Rum Diary and Gypsy Bar.

For now, there are no plans for a substantial food offering. “We want to make sure if we do ever introduce a snack menu that it follows our standards,” says Linton. “At this stage we’d rather our guests spend the day leisurely dining all around Fitzroy, and come to us when you’re just not quite ready to call it a day yet.”

Pendant is expected to open at 334 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, at the end of April