New Dog-Friendly Dive Bar Rebel Rebel Brings $10 Bloody Marys and Vegan Sours to Preston

Blink and you’ll miss it. Rebel Rebel, an unassuming dive bar named in honour of the late, great David Bowie, is the latest addition to Preston’s growing food and booze scene.

“I love Bowie, he’s one of my idols,” says owner Daniel Pezzimenti, who spent years working in pubs and bars across Melbourne before opening the Plenty Road spot last November. “I love what he’s done for gender expression.”

Rebel Rebel could easily fall into gimmicky themed-bar territory, but it gracefully straddles the line. The underlying vibe of ’60s and ’70s rock’n’roll, as Pezzimenti describes it, doesn’t feel forced. The space is decked out with a few nods to Bowie, a record player, a tiny TV and an impressive display of knick-knacks that Pezzimenti’s amassed over the years. There are also stacks of vinyl and VHS tapes that staff take turns playing each shift.

“I encourage them to bring their own records and put on music,” says Pezzimenti. “Everyone who works here really loves books and movies as well. We started our own little VHS club where we send each other tapes.”

While there’s always something on in the background, it’s quiet enough for a chat – and Pezzimenti encourages a bit of chatter. In fact, he built the bar specifically for it. “It’s really, really long,” he says. “I did that because I like going out to bars by myself and just chatting to the bartenders or seeing what they’re doing.”

There are four beers on tap (you might find Kaiju’s tropical pale ale or a classic Mountain Goat brew) and an additional selection in the fridge – predominantly from Victorian brewers. And you can get $5 pots and $10 pints Monday to Wednesday.

A few funkier options are on rotation, but Pezzimenti’s intention is to keep the whole range pretty accessible. “You’ve got Tallboy and Carwyn Cellars if you want to have something challenging,” he says.

You’ll also find a few failsafe cocktails – Martinis, Old Fashioneds, Margaritas – as well as sours made with aquafaba (an egg-white replacement made from chickpea brine), meaning they’re entirely vegan. Plus, there are $10 Bloody Marys on Sundays.

Rebel Rebel – not to be confused with the striking Canberra eatery of the same name – doesn’t currently serve food, but Pezzimenti may consider partnering with food trucks down the track. For now, he’s happy to let people BYO from neighbouring restaurants (such as Shop Ramen or even from home, as many customers have done thus far.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more laid-back, you find it’s dog-friendly too, with a massive, pup-perfect back courtyard. (The bar’s Instagram bio reads: “Dogs drink for free”.) “We get hordes of dogs in,” says Pezzimenti. “Sometimes it’ll just be like dog city out there; they’ll be running around all over the place.”

Rebel Rebel
93 Plenty Road, Preston

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

rebelrebelpreston.com