A Roller Door Cafe and a New All-Day Eatery Come to Brunswick East

Hospitality veterans Brett and Susie Pritchard are opening their first venues in more than a decade. The duo – who were long-time staples of Sydney neighbourhood Redfern’s hospo scene – are taking on Melbourne with Bar Elsie, an all-day eatery, and a small adjoining cafe called The Coffee Bar.

In 2022, after Brett suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest, the pair sold their Sydney venues – Arcadia Liquors, Redfern Continental and Ron’s Upstairs – and relocated to Melbourne. They joined the front-of-house team at Con Christopoulos’s European Group, with Susie working at Spring Street Grocer and Brett at City Wine Shop.
“We’ve both had time to reset and are excited to get back to running our own venue,” says Brett. “Hospitality is what we know and love.”

The Coffee Bar, accessed via a roller door on Hickford Street in Brunswick East, opened on Wednesday May 14. The cosy side cafe serves fresh sandwiches like stracciatella and pickled plum, as well as ham and provolone, and other toasties. The fit-out is quintessentially Brunswick – with green walls, Bonsoy-lined bookshelves, houseplants and concrete floors. A few stools at a timber bar top offer a spot to enjoy coffee and house-made sweets, including a pear and walnut scroll and a simple chocolate cake. And outdoor seating is on the way.

It’s the little sibling to Bar Elsie, a European-style bistro and bar the duo plan to open in the former Alchemy Brewing Co site on Lygon Street in early June. The kitchen at Bar Elsie will be led by Edmée Driez (ex- Three Blue Ducks). There’ll be nostalgic European comfort food, with a menu designed for both seated diners and those dropping in for a snack at the bar.

The space, which the pair began renovating in late 2024, will feature a U-shaped bar, an open kitchen and banquette seating for 60. “There’s a bistro section for bookings, but we’ve kept plenty of space for walk-ins,” says Brett. “We want to make it feel like you’ve walked into a warm, welcoming home.”

Bar Elsie is expected to open at 396 Lygon Street, Brunswick East in June.

The Coffee Bar
396 Lygon Street, Brunswick East (entry via Hickford Street)
No phone

Hours:
Wed to Sun 8am–2pm
@coffeebar_barelsie