Six To Try: Where To Drink and Dine Outside This Spring

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Every year towards the end of winter, I fall asleep and dream about the coming spring. About making the most of longer evenings, catching more sunshine, smelling the flowers with my seemingly hay fever-proof nose and, most importantly, dining al fresco.

Everything is better outside. A pint with your pals in a beer garden. A wine under a footpath umbrella after a beach day. A coffee and a croissant on a streetside stool in the sun. There’s unrivalled people-watching. Maybe someone walks past and compliments your shoes. Someone else attempts a parallel park in their cool old car. A guy on a motorbike ruins the vibe. You’re out there and you’re in it, wherever it is.

Then I wake up, and I know it’s time to get into the spring of things. It’s when Melbourne really turns it on. There’s no shortage of al fresco drinking and dining spots here, and the best ones aren’t always purpose-built. Sometimes an overturned milk crate on the footpath does the trick, or a couple of small streetside tables. These spots from the Hot List are some of our favourites.

Albert’s, Armadale

Everything about Albert’s is classic: the old Victorian-era building it sits in, the heritage-listed Kings Arcade it’s tucked behind, the emerald-green shopfront tiles and, of course, the wonderful, curved al fresco dining situation. It’s easy here to turn afternoon into evening – especially as the sun filters into the outdoor dining area later in the day.

You hear the trains come and go at nearby Armadale station, but they’re not loud enough that you have to yell. You watch cars attempt a parallel park on the curved kerb next to you. You pick at oysters and cured meats with a glass of white, then dig into a bowl of pasta with a bottle of red as the sun sets. What else could you need?

Bahama Gold, Brunswick East

The place to be at this Lygon Street wine bar is standing at the streetside counter or sitting on a footpath table. The party here regularly spills onto the street and, if you lean in a strategic spot at the bar, you never need to go inside to get a drink.

You’ll hear music from the stellar in-house sound system outside, and passers-by regularly slow down to take a gander at what they’re missing – they’ll often join in. It’s laid-back and low fuss, and there’s a bit happening on this stretch of Lygon – Bar Idda is across the road, and Old Palm Liquor is right next door. Plus, the absurdly good value house wines are available to take away in refillable one-litre flagons, so you can bring the party home once the sun goes down.

El Columpio, St Kilda

El Columpio is cheating a little bit. The St Kilda sequel to one of Fitzroy’s favourite Mexican eateries is little more than a beach kiosk, but that’s the whole point. The breezy spot is all about seafood. Take the torre de mariscos seafood tower: a mix of cooked and raw seafood combined with piquin and chiltepin chillies that arrive in a steel tube which is removed tableside – like the dramatic first unveiling of a fresh game of Jenga.

And the idea here is to eat outside. You’ve got sweeping views of the ocean and parkland running the length of St Kilda beach, and El Columpio is exposed to the elements in the best way. Heaps of sunshine, a sea breeze and jealous seagulls perched nearby. You don’t normally get a feed this good right on the beach. Bring your sunnies.

Marion Wine Bar, Fitzroy

Regardless of what the sommelier suggests, a wine out the front of Marion pairs best with a spring evening in Melbourne. Although the recommendations from the staff at Andrew McConnell’s Gertrude Street wine bar are always on-point, and that’s part of the charm. Few things are as quintessentially Melburnian as cracking open a bottle with a few friends streetside here, slurping a few oysters and letting the staff decide what your next drink might be.

Marion is a great choice for a hot day. The south-facing al fresco area doesn’t bear the brunt of the sunshine, plus there’s plenty of extra shade under those signature green umbrellas. Spots here are always competitive, for good reason, so book ahead if you’re not game to try your luck on a Saturday afternoon meander.

Molly Rose, Collingwood

When you think of Molly Rose, you probably think of the Collingwood brewery’s huge range of experimental beers. Then you probably think of the pizzas. But when the sun comes out, think of the courtyard. There are few better places to enjoy a drink than in the sun-soaked beer garden on Wellington Street, and spring is the perfect time. The sunshine isn’t too harsh yet and your beer isn’t getting warm before you’ve finished drinking it. The small things add up.

There are plenty of shady spots as well. Settle in with a pork and fennel pizza, or a pepperoni number with hot honey, and pick out some fun beers from the tap list. Happy hour is from 4pm to 6pm, so golden hour glows that little bit brighter here.

Takeaway Pizza, Preston

Perching up on the al fresco platform at Preston’s Takeaway Pizza is, put simply, a vibe. It’s usually packed, there’s always something good coming out of the speakers and something even better coming out of the oven. The pastrami and bone marrow pizza? Undeniably better outside. Whoever invented the Pina Colada probably envisioned themselves sipping one on High Street in Preston. An even better bet might be the appropriately named Spring Break – vodka with strawberry and vanilla syrup, yuzu, lime, mint and soda.

It’s fun, it’s casual, it’s carefree. It gets a little sun, but not too much. It’s what dining al fresco in spring is all about.

The Hot List is proudly sponsored by Square.