Benchwarmer

Benchwarmer is a laid-back beer hall and takeaway bottle shop that combines an obscure beer selection (half local, half international brews) with an approachable food menu. When the sun’s beaming down Victoria Street, outside tables are in high demand. The fairy-lit, astroturfed beer garden out back is a solid back-up, though.

There are plenty of long tables and window seating in the main room. During the day the white walls and tall arches keep things light; at night, the room is bathed in warm red and purple glows. The next room over has a couple of date-night booths (colour: ’70s orange) that look into the kitchen, where chef “Kenny” Keng-Hao Chiu cooks a snacky, izakaya-influenced menu.

Avocado tempura, pork katsu sandos, Japanese potato salad and hibachi-grilled mushroom tacos are all available. Chiu spent time on the hibachi grill at the Wagyu-centric, Michelin-starred Taipei restaurant Yuu before moving to Melbourne to cook at Supernormal and now-closed Nieuw Amsterdam. There are also hot wings in flavours like honey-miso and Buffalo. It’s all good, and it all goes down well with beer.

Benchwarmer only stocks limited release beers – no core ranges. So even if you see a beer from a well-known brewery on the drinks list, you probably haven’t tried it. Locals such as The Mill, Hop Nation and Sydney’s One Drop are frequent guests on the nine taps. They’re joined by esteemed internationals such as Gweilo, Cervisiam, Mikkeler and Garage Beer (not to be confused with Garage Project, which also makes regular appearances).

Get your beers to take away from the fridges (they’re 10 per cent off if you do). Growlers and squealers – a hangover from Benchwarmer’s Covid-lockdown early days – are also available.

There are also plenty of wines to choose from, mostly from local players such as Jamsheed, plus a few hard seltzers and a tidy line-up of sake.