This sun-dappled Yarra-side bar is made for lazy afternoons, serving a good range of booze and organic barbecued meats under the shade of the oak trees.
Take the stairs from Princes Bridge down to the north side of the Yarra and you'll find a tempting place to laze away a summer afternoon and linger on into a balmy twilight. Riverland arrived in Melbourne with a splash, immediately claiming the title of best beer garden in Melbourne. Nestled into the vaults beneath Federation Square, Riverland extends out onto large decked areas, with acres of seating under the shade of the verdant, ancient oak trees.
Enjoy the dappled afternoon sunlight as it filters through the leaves and watch rowers toil past on the tranquil river as the bartender pours you a foaming beer from their tap selection, which includes Stella, Asahi and Kronenberg. The excellent wine list has been carefully constructed to showcase each variety and price point, with half a dozen available by the glass, including entry-level house wines and more premium examples of each variety.
Don't miss out on the organic barbeque, which serves up duck and pistachio sausages, saltbush-fed lamb or Italian chilli pork bratwursts. Or roll up early on the weekend after a jog around the Tan to enjoy the barbequed egg and bacon breakfast roll.
Ben Maas
