In homage to this area's reputation for thundering motorbikes and their big, bearded riders, this bar combines motor parts with art exhibitions and live music.
Elizabeth Street has always been the home of Melbourne's motorcycle shops. The roar of Harley-Davidsons and Kawasakis can be heard for blocks around, the smell of petrol fumes is heavy in the air and there are big guys wearing leather striding purposefully around. It really gets the blood pumping.
Almost as a tribute (except for the guys in leather vests), we now have Workshop. Formerly a motorcycle workshop, the new tenants have transformed the venue into an honest, no-nonsense bar, where beer and good music rub shoulders with works of art and motor parts.
The grease monkeys have been replaced by an eclectic crowd of students, artists, musicians, suits and tradies, all eager for some good-quality aural stimulation. Tuesday nights feature some inspiring live acoustic acts, while the rest of the week sees some of Melbourne's and the world's best hip-hop and breaks DJs take to the turntables.
Appropriate to the atmosphere, the bar also attracts a very street-savvy crowd, with graf and stencil artists calling Workshop home. The space features rotating art exhibitions with openings usually on Tuesday nights every three weeks, making this not just a booze den, but a place to catch some art.
Like its sister venue in Fitzroy, The Black Cat, Workshop has an atmosphere that doesn't try to be cool, but just is.
Mark Gambino
