Snacks include the signature chicken liver parfait doused in fish sauce caramel and topped with potato chips (centre).Simon SchluterOdd Culture is the brainchild of James Thorpe,whoopened a bar in Sydney’s Newtown in 2021 to explore fermented drinks of all kinds,especially beers made with wild yeasts and wines that skew natural,organic or biodynamic. The nearby bottleshop sells those hard-to-find drinks for takeaway. In Fitzroy,however,both are under one roof.
Visitors will see people perched on stools drinking in the window before confronting a well-stocked bank of shelves and fridges. The team have brought down 44 kegs of wild ales they’ve been collecting for their Melbourne debut,as well as rare wines,some decades old.
Staff members,including sommeliers,will be floating around to offer suggestions or guide you towards a table to enjoy a bottle off the shelf. There’s no wine list – what you see for sale is what’s on offer.
The Melbourne Bitter mural at Odd Culture in Fitzroy.Simon SchluterAt the rear,a Melbourne Bitter mural above a corner-hugging banquette adds a splash of local colour. It was painted by Bodie Jarman,the same artist who adorned the Newtown bar with a Reschs equivalent.
Twelve beer taps behind a green-tiled bar dispense sours,pale ales,imperial stout and the unofficial official beer,Melbourne Bitter,with at least half the taps rotating frequently. Opening choices include a collaboration betweenWildflower (NSW) and France’s Brasserie Au Baron.
Cocktails are a mix of signature Newtown cocktails and Victorian-led drinks,such as The Gospel’s rye stirred with Saison vermouth and an artichoke amaro. Fermented elements headline all of them,meaning some cocktails take a week or two to prepare.
Odd Culture Bar and Bottleshop in Fitzroy.Simon SchluterWhile Newtown has the space for a full kitchen,here the food is geared to drink-friendly ballast.
“It’s a beverage-driven business but if the demand for food is greater,we’ll increase the food,” says general manager Gerry Nass (ex Robbie Burns).
Buffalo mozzarella with mandarin and bottarga,Meatsmith charcuterie and pickles join the signature dish:chicken liver parfait doused in fish sauce caramel and studded with Chappy’s potato chips.
Open Sun-Thu noon-11pm,Fri-Sat noon-1am.