Update October 2024: This review was originally written in 2017, so please be aware that some elements may have changed since.
Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique.
Walking into Leonard’s is like finding the coolest house party at the ski resort, circa 1983: a place where staff kick back to rock’n’roll, drink whisky and make fun of the bleach-blonde varsity ski team crowd. The venture from Guy Bentley and Mark Catsburg, plus bar manager Jonathan Harper and chef Nick Stanton, occupies a corner bluestone just off of Chapel Street in South Yarra.
Just like a ski lodge should, Leonard’s has an air of instant comfort. The room is entirely surfaced in untreated pine, with warm lighting, plenty of open space and a roaring fire. The stained glass back bar is flanked by mounted longhorns and a mongoose valiantly fighting a cobra – their epic battle frozen in taxidermied time. Long hair, tattoos, denim and beanies are the uniform, but far from being a den of hipster judgement, this place is ultimately inviting, free from the snark that ruins some northside venues.
Big, open doorways and windows frame scenes of folks eating in the big wrap-around courtyard, dotted with fairy lights and heated well enough to keep the blast-chilled winter at bay. Back inside, the central area is made up to look like a ’70s recreation room, complete with a painting of a nude brunette, board games and psychedelic orange wallpaper. The DJ spins Curtis Mayfield and Al Green from atop a vintage TV.
The bar offers an easy selection of smashable beers on tap, like Kronenbourg, Thatchers cider and a house lager brewed by Coopers. Bottles offer a few more craft choices, but this isn’t the place to debate the finer points of Kiwi vs German hops. Cocktails lean to the sweeter side, but there’s liberal use of fresh juice and plenty of great Mezcal, tequila and whisk(e)y to keep connoisseurs happy.
The kitchen cranks out finger-lickin' good items like high-quality burgers and fried chicken. Sides include poutine fries, mac and cheese, corn ribs and hot honey slaw, and there's plenty of options for the vegos and vegans. As far as sweet treats go, you can't say no to the banana caramel pie with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
The crew at Leonard’s House of Love know this ‘hood needs more casual places to hang out. It’s a service they’re happy to provide, and with love, whiskey and chicken for all, they’ve nailed it.