On the Arts Centre-side of Southbank, you'll notice a huge, floating cornucopia of Australian spirits, produce, and good times. This is Yarra Botanica, a pontoon bar tucked situated on the banks of the Yarra River. This grown-up floating venue combines the novelty of aquatic hotspots like Ponyfish Island and Arbory Afloat with a conscious approach to home-grown ingredients.
The decor is upmarket, too. Instead of bright coloured market umbrellas, find natural materials paired with timeless, muted hues. The name 'Botanica' represents the bar's surrounding flora – live herbs that can also be used as drink garnishes. And the menu is a pescatarian's delight, with fresh, locally-caught seafood the centerpiece of the offering.
In fact, all the food and drink at Yarra Botanica is 100 per cent Aussie supplied or grown. In addition to seafood, there are plenty of easy share plates and snacks, with produce from familiar names like Mount Zero, That's Amore and Wattle Bank Farm. Expect wood-fired pizzas, generous grazing boards and even hemp soft-serve ice cream flavoured by indigenous ingredients.
The drinks list is a similar story. All beers on tap are sourced from Victorian breweries, followed by a hyper-local wine list with drops from the Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley and Bellarine Peninsula taking up a significant amount of real estate. From the cocktail menu, try the Peculiar Pepper Berry Spritz made with pepper berries, Billson's Alfred Peculiar gin, prosecco, grapefruit and soda, or a refreshing Lemon Myrtle and Jasmine Spritz crafted from Four Pillars gin, lemon myrtle, jasmine water, Limoncello and soda.
As all true Melburnians know, an outdoor venue is good – in theory. But often our volatile weather system has other ideas, even in the height of summer. Yarra Botanica is built to withstand four seasons in one day, with plenty of indoor seating behind glass-windowed walls, and retractable awnings in abundance. But on a nice day, there are able sunset vantage points and comfy spots to soak up some vitamin D.
Yarra Botanica opens to the public from March 16, with bookings available from March 26 via the Yarra Botanica website.