The Dock is like a house party where everyone is invited and you don’t need to carve out fridge space behind Thai leftovers and half an elderly watermelon for your drinks. It’s a cosy, low-lit, ramshackle place where the playlist is a freewheeling party mix of cheesy-but-secretly-awesome school disco bangers. There is an old piano just inside the doorway, but people don’t gather round for a sing-a-long – it’s something to lean on when the place is packed and you need somewhere to rest your drink. This isn’t really the place for wine buffs. They list them by variety, not winery, so if you are picky or have even an vague idea of your preferences you’ll want to ask for a bit more info from the friendly troupe behind the bar. We reckon you’re better off with a bottle of the Kingpin Double Red Ale from Portland’s BridgePort Brewery, or keep things simple with a Coopers. Feel like living large? The Stevie Nicks is a beer cocktail made with Carter, Amaretto and Coke (a-Cola). They do a dinner special with three lots of three dumplings, edamame and a wine or beer for $20, plus if you live locally they are also a collection point for the Hungry Mondays take-home dinner service. Things can get a little chaotic here when the party hour strikes and service may get a little muddled, what with all the flaming shots and Pisco Sours heading over the bar, but no one ever went to a house party for silver service.
