MELBOURNE | Bar Josephine opened up early this year in Footscray, and has quickly established itself as a favourite amongst locals looking for a drink, and craft beer aficionados from further after. Named after owner Aaron Donato’s nonna Guiseppa (Josephine) the bar, which appears quite small at first glance, offers a lot to visitors.
The front is home to the bar, and features an assortment of vintage posters and nick knacks that don’t follow any particular theme – books, figurines, a type writer, an old telephone, you get the idea. Through the large arch is a room with some plush seating and some large tables, and a TV screen playing anything that the bar staff feel like play – it was a old Western movie the last time we visited. Further back is a small beer garden with umbrellas and heating to make it a year-round proposition. It’s all upcycled furniture, donated or purchased on the cheap, and it comes together nicely to create a welcoming, unpretentious atmosphere.
On the taps you’ll find 12 rotating beers, featuring a very good selection of local and international drops, from the likes of West City, Two Birds, Boatrocker, and Stone, including a few rare finds on any given day. The wine list is small but quality, with a small but decent selection of spirits to round things off nicely. There are regular tap takeovers from breweries from all over, and on Wednesday nights there are numerous half price pots and tulips on offer, making the whole proposition even more enticing.
Bar Josephine doesn’t have an operating kitchen yet, but you’re more than welcome to order food from any one of the many restaurants in the area, so you’re not going to go hungry no matter what you feel like eating. The place might be relatively new, but it’s already one of our favourite bars in Footscray.
Bar Josephine
295 Barkly Street
Footscray
Victoria 3011
Australia
Telephone: 0424 745 977
E-mail: n/a
Website
Open
Sun – Sat: 1:00pm to 1:00am