Aster Bar

Once home to Ferdydurke, this heritage space is now Aster, a cocktail and wine bar on Melbourne’s skinniest street. Like the former tenant, Aster is all about cocktails. Signatures include the Spicy Coco Marg (coconut tequila , pineapple shrub) and the Japanese Skipper (pandan, local rum, Marionette orange curacao).

Aster’s tight food menu includes cheese, charcuterie and bar snacks – perhaps fire-roasted peppers with smoked tomato and goat’s cheese, or a poached prawn roll with pickled celery and burnt butter aioli.

When you arrive at Aster, walk up a flight of stairs that opens up to a loft with an original fireplace and glass brick window sills. While Ferdyduke’s beloved dance floor is no longer, the bar staff won’t discourage you from having a boogie to the DJs spinning on weekends.