Local beer lovers congregate around the taps, chatting to staff and tasting what’s new. The seating area is scattered with mismatched furniture. Small groups relax at long tables, around wine barrels and on couches. A beer-bottle chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
When John Tei and Mark Storr opened Grape & Grain in 2013 they were focused on selling great wine. Surprised by the number of Moorabbin locals looking for craft beer and a place to enjoy it, they let their store evolve. Now this bottle shop and bar features nine beer taps and roughly 400 packaged beers to go along with the 300 wines.
The tap list is always changing, and features a range of local and international breweries. Scotland’s Brewdog, Tasmanian farmhouse-brewery Two Metre Tall, and Victorian stalwarts Bridge Road Brewing are regular favourites here. Tasting paddles are on offer for those who just can’t pick one.
The venue doesn’t offer food, but deliveries from nearby restaurants are welcome. No doubt, the Indian restaurant next door, Bawarchi, has benefited from Grape & Grain’s success. Commuters to and from the city benefit too, from its proximity to the train station, only 30 metres away.
