Well-loved community radio station Hope St has broadcast from events, festivals, hospo venues and even the zoo. Despite – or maybe because of – all the moving around, the online station has embraced community and inclusivity. With all its guest presenters, it really runs the gamut genre-wise, and as result it’s become a solid platform for underground and up-and-coming talent.
Hope St now resides permanently on the ground floor of Melbourne’s arts precinct and community hub Collingwood Yards, with a cracking view of the serene, leafy courtyard. Broadcasts are made from a long communal table in the corner – the perfect space for DJs and fans to meet for a chat over a coffee or wine.
Head chef Ellie Bouhadana (Ellie’s Table pop-ups and Doorstep Dinners) is in charge of an ever-evolving menu that reflects that wholesome, neighbourly vibe, too – with souped-up snacks, fresh pastas and familiar flavours.
Start with snacks such as Sydney rock oysters with mignonette, and focaccia with whipped garlic-and-tarragon butter. Then move onto burrata with artichoke and nettle oil, or grilled Roman beans with mojama (salt-cured tuna) and Marcona almonds.
On the pasta menu you could find rigatoni all’amatriciana or spaghetti with cime di rapa (broccoli rabe), pangrattato (breadcrumbs) and pecorino. And for dessert expect some Kenny Lover creations such as sorbet made with Fernet-Branca and cola.
There’s a tight but cleverly curated wine list of bottles owners Pete Baxter and Jack Shaw both love, with a strong focus on minimal-intervention drops. The rest of the drinks menu includes classic cocktails, aperitivi, digestifs and a range of beers including Stomping Ground on tap.
Collingwood Yards was once a technical school, and you’ll find the wine bar in its former metalworks studio. But the design by Peter Cole has turned it into a warm, inviting space – with colourful doodles all over the walls (by artist Alice McIntosh), curvy details throughout, a backlit bar, plenty of yellow and a custom-made sound system by Hot Wax.
