When Bar Bellamy opened two years ago, it found quick favour with not just Melbourne bartendery types and hospitality lifers, but with the local neighbourhood more broadly. The Carlton cocktail bar has some of the country’s best drinks on offer, from an ever-changing list, and the food to match. From small beginnings — it was just partners in life and in hospitality, Dani and Oska Whitehart, and a chef at the beginning — the bar has grown, more staff have been hired, and the opportunity for venue number two has arrived.
Below, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, the couple talks about the rollercoaster of opening a new venue, how the next venue will appeal to a different crowd, and their hopes for Bar Bellamy in the long term.