Welcome to our end of year series of interviews with the people behind the award-winning bars from this year’s Boothby Best Bars Awards program. Next up, Luke Kelly and Belinda Linton, owners of Pendant Public Bar in Fitzroy, Melbourne, which was awarded the Best New Bar presented by Angel’s Envy at the 2025 Boothby Best Bars Victoria Awards in September.
Pendant Public Bar already feels like it has been here a long time, thanks to its lived-in, comfortable vibe. This Brunswick Street newcomer opened in May and is a neighbourhood cocktail bar but with a pub front bar feel; it has quickly become part of the local hospo scene’s regular rotation. The cocktails here are as good as you get anywhere — co-owners Belinda Linton and Luke Kelly have The Everleigh on their resumes — and you’ll be able to sip on those while you wait for a well poured Guinness. They’ve also got a short and sharp range of signature cocktails, with their Czech Spritz landing at 23 on the Boothby Top 50 Drinks of the Year this year.
Below, Luke and Belinda talk to us about what is working with their business right now, which classic cocktails perform best for them, and what they’re looking forward to in 2026.
BOOTHBY: In your opinion, what is it about your bar that resonates with the bar industry?
BELINDA & LUKE: We’re so thankful for the support from our peers in these first six months. I think the draw card for industry folk is the relaxing notion of (mostly) being able to get what you want. No challenges or over-complication, just a comfortable place to perch on your night off or break. By having a broad offering it’s allowed folks to have a different experience each time — pints of pilsner outside, bottle of chenin with four mates in a booth, chatting Manhattan variations at the bar — we think that’s been a pretty good way for people to not feel like they’ve ‘checked off’ Pendant on the new bar list and won’t be back for months.
BOOTHBY: How do you describe your bar to people who are only just learning of it?
BELINDA & LUKE: A pub feel with high quality drinking and country music.
BOOTHBY: What’s the most popular to order classic cocktail at Pendant?
BELINDA & LUKE: Our Martini and House Old Fashioned are the best sellers. Then all the usual suspects follow — Negroni, Espresso Martini, Margarita.
We love having fun with classics and variations but they’ll never surpass the drinking habits of Friday and Saturday Brunswick St punters.
BOOTHBY: Can you describe the attributes you look for in a bartender at your bar?
BELINDA & LUKE: Reliable and punctual, no ego, and passion for the industry. A jaded hospo worker is the worst kind of trope and we are not here for it.
BOOTHBY: What rough percentage of the sales mix is cocktails?
BELINDA & LUKE: The actual number is 41.5 percent, which is higher than you’d assume when you look around and feel like you’re in a sea of Guinness.
BOOTHBY: How are you finding business in a general sense — are the people out there spending like they did a year ago? Better or worse?
BELINDA & LUKE: We can’t speak for Pendant in that timeframe [they opened just this year] but in general it feels like a different kind of spending. We think the biggest shift the drinking culture of Melbourne has seen is probably a decline in office culture. We aren’t seeing the corporate Thursday knock-offs, and for the last two years November, which was notorious for company Christmas parties etc., we haven’t seen any of that at all. It’s likely pretty different in the CBD but that’s a trend that’s had an impact for sure.
BOOTHBY: What’s the biggest challenge the bar faces as a business over the next year?
BELINDA & LUKE: Paying those loans back, baby! Also finding the staying power now that we aren’t the new bar anymore. People’s attention span for the next new thing is short, so finding consistency in the trade is always at the forefront of our minds.
BOOTHBY: What gives you hope and optimism as a bar owner for 2026?
BELINDA & LUKE: We’re really looking forward to starting the new year fresh and going harder overall. More days, more events, more staff, we want to drive pretty hard next year so we’re taking a wee break over Christmas to reset.
In a general sense, there’s lots of cool new additions to the scene lately so I think overall people are feeling a sense of optimism, the over-saturation of media coverage on closures is being drowned out by all these cool openings. It’s great!
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