The Alderman

Not a bad basic place, if you like wine & cocktails in a basic, no fuss setting. I like the poster they have of boxer, Cocoa Jackson, of we which a nearby lane is named after.

Apart from the pubs this bar has been around the longest. The owner works the bar quite frequently and i have had the pleasure of sitting down and discuss everything bar related multiple times.
A lot of the patrons are locals and come here quite often… if you are looking for a familiar crowd this could be your new bar.
They do not make their own food however they do get it delivered from next door.
The beer garden out back is quiet and relaxing, the venue has a good chilled out atmosphere to it.
If you do swing by make sure you get a jug, they arw always delicious.

Well isn’t the Alderman just lovely!
We stopped by for an obligatory Sunday afternoon drink and a had a splendid hour or so sitting in the window watching Lygon street go by.
I went for an Aperol Spritz, which was served traditionally with orange AND olives (so many places forget the olives) while my partner went for a Two Birds beer. The bartender was an absolute delight and chatted to us about her favourite spots around Melbourne while she whipped up our drinks.
The Alderman is large but feels small and intimate — cosy spots at the bar or in the window and the booths along the side make it a perfect date spot or for an after dinner drink.
It was very quiet when we popped in (I think we may have been the only people in the whole venue) however I have walked past on a Saturday night and seen people spilling out the door and on to the street.

I enjoyed the Negroni at the Alderman. It’s equal parts Campari, gin and vermouth and I think it’s excellent but plenty will disagree.
We followed our cocktails with well-​priced bottles of sparkling. The seating was pleasant and pouring for ourselves let it feel homely.

Beards everywhere. This is hipster-​ville, but actually quite a lovely, warm environment. On the Saturday I was there, one customer came in with her two dogs. It all felt a little like I was in a pub in northern Canada, or the Lakes District. Open fire, men with beards and flannelette shirts, dogs and port. A good night, all round. I only wish I had enough testosterone to grow my own beard… Maybe in my next life.

Having trekked to the top end of Lygon Street — in up-​and-​coming East Brunswick — chances are you’ll be feeling a bit parched. Luckily, you’re spoilt for choice round these parts with Atticus Finch, Mr Wilkinson and The Resurrection all a hop, skip and a jump away from each other. There’s also tequila bar Mi Corazon just bit further north. But really, there is only one place we want to spend our lazy Sunday afternoons in — whether we set up camp in the leafy courtyard or perch on a bar stool in the wood-​panelled pub. Then there’s the retro sofas in the lounge room — a real home away from home. Great selection of beers (including Knappstein — heavenly offering from the Clare Valley winemakers) and affordable wines, down-​to-​earth staff and bar snacks. If the journey has left you hungry too, order Turkish pizza from Rumi and settle in for the evening.

I had the pleasure of going to the Alderman for my house mate’s birthday only last year and remember having a good night out happily boozing in their quaint little beer garden (pretty much someone’s back yard with seats and kind of a tropical feel on a barmy night) through the narrow corridor out the back.
Whether the Alderman is an up market pub or a very low key bar is not really for me to say. What I can say is that you’ll feel right at home in no time in this comfortable and cosy setting.
They do some foreign beers — I remember drinking Becks — at very reasonable prices and the staff are really friendly. This is another one of these ‘if-​only-​I-​lived-​closer’ kind of places.

This is the ultimate, winter cosy bar. Stepping inside its’ doors is like stepping into a comforting hug at the end of a long, cold day, fighting the bitter Melbourne winds. And for the summertime, there are always cocktail jugs to keep you cool.
The retro decorations aren’t too in-​your-​face and don’t cover every single surface, but just add that hint of irony that the inner northern suburbs do so love. The drinks menu is unadulterated with wank, just good beer, wine and the classic cocktails that are always in style. The staff are casual and friendly, and there’s a distinctly local vibe to the establishment.
It can get a bit cramped and crowded from time to time, and the toilets are located outdoors, but’s all part of the old-​new world charm. A good one for a low key evening out on the town.

I was on Lygon Street looking for the Resurrection. Instead of going to the Resurrection, I ended up in the Alderman because it was on the same side of the street that I was on and I could not be bothered to cross the street.
I forgot how great the Alderman is! Dark, foreboding wooden interior with a great courtyard and friendly staff, the Alderman is usually an afterthought for me, never my planned destination. On this occasion like the previous, it was just by chance that I ended up here on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
The bartender was an über friendly guy who viewed us as his entertainment. He chatted with us for an hour whilst my friend and I finished off a jug of mojito. Although the mojito was just average, the vibe made the experience great.
We started a conversation with an artist who was using the space above the Alderman and found out about Free University — lecturers who give their free time to talk about prominent issues — there was one called What If ??? held at the Alderman.
Overall, great venue with friendly staff and good wine/​beer list. Average jugs of cocktails, but they’re only $ 22.

You just love a jug of Pimms and lemonade on a hot summer afternoon don’t ya? You cheeky little monkey. It’s almost as good as a jug of Mojito isn’t it? Yes it is, and you know it too. You can do that at the Alderman — jugs of cocktails. And it’s way better than all the other trendy bars opening up on that stretch of Lygon Street isn’t it? You know it is. And you know you’re shaping up for a few quiet ones down there this Sunday arvo too… Yes you do.
The Alderman also has a great beer selection and some cracking wines on offer. The garden bar is the winner in summer, but there are some sick little rooms to inhabit there too.
I can’t say exactly why the Alderman’s better than all the rest in the area, but they just are. It could be the straight forward nature of the place, or maybe just good staff making beaut drinks. It’s just better is all… For this guy anyhow.

Forget the local pub and head to the local bar instead — that is the Alderman. This place has warm, cosy, relaxed and welcoming down to a tee and then they have bottled it and sold it right back to the happy punter.
With the embracing bar-​room as you walk in the front door and the relaxed friendly backyard you really can’t go wrong heading to the Alderman for a meet up with friends. That is, as long as the place isn’t too busy. It is popular after all.
The Alderman, satirically named after the owner had trouble convincing the local council to allow her to open a bar in this up and coming neighbourhood, has become the local focal point of the East Brunswick hospitality loving folk. It is the perfect place to head to before or after dining at the many interesting restaurants situated near-​by.

This is a home away from home for many of the locals in Brunswick East. It certainly is a place that I feel completely at home in, and I often say that this is my favourite bar in all of Melbourne.
It’s virtually impossible to not feel the warmth and cosiness of the space as soon as you enter. From the dark wood and art-​deco trimmings, to the dim lighting and the fireplace in the back room, the Alderman oozes intimacy and comfort. The window seats are fantastic for people watching, as are the seats at the table in the front room for taking in the general bar action. The back room is even cosier with its fireplace — the perfect spot for a game of Scrabble on a cold night.
You won’t want to stop there though. The little courtyard out the back is just the right size for… whatever. When it’s a quiet out there, it’s your own private sanctuary — just you, a glass of wine and some tunes. When it’s full outside, as it frequently is on a Saturday night, it feels like you’re having your very own house party.
And with scrumptious Sicilian snacks being supplied by the culinary geniuses next door at Bar Idda, you can really get settled in here for a long one.