The Local Taphouse

A good selection of food and priced right.19 craft or imported beers on tap including an organic cider.
Great place to come with friend or family.
Love it here every Wednesday and it has only got better.

Been a local at the local for about 4 years now and love it! Biggest selection of on tap beers I’ve seen anywhere– Melbourne or abroad. Great atmosphere with courtyard upstairs and dining room as well as Lounge downstairs. Staff very cool and friendly and happy to help with beer selections. Tap beers change bi monthly (or abouts) so there’s always something new to try! Food is yummy and ranges from your good quality bar snacks to delicious dinners. If you love to be a local and love trying out new beers definitely try the local.

I love The Local — so much! In fact, it’s probably my favourite pub in the world (big claim). I’ve been going here for as long as The Local has been open as the taphouse and I’ve been a couple of times this week just to check that nothing has changed:
— It primarily serves beer and they have about 20 on tap and then 20 bottled. These beers change all the time so it’s like a new adventure every time you visit. If you’re a bit of a beer novice like me, they will happily help you decide what to try and give you tasters.
— But they don’t just have beer — there’s cider as well as wine available too.
— The staff are great. Obviously over the years they’ve changed but there’s still some familiar faces, and the «new» ones have the same super friendly, passionate-​beer-​loving attitude that’s essential at The Local.
— I really enjoyed the food on the weekend. I’m sure I used to eat here a lot back in the day, but I can’t remember the food. I tried the southern fried chicken and it was probably the best I’ve ever had — perfectly soft chicken and a delicious crumb. Heaven in a tin can. I would go back just for more of this.
— The layout of the place. I feel like The Local has an area for all occasions — an awesome beer deck for sunny days, a dark restaurant space for intimate dining and the amazing area downstairs for evening antics.
I love this bar and highly recommend it to any beer-​lover. When we were there on Sunday they now use the Clipp app which lets you set up a tab on your phone using paypal and then you just show it at the bar. Genius! Made it so easy to stay for about 10 rounds too.
Never change, The Local.

I had the beef burger which was very good. Nice flavor and fresh ingredients and the fries were to die for! The beer selection was good but expensive even for Australian standards.

Been a local for 6 years now. Best beer bar in Melbourne. Great staff, great food and great times. Love this place!

What a great place! All the staff are basically going out of their way to help you find a beer that you would enjoy. Staff wanted to talk about beer, because it’s fucking delicious and they know it too. They have a good variety of prices, from the 10 $ pint to a 30 $ lambic which is worth it!

Beers are amazing here and the surrounds are well suited for a quite drink or work function. My main focus here was the burger however… it’s not that great… it’s like meh…
Can’t taste the patty. it’s good but $ 21? Crazy! There is only a small hint of smoke. The bed of lettuce made the brioche bun all soggy. The brioche was neither here nor there in terms greatness. For whatever reason it reminded me of the cheeseburger buns from Maccas years long gone. The beer battered onion ring was a gd idea but all this in the one package selling for $ 21??? Does not work! U have to be drunk!!!
Ordered the southern fried chicken… $ 15 gets u 5 of hot n spicy KFC strips! Nothing special!
But do come here for the beers!

I love this place you can come during the day & just relax with friends or come of an evening when the atmosphere changes.
I’ve been to slot of bars all over the world & the tap house has the most beers I’ve seen on tap, they have beers from all over the world so there’s a taste for everyone.

Very good bar in Balaclava, close to the train station. It doesn’t look like much from the outside but inside it has two levels, the downstairs is open and comfortable and the upstairs has a nice outdoor area with a fire and covered table. The beer selection was very good and prices were, comparatively, good. The bartenders were helpful and friendly and though I didn’t have any food, it looked pretty good and people seemed to be enjoying it. The crowd was having a good time and though there were a lot of people there it didn’t seem crowded. Also, they have free wifi whcih is nice.

Consistently good chicken parmas and beer selection. The bands they get in provide decent atmosphere without totally drowning out conversation.

Fabulous venue with a superb selection of beers on tap and bottle with a laid back atmosphere native to St. Kilda. The live music on friday /​saturday bring some jazz and blues into your beer soaked ears.

A great venue for those who appreciate quality craft beers and are looking to try something new. You won’t find any VB here, rather a vast array of local and foreign brews on tap and in bottles. Trying new beers is encouraged, with a selection of samples available. Expect to pay around $ 12 per beer. I was a big fan of the stouts on offer.

I didn’t sample the food here but boy were we spoilt for choice when we decided to stop here for a beer. The choice is extensive to the point of overwhelming, but with so many offered on tap the bartenders will let you sample your chosen beverage before committing to the whole pint.
If you’re unsure of what’s what (I know I was!), grab the printed sheet of tap beers to get the run down — it also lets you know the alcohol content which is quite high (7%+) on quite a few. Worth knowing if you’re driving or trying to keep things clean.

This is one of the better experiences of the Land Down Under for me. My cousin took my here while I was on vacation and I was very happy she did. We ended up basically staying here all day. The locale and ambience is to die for. We started out sitting inside for the initial meal and eventually migrated to the outdoor seating area where we spent the rest of the time. Despite it being winter in Melbourne the outdoor seating area had heaters and a fireplace so it was still very comfortable.
In terms of food I ordered the burger which was definitely good. My only complaint about the burger is that it was more on the done side but I personally prefer my burgers to be cooked rare. Because it is a matter of preference I’m not going to be too anal about this aspect of the place especially when they do so much more right that outweigh this particular issue.
I then ordered the seasoned fries and the warmed olives. Both were great. I’m generally not a fan of olives on their own but their olives proved the be the exception rather than the rule. I thoroughly enjoyed my entrée and my sides.
Now the beer. Does the beer selection and quality live up to my standards? Yes it does. The beer snob in me was very impressed with the selection and quality here. It about rivals some of the places back home in the states that I regularly go to. I ordered two flights of various beers for my meal and had several others while we were just enjoying the locale and talking. The selection varies from you pale ales, lagers, stouts, porters, IPA, ciders, and everything in between. Definitely one of the better beer places that I’ve experienced in Melbourne so far. I just wish they had my favorites like Ruination, Pliny the Elder, Rochefort Trappistes 10, and 120 min but I was just a tad home sick: P
The beer snob in me likes this place a lot. If you’re interested in the craft beer movement then you’re going to love this place.

One thing I noticed that Melbourne seems to be missing is craft beer venues, and the Local Taphouse in St Kilda more than makes up for this. If memory serves correctly, there are about 20 beers on tap, and then at least another 20 bottled to choose from. Whether you prefer your pale ales, stouts, or lagers, there are endless amounts of choices. The locally brewed Carlisle St Garden Ale is a wonderful treat as well. Next time I go I’ll be sure to give their ‘tasting block’ a try — a sample of 5 or 6 different beers for about $ 15. Not bad at all.
Service can be a bit busy, and sometimes you may need to push your way to the front of the bar and grab someone’s attention. This annoyed me at first, but after a few beers it really doesn’t become much of a bother!
The open rooftop probably wasn’t the best choice for a cold winter night, but I imagine it would be wonderful for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Food service was really quick, and everyone I’ve spoken to raves about the burgers — with good reason too! Definitely one of the nicest veggie burgers I’ve had, and the portion sizes are nothing to sneeze at.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon up on the rooftop patio with a couple of pints, this is my favorite pub in Melbourne.
The «beer nerd» bar phenomenon is huge in the US, but unfortunately somewhat rare in Melbourne. Many bars carry Mountain Goat or another odd microbrew – but a true beer nerd bar should have at least 20 taps – and none should be macro lager swill. The Local delivers in spades, with 20 tap beers covering a variety of styles that go well beyond the typical lagers and pale ales of lesser bars. I’ve had sour beers with a hint of fruit here, lovely bitter IPAs, smooth german dunkels, roasty stouts, and trusty Czech pilsners. The Local Taphouse doesn’t just throw a motley selection of beers on tap, they curate their list carefully and always have a broad spectrum of flavors and styles. There is always something new and interesting.
The only thing that the Taphouse lacks in relation to the finest North American beer nerd establishments is hand-​pumped cask beer. I prize the smooth, natural carbonation and delicate flavoring of cask ales above all others. Australia seems particularly hung up on ice cold beer (to the extent that dark beers like porters and stouts are often served far too cold), which seems to limit the appeal of cellar-​temperature cask beer. However, since there are only a couple of others venues around town to feature cask beer – the Royston in Richmond is all I can think of – it’s hard to hold this against the Local Taphouse.
The food probably won’t blow your mind, but they generally provide a decent array of dishes to pair with your beer. They also tends to incorporate different beers into the food (belgian ale aioli, lambic sauce, etc), which is admirable.
So there you have it – an almost perfect Melbourne pub.

I have been to The Local Taphouse in St Kilda East now three times in the last month. It is one of my favourite places that I have found and I am thankful for pursing this blog as it requires me to leave my comfort zone of the Melbourne CBD and surrounds.
After walking 10 km the first time to get to the corner of Carlisle Street and Chapel Street in St Kilda East, as you can imagine, I was very thirsty so I was really motivated to get stuck into what they have on tap, which seemingly is always changing. Before ordering though, I had to step back for a minute and appreciate the ambiance of the boozer. Dark, classic old world furnishings, what looked to be comfortable lounges, a fireplace and stools near the window. I think I found my «local» even if it is a 10 km walk away and not the direction that the crow flies.
I then explored the upstairs bar. The same beer was available on tap, even more varieties were available for purchase in the bottles. Both the downstairs and upstairs bartenders were very knowledgeable and were very keen to assist me in my trip around the world. The beer garden outside is a relaxing place with heaters and a fire raging and although the umbrellas do not provide good shelter form the climactic Melbourne weather, I do not know many that do especially when on occasion hail seemingly comes down horizontally.
The second time I ventured into the boozer, I had taken public transport and was motivated to continue tasting as fast as the beer came out of the taps. I was not disappointed. The fire roared, punters engaged upon pleasant conversation and everyone just seemed civilised. Who would have thought I was in St Kilda East!
My last experience, I met my learned friend who actually lives in St Kilda East but has never frequented this place. We started sampling the various beer available before moving on to wine. It was his decision to move to wine, not mine, as I never thought I would be in a bar that specialises in craft beer and be drinking wine. He did offer to pay for it so, who was I to argue. A condition was put on me that food needed to be ordered though to which I agreed.
I lamented in my review on Merrywell that the «chilli» that was served in a paper cup at that fine place tasted like bolognaise just without the spaghetti. I was desperate for a «proper» chilli at The Local Taphouse because the one that I ordered at The Local Taphouse was bizarre. It may have started out as an American chilli but somehow morphed into a mild curry and was served on a bed of dry rice. I wasn’t impressed, but really, do you go to the Local Taphouse to be impressed by the food? My learned friend had the steak and commented that the cut was impressive in a snide remark since it was $ 30 however the salad should have had some sort of dressing and the chips were cold. In fairness, we were sitting outside in the beer garden at night in the 6C weather and given the amount this learned gentleman likes to talk and smoke, I believe that the food just cooled down naturally.
Regardless of whether or not I use my feet, the train or a cab, I look forward to returning to The Local Taphouse. The are constantly updating what they have on tap on their site so there was no point in describing what beers I drank as besides just saying «they were awesome» I do not know else to contain my glee. Go there for the beer, the ambiance, the professional knowledge, the beer garden and the convenience of public transport. It is that simple. See you there.

Contrary to what the name might suggest, The Local is not just a comfy neighborhood hole in the wall for the denizens of Balaclava; it’s actually a destination bar for serious craft beer aficionados who stream here from all corners of Melbourne. It says a lot about The Local that I regularly journey out here from Seddon (45 minutes on the train y’all) to get my hands on some of their superlative IPAs. The beers are constantly rotating but you’ll always find some magnificently hoppy numbers (I live for the hops). I’ve heard tell that they also have some great lagers and stouts but I’m strictly an IPA girl myself so haven’t tried any yet.
We went again last night for the much talked about trivia and had quite the ball: The questions were spot on (not too obscure but still challenging), and the host, Janet is witty and energetic. The prize here is a fifty dollar bar tab which won’t go very far in a place where a schooner can go for a tenner but the prizes aren’t really the point anyway are they? The point is too drink and show off how much you know about Sheryl Crow songs of the 90s, Canadian lakes, and Paddington bear thank you very much.
The Local hosts a massive program of events like their monthly beer tastings: 15 dollars for a tasting paddle and a glass of the beer of your choice, as well as beer «festivals» which celebrate the beer of a particular region. This month’s fest will feature the beers of Italy which sounds interesting.
Not crazy about the food here unfortunately: The fries are great but the burger is consistently too dry and overcooked. Stick to the fried things and you should be golden.
As I was leaving the Local last night the bartender handed me back my Oregon ID, which had been held behind the bar for my tab, and commented, «No wonder you drank all those IPA’s! When Americans come here that’s all they want to drink».
So maybe it’s time to branch out into some lagers and lambics, or maybe I’ll just be a slave to cultural preferences and keep slugging back those IPAs. I’ll figure it all out on my next trip to The Local.

When you are a local in these parts, the Taphouse is pretty
much it for choice. Aside from Carlisle wine bar.
Most often of times, the downstairs area is closed, which means
you are forced onto the top level/​roof area. This is commonly crowded, but
it’s also a great beer worshipping venue. Regularly featuring 20 beers and
a cider or two on tap, you can always find something exciting to drink.
In fact, these guys are responsible for the recent «Beer Spectapular» event.
great stuff.
The top level is made to resemble an old style train carriage/​train station.
Its cute. It’s good for the meals they offer too. Most of which are excellent.
Bar snacks are rad. Open Fireplace on the rooftop outside!!!
Radness to the max! The ground level (when it actually happens to be open)
is more of a lounging area, that hosts trivia nights, aside from other
things throughout the week night.
Oh and they have a cool little bottle shop annexed to them, in which you
can find some pretty good stuff indeed.

Everyone’s got a local, it’s just lucky mine’s a lot better than a clapped out, seedy pub on the corner of hicks and slum. Instead, my local is aptly named a taphouse and offers over 40 local and international beers, the best of which are rotated on tap.
But I don’t just go here for the beer, namely because I don’t much like beer. I go here because the food is surprisingly decent. Great burger, rockin’ parma, some good pastas and you’re set on carbs for the night. The deck is also great during the warmer months but do be warned it gets really crowded.
I recommend the place as a starting point for the night. Its greatest downfall is that it’s not really close to any other bars but it’s not too much of a hassle to tram down to Chapel Street. If you have an aversion to trams (understandably), you can always walk down to the beach. It will take you about 15 minutes but you have to work off all those carbs anyway, remember?