Nabbing a seat at the Backroom Bar is tough. Since Carwyn Cellars turned its rear stock room into a bar in September last year, the place has been consistently rammed with people keen to sample a beer from its 16 taps, or something from its huge collections of whisky and mezcal.

“I can’t even get a table in my own bar,” says owner Ben Carwyn, only half joking. He started thinking about an extension in December, just a couple of months after opening. In April he secured the lease to next door, which he plans to join with the current space.

All the existing wine shelves will be moved to the front of the new space, creating a double-fronted bottle shop. The revamped bar will occupy the rear of the two tenancies.

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The newer half of the bar will be nicer and more comfortable, with seats for about 20 people at low tables. An outside beer garden will fit another 50 or so. There will also be a small prep kitchen for hosting food pop-ups, such as winter’s successful Brews and Stews with Them Bones. After this, Carwyn says he wants to turn upstairs into a function room.

Pending council approval, the enlarged Carwyn Cellars will open in January 2016.

Carwyn Cellars and The Back Room Bar
877 High Street, Thornbury

(03) 9484 1820

Hours (The Backroom Bar)
Daily 12pm–late

Hours (Bottleshop)
Sun & Mon 12pm–8pm
Tue to Sat 10am–9pm

carwyncellars.com