The Aviary Hotel in Melbourne

The Aviary Hotel is, in fact, not a hotel but a bar and restaurant located off bustling Victoria Street in Abbotsford, a suburb of Melbourne. The three owners, Anthony Daniel, Brigitte Costelloe, and Jason McConnell, recently revamped the two-story restaurant to include a downstairs public bar, an outdoor beer garden, and two second floor event rooms, much of them cloaked in black and white warmed up with touches of wood.

Photography via The Aviary. 

Above: The downstairs has an industrial feel: steel beams, concrete flooring, and industrial light fixtures. 

Above: The bar is painted a dark gray and surrounded by penny-sized black and white tiles. Steel-framed windows trimmed in wood separate the bar from the outdoor terrace. 

Above: Entering the outdoor beer garden, you’re greeted by a picture on the men’s room door of a pigeon-headed doorman.

Above: The bar-height tables are made from plumbing pipe and casters, making for easy maneuvering 

Above: Wall-hung wooden box shelves are wallpapered inside, adding a decorative note to the white walls. 

Above: As you enter the second floor, the stairwell is surrounded by a wood-framed glass wall. A trio of fabric-covered benches provides casual seating. 

 

Above: The White Room, available for events, is an airy space with arched doorways and windows, with empty frames on the walls. The bar is clad in ornate white tiles and has a wooden countertop.

Above: Guests are invited to cozy up to a wood-burning fireplace located in the White Room. 

Above: The Den, an informal lounge, offers comfortable leather seating in a dark, intimate setting. The two upstairs rooms can be rented separately or together depending on the size of your party. To learn more, go to The Aviary Hotel.

Visiting Australia any time soon? Be sure to check out our Melbourne Area City Guide. Also don’t miss Melbourne design studio Inkster Maken, which specializes in handmade Limestone Lamps. And read Gardenista’s post on a Melbourne Wild Flower Shop.