Good drinks on tap, naturally.
A converted two-dollar shop on Footscray’s pedestrian mall might not seem the surest place to find a great bar, but Mr West is a diamond in the rough. A pioneer of the suburb’s budding bar scene and a champion of the area, Mr West’s focus is on independent and artisanal drinks, whether beers, wines or spirits.
That same down-to-earth appeal extends to the appealingly rustic two-storey space, with its shelving and mirrors recycled from the original shop and pot plants strung from a pitched roof. Owners Caleb Baker and Josh Hodges built the centrepiece bar from old railway sleepers, topped it with redgum and plumbed in 30 taps, each crowned with a railroad spike. On pour, almost two dozen beers, a couple of pre-made cocktails (also sold online) and five natural wines. There are hundreds more drink options on offer at the bottleshop downstairs; every bottle and can is available to purchase and consume at the bar for a small corkage fee.
Seating options include a leafy smokers’ courtyard, on stools at wall-mounted tables or the bar, or out back where banquettes, booths and low ottomans beckon, all candlelit and alluring.
Mr West’s mood shifts with its playlist, which dances from hip hop to Afrobeat, funk, soul and disco. And with drinks served till midnight (1am on summer weekends), it’s a party in the making. Staff are engaging and sharp, and only too happy to suggest the right choice of refreshment for you.
Food-wise there’s a snacky menu spanning smoked almonds and pork crackling to cheeses and charcuterie – perhaps mortadella with guindilla peppers, or bresaola with cornichons.
Need something more substantial? You’re welcome to order in from any of your favourite food outlets, though Mr West recommends buying from local businesses. Your smartest option is Slice Shop pizza, just across the mall. Their menu is offered in QR code form throughout the bar and they’ll deliver direct to your table. Try the pepperoni or meatball slices.
The obvious drink choice is an artisan brew. Besides the 23 or so on tap there are hundreds more chilling in the bottleshop. Beer geeks will flip to find whales such as New York’s cult Other Half, boutique Canadian breweries such as Toronto’s Collective Arts, and Slovenia’s acclaimed Pantheon. Plenty of local legends too. All of them independently owned and making singular beers including some exclusive to Mr West – such as Crispy Wizard organic lager, a collab between the bar and Hop Nation.
The weekly tap list’s chalked on the bar wall. Staff will gladly talk you through the merits of each. Also on tap, Espresso Martinis and Negronis. There’s a rotating selection of natural wines, sectioned into pét nats, skin-contact and orange and so on, sourced everywhere from SA’s Basket Range to Burgenland in Austria. Five are poured from taps and tend to be local – perhaps a chilled 2020 Slurpy Boi cab sav/sav blanc blend from the Yarra Valley, or a Quealy pinot grigio from the Mornington Peninsula.
Besides the keg cocktails there’s a smooth list of house specialties including the Footscray Fix, an instantly likable mix of navy-strength gin (from South Australia’s Never Never Distillery), seasonal mandarins and mead. And a pinch of salt. Kept in the fridge and poured simply over ice.
