The Thornbury Local — Restaurant in Melbourne

I've been going to this bar reguarly for more than 10 years and really loved the welcoming environment and how Christian and Andrew created a sense of community there.

With the new owners It seems all that has changed.

I went to see a gig, the first live music event for this bar (since covid reopening) on Friday, and from the first encounter I and many of our group were treated with confrontational hostility. "Perhaps they were nervous?" I thought, but then recalled similar interactions when at an open mic night pre-covid with the manager only serving who he wanted to and ignoring others.

Gone completely was the warm welcoming atmosphere of early days, I and my friends were told off at every turn. "Are you refusing to wear a mask while walking around?"  ... a hostile question that could have been a friendly "Don't forget to wear your mask while you're walking around" I went outside for air as it was very stuffy and hot and I get told off for not sitting at my table, when opening the door would have made the bar cooler AND allowed those refused entry (they were booked at our table) to hear the music. Just some of the many hostile interactions that made us feel unwelcome.

The way we were treated was horrendous and the manager and owner have forgotten that being in hospitality means being hospitable.

Honestly I won't be returning ... unless it's to train the staff in...

Just recently had a extremely bad experience where the staff itself are extremely racist and rude towards people who are not white.

A week ago one of the staff commented while I was using the bathroom and said to the other costumers “ oh that’s the Curry inside “

And then today, When my GF blew off the candle light. I apologised on her behalf. One of the staff/ owners can up and commented” please don’t pour hot candle wax, I have to clean that“ Was there just for an half hours. Still have bank statements to prove.

Please ask ur staff to look at the CCTV cameras, as I believe there are plenty of cameras everywhere before defaming the customers.

Didn’t wanna put a bad review but racism still exists in the place.

Advice people to enter at...

We embarked on a bar hop of our dearest high st. Before long we happened upon the ever so aptly named thornbury local. And what a treat it’s been..

I was immediately taken by the sight of a $10 session ale, and proceeded to be bewitched by a bashful barman.

We perched our behinds on a couple of stools in the beer garden, our bones warming in the Delicate light of a simmering ember in the night.

It was like this for some time, we chatted, we shared stories of horses and the elderly. But really, our attention was squarely on the possibility of the couch nook becoming one day ours.

Why so determined? The nook is hard to describe - maybe come discover it for...