The next best thing to a few drinks in the park is a spot at the timber slatted tables at Bourke Street Green, a lush new inner-city venue located within a light and airy internal courtyard space in the Melbourne CBD.

The produce-driven menu revolves around aperitivo-style bites, with a focus on Roman-style pizza pockets, known as trapizzino. The burnished bundles come stuffed with meatball and gruyere, roasted eggplant with carrot pesto and blue swimmer crab with finger lime hollandaise. Finish it off with one of the ice-cream finger sandwiches which come in Shiraz ripple and lamington.

Catering to the after work crowds and secret lunchtime drinkers, there’s plenty to wipe away the work memories, from regional wines, beers by the bottle and botanically-inspired cocktails, crafted by lead mixologist Michael Somauslert who joins the team from Gazi. Spritz drinkers will love the Rosy Blossom, made from Nosferatu Blood Orange Gin with sour watermelon juice and prosecco.

Complete with vintage glass front, overhanging plants and a retractable roof, the venue is like one big glasshouse, bringing fresh air and sunlight to the vitamin-D deprived office cubicle crowds. Designed by Bates Smart, the interiors combine picnic-style timber slatted benches with a natural palette of walnut and sage.

Bourke Street Green is located at 501 Bourke Street, Melbourne. It opens Mon – Fri 11:30am – late and Sat 11am – late. For more details, head to bourkestreetgreen.com.au.