G&Tea Gin Garden

This used to be a Grill’d, and those who had picked up a burger here in the past will notice very little difference in the fit out — I kept expecting someone to deliver a «Simon Says» burger to my table. Not a great vibe for a gin bar.
Drinks though were great. We got a couple of basic gins and both were excellent. Simple but delish. Quiet but nice bartender who didn’t seem very busy as we were the only patrons there — hopefully things pick up!

I like to think I’ve got my finger on the pulse when it comes to all things gin. I spotted when G&Tea opened in Melbourne, as did many thoughtful friends who linked me to posts about it. It immediately went on my radar and my to-​do list for my trip in April 2015.
I did my first scout past one afternoon and the alarm bells rang. I thought they opened at noon… but that was when they first launched. By April that had been pushed back to 3pm, so I rescheduled my visit for later in the week and met up with a friend for some evening drinks on a Friday. We were one of two groups of punters in there for most of our time there. The cocktail jugs weren’t bad, the staff were sweethearts… but the vibe just wasn’t there, and none of the drinks I had left a lasting impression.
I have my fingers crossed that they can work out what’s keeping people away, because every town should have a place dedicated to gin. I’ve just got a bad feeling about the continued existence of G&Tea at the rate they’re going.