How new(ish) bar Babines talks French with a local, Melbourne accent

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Smith Street may have been knocked off the top spot for ‘coolest street in the world’ a couple of years ago (an honour currently held by High Street in Northcote), but there’s still plenty of buzz about the Collingwood strip. A more recent addition is Babines, an industrial space suited to the area where two Juliens are blending modern Australian hospitality with their French roots for one of the best bar experiences I’ve had in a while.

Julien Wurtlin and Julien Pascal have over 25 years of hospitality experience between them, with Wurtlin boasting esteemed venues such as Lui Bar and Byrdi on his resume, while Pascal started his career as a chef in Michelin-starred kitchens, before moving to high end cocktail bars in London and Paris; he turned his attention to coffee after arriving in Melbourne. Basically, they know what they are doing on all fronts and Babines is their first foray into ownership where they have a hands-on approach to every aspect of the business.

“A strong sense of place is central to our vision,” explains Wurtlin. “In France, hospitality varies significantly from one region to another; that is reflected in the food, beverages, traditions, cooking techniques, and even the local palate. This idea remains true when applied to Australia and shapes our offering. For us, this means that even if our format is grounded in something distinctly French, we are also embracing our Australian context. This means working with local Australian produce and producers, and sometimes adapting recipes to be mindful of the local palate.”

This blending of cultures can be seen throughout the cocktail list, in drinks like the Demi Peche, which is a play on the Alsatian stalwart Picon Bière. Wurltin hails from that region and has Melbourne-ified it with a house-made Picon alongside peach leaf wine and craft saison ale. It has all of the crisp refreshment of the original, with a fun fruitiness and added complexity that stands up against the best cocktails in this city – and, you can even have it alongside a Tarte Flambée, a thin pizza (the base is made in house to ensure the desired crispiness) topped with sour cream, onions and bacon typical of the region that took me straight back to my student days in Strasbourg.

The vibe may be friendly neighbourhood bar, and it is used as such by locals (a chatty regular tells me that he’s not really a cocktail guy but he comes because he loves the Juliens and they always have interesting beer on tap). But the execution shows the pedigree of the owners, with plenty of house-made ingredients and interesting flavour combinations.

“There are a few reasons we take this hands-on approach,” says Wurtlin. “The main one is that it lets us use local and seasonal produce. For example, we’d rather make a quince liqueur using Victorian-grown quinces and Australian vodka than import one from overseas; it just feels more meaningful, and it supports the local economy. It also gives us more control. Using the same example, we can adjust the sweetness and intensity of the liqueur, or even choose organic quinces if that’s what we want. We often pick produce directly from the market or work with our neighbours at Natoora to source really high-quality fruit and veg.

“Then there’s the flavour. Local ingredients have a character of their own; Australian-grown quinces, for instance, might taste different from the French ones. Sometimes there’s nothing quite like what we want on the market, so making it ourselves lets us create something unique.”

Babines has had a staggered launch as they continued to work on the space, taking on much of the work themselves. “I think the most important lesson that I’ve got from having our own venue is that you really have to be handy,” says Pascal. “I’ve definitely underestimated the amount of time we have to fix, repair, maintain and so on. We’re definitely getting much better at it but from now on, I would always allocate more time to it than I was planning to.”

This bar is a true labour of love, and you can feel that in the warm welcome and well thought out offering. “There’s something really great in creating a space [that is] super approachable for everyone, but having the professional eye for great service and attention to detail,” says Pascal. “I really like to create this contrast for our guests, I think that really makes people feel welcome and wanting to come back. I believe the amount of regulars we have speaks for itself. As a hospitality lover, I take a lot of pride in what we do and doing it well is clearly something I won’t compromise on.”

It is clear – Babines has the ‘je ne sais quoi’ of a truly excellent hospitality venue. Do yourself a favour and get there for a Waldorf Negroni, tout suit.

Around the Bars

• Speed Rack is coming to Melbourne this Sunday – hosted at Goodwater, it promises to be one hell of a party to celebrate the best (and fastest) female bartenders in the city – tickets can be purchased here with all proceeds going to breast cancer research.
• And there are still a few spots left to compete in Melbourne — click here to throw your hat in the ring.
• Another great addition to the Melbourne hospitality scene is Suze in Fitzroy North. Perhaps more of a restaurant than a bar (although billed as a wine bar – do we need labels in this day and age?), but I’ll definitely be back for their Preserved Lemon Martini alongside their raw fish, Tasmanian wasabi and desert lime dish.