Kaleidoscopic colours, bright lights, tropical trees, a bar like a helter-skelter in a neon fairground, and delicious drinks.
You wouldn’t associate such fanciful things with Melbourne’s Docklands but, then again, Moon Dog hadn’t taken up residence there until the second half of 2024. Now that they have, all the above and more can be found at the heart of Doglands.
The venue sits on the concourse of Marvel Stadium and became the fourth venue from the craft brewers just weeks before a fifth welcomed punters in Footscray. Much like their OG home in Abbotsford (now a function space) and Moon Dog World in Preston, Doglands is a tropical oasis ready to be discovered in one of the most unlikely of places.
For years, Docklands has struggled to shake its reputation as a place of suits and office blocks rather than recreation, despite the efforts of many. Sitting on the city’s doorstep and with waterfront views aplenty, you could argue a fair part of the suburb’s problems was that its main drawcard was a long-shut Ferris wheel rather than a lack of fun places to drink. But if there’s one thing Moon Dog have shown since pushing the boundaries of what a beer venue could be at Moon Dog World in 2019, it’s that they know how to create destinations.
Whether it’s the lagoon, kids’ playground, or myriad diverse spaces for hunting down good times at their Preston HQ, or the twang, honky tonk and bucking bull found at Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray, people will travel to experience the brewery’s hospo offerings.
At Doglands, they’ve certainly delivered too, turning the lower floors of the Home residential building into a brightly-hued venue capable of hosting up to 1,200 people. Walk into the tropical island-themed Doglands and you’ll likely not know where to look first. Maybe your eye will be caught by the palm trees (fake as there’s a car park underneath), the boardwalk balcony that wraps around the venue, or the nooks and crannies in which you and your group can take up residence. Ultimately, however, you’ll be most impressed by the towering, multi-coloured 360-degree bar that’s the true centrepiece, designed as much for Instagram as it is to sate thirsty guests.
Follow that glow and you’ll be met by rows of taps pouring an extensive range of Moon Dog’s beers, their Fizzer lineup and other RTDs. The food menu is filled with pub classics while Moon Dog’s creations are served alongside a wide selection of wines.
The full Doglands experience is unleashed before and after AFL games at Marvel, as well as on the occasions that gigs and other major events take place there throughout the year. When Marvel is quiet, so too is the majority of Doglands: unless it’s been booked for a private function, focus switches to a much smaller venue you pass on the way in.
The Jungle Room is open all week: a smaller, refined space that feels more like the dining room on a cruise ship travelling through the Caribbean in the 1960s. Alongside small plates, large meals, and dishes designed for sharing, the drinks menu also offers an impressive array of wine alongside cocktails and Moon Dog beers, including vintages of many of their most madcap beers.
In building Doglands, Moon Dog have created a crafty tropical oasis in the often-quiet Docklands, a venue that’s so all-encompassing it might feel more like a party you never want to leave rather than a refuge from the world around you. What’s more, its location is set to introduce the world of craft beer to a wider audience as they head to their chosen form of entertainment in the stadium just a punt away.
Just remember: if you are there for a gig or game of footy, don’t forget to leave and make your way across the concourse before it starts…
Will Ziebell
