First look: Moon Dog’s ‘biggest venue yet’ is a 1200-person tropical beer hall in Docklands

Moon Dog, one of Melbourne’s biggest craft-beer names, is having a massive 2024.

In April, its popular Abbotsford and Preston locations were joined by a Wild West wonderland in Footscray’s former Franco Cozzo site – after a series of setbacks. Later this year, the team is bound for the south-east, opening a venue on the Frankston foreshore.

But right now, the spotlight is squarely on Docklands, where founders Josh and Jake Uljans, and Karl van Buuren, are readying their “biggest venue yet” for its big reveal.

Cleverly named Doglands, it’s smack-bang on the Marvel Stadium concourse, spanning more than 2000 square metres, with room for 1200 people across two distinct spaces.

The first, a cavernous tropical-themed beer hall, is the most impressive. “There’s very little sense of it from outside,” says van Buuren. “The scale only hits when you walk in.”

More palm trees than he can count are plonked around a timber boardwalk that circles the entire venue, connecting its many different spaces, including one decked out with what van Buuren says is supposed to look like “a huge pile of volcanic rocks”.

Vivid “carnival-style” lighting makes even more of a showpiece of the circular bar, which has service around all 360 degrees. Sixty taps pour the tried-and-tested Moon Dog beers, plus rotating specialty and exclusive brews, and the brand’s seltzers and boozy juices. Novelty cocktails include a volcano-bowl negroni and a rum-spiked spritz.

And to eat? Pub-style fare to coax in the footy crowd, including classic chicken parmas, double-smashed beef burgers and playful snacks such as cheeseburger spring rolls.

There is a catch, though. It only opens when big events are held at Marvel Stadium, such as game days, and for private functions. This is where the second space, The Jungle Room restaurant, comes into play. “We wanted part of the venue to be open all the time,” says van Buuren.

Perched above (and with a window into) the main bar, it’s more refined, with table service, seating for 70, and an offering van Buuren calls “a Moon Dog take on fine dining”.

Oysters come with barrel-aged-chardonnay mignonette, and the steak options are two-fold: wagyu skirt with polenta chips, or one-kilo rib-eye with confit shallot and winter greens.

By splitting Doglands in two and adding to the growing Marvel Stadium food and drinks precinct, van Buuren hopes it can be a hit with footy fans and locals alike, especially given it’s at the base of a new residential development of more than 600 apartments.

Moon Dog Doglands will open later this month.

The main Doglands bar will open for Marvel Stadium event days and functions. The Jungle Room will open Mon-Wed 4pm-10pm; Thu-Sat noon-11pm; Sun noon-9pm.

685 La Trobe Street, Docklands, moondog.com.au/doglands