“MELBOURNE | Atticus Finch is practically a Brunswick East institution, and has been serving up quality drinks to locals for almost 10 years. What’s the secret to its success? Well it’s stayed true to it’s original ethos and has always eschewed trends in favour of getting the important things right, and being a true local’s bar. There’s a sign that hangs in the venue that reads “We like our vineyards and brewers small and independent” and indeed the beers and wines here are excellent, showcasing the best that small producers from Australia and overseas have to offer. Cocktails are fantastic too, and range from the classics to more interesting concoctions.

Food is simple and designed to go with the drinks. Think terrine, charcuterie and sausage. We also suspect someone Croatian is involved in the venue because there’s usually something Croatian inspired on the food menu, and we’ve quite often seen Croatian wines on offer too, which you don’t see that often in Melbourne.

The space itself is cozy and contains a variety of spaces. There are couches at the front, stools and benches in the middle and, if you walk down the corridor to the back, a surprisingly large courtyard complete with pool table in a renovated shed and seating in which to enjoy the sun. The music is eclectic, and quite often there’s a DJ spinning vinyl.

If you’re in Brunswick East and looking for a cozy place to sit back and enjoy with your friends over a drink or two, Atticus Finch should definitely be on your radar.”

“Embrace the spirit of enquiry at the dim, delightful Atticus Finch

As the name suggests, Brunswick’s Atticus Finch is a bar of the literary persuasion. Directly opposite the Alderman, it’s a deep, dimly lit venue that combines modern comfort with old-fashioned eccentricity. Scattered with old books and housing a collection of rustic ephemera including paraffin lamps, pinned insects and a handsome stuffed pheasant, it feels a little like the hunting lodge of a well read country gentleman.

Contradicting that impression however is a full set of decks, a record collection that ranges from bluegrass and modern folk to Grace Jones and Daft Punk, and a Storm Trooper helmet displayed like a prized artefact behind the bar.

Large, comfortable leather booths that seat up to six occupy the front of the bar, with more formal seating to the rear. There’s a sweet garden, and a small shed containing a free pool table at the very back.

Returning for the moment to matters literary and libational: the cocktails, which you’d be well advised to try, include the Catcher in the Rye, the De Balzac and the gentle Rose of Carringford. An impressive whisky list is prefaced with the tale of the SS Politician – the sinking of which inspired the book Whisky Galore! Sixteen bucks buys a ‘whisky flight’, a tasting selection of half-shots of any three whiskies.

There are wines from all over Europe and Australasia, and a large selection of bottled beers organised by type, including lagers and pilsners, English real and Belgian ales. The tap beer selection changes regularly, and is heavy on microbrews.

Drinkers are well covered as far as food goes: the bar menu includes ploughman’s, charcuterie platters, Mt Zero olives and posh toasties (pickled chillies, eggplant and Croatian sausage).

Atticus Finch is a bar for those keen to explore, from whisky to old books – so bring your natural curiosity and a sense of fun.”

“Naming a bar after one of literature's great and decent men - a lawyer no less - can initially seem like a puzzling choice. Scenes of booze-filled bonhomie are, after all, in short supply in To Kill A Mockingbird and, although Atticus is not without spirit, it is an altogether different one to that which can be bottled.

But spend a little time in his namesake bar in Lygon Street, Brunswick East, and the connection becomes clearer. A small blackboard hanging on the front door reads, "We like our vineyards and brewers small and independent", and once inside the long, wooden-floor space, you get the feeling that this is a very decent and democratic kind of bar.

A low-key, quality fitout provides space for most permutations and combinations. There are window benches for solo drinkers, a communal table for those who like to mix, a series of comfortable, cosy booths, regular chairs and tables and, out the back, a decked outdoor space and a renovated shed equipped with a pool table.

There are flower arrangements on the tables, wooden shelves stocked with good quality booze, decor that ranges from deer horns to potted succulents and, at the front, a wooden trolley stocked with novels. A turntable behind the bar provides a wide-ranging mix of music that continues the democratic theme.

The drinks menu, contained within the pages of old cloth-covered how-to manuals, avoids most of the usual suspects and includes 24 beers by the bottle (Estrella Galacia from Spain, $7) as well as draught beer and a solid selection of Old and New World wine at reasonable prices. There are good quality spirits, too, including four varieties of whisky from Yarra Valley distillery Bakery Hill ($11-$14). A short list of bar snacks is written on a blackboard menu and - inclusively - ranges from cheese to chips.

Atticus Finch is one of those carefully realised bars that reward repeated viewings. Playing to character type, it appears quiet, unassuming and pleasant enough at first meeting, and then gradually wins you over with its solidity, generosity and good-heartedness. It is a bar that lives up to its name.”