Sandra Petrovski & Josh Upton Whitebark
Whitebark is an intimate wine bar in West Melbourne, driven completely by word-of-mouth. For the past four years, the venue has built a loyal following, becoming the kind of place where strangers become friends over shared plates and wine.
Owners Sandra and Josh bring a combined 38 years of hospitality experience to Whitebark, a venue created through a shared love of food and beverages. Sandra’s background is in wine, with previous roles across Australia and overseas in Toronto, while Josh has focused on bar management and venue operations.
At Whitebark, Sandra and Josh celebrate the incredible produce Australia and New Zealand have to offer. An ever-changing menu of small share plates showcases native ingredients, with an accompanying wine list that champions small wine producers. It’s this commitment to innovation, paired with genuine hospitality, that keeps locals coming back.
We speak with Sandra and Josh about their connection to North-West Melbourne, their community-first approach for Whitebark, and what it means to push boundaries with Australian cuisine.
(Photos by Nick Manuell)
Mosey Guide (mg): What is your connection to North-West Melbourne?
Sandra Petrovski (sp) & Josh Upton (ju): Josh and I actually lived in North Melbourne for a short period of time and fell in love with the community and way of life here.
We’ve been in North Melbourne for 4 years now and what keeps us here are the locals and regulars that love and appreciate the unique offerings we put on our menus week in, week out.
(mg) What does North-West Melbourne mean to you?
(sp/ju) It’s definitely changing right now. It has been a great place for hospitality nobodies to make something amazing. We hope it doesn’t lose this with the relentless march of groups.
What keeps us here are the locals and regulars that love and appreciate the unique offerings we put on our menus week in, week out.
(mg) How does being in North-West Melbourne shape what you do?
(sp/ju) We’ve always promised ourselves we’d give the idea of a venue driven completely off word of mouth, with a genuine interest in being here for the community first and foremost, a red hot crack. It’s incredibly hard, but I think being a smaller, slightly slower suburb, that isn’t shaped and reshaped every 15 minutes by a new trend, is what allows us to more or less get away with it.
(mg) What makes North-West Melbourne different from other places you’ve lived or worked?
(sp/ju) It’s very much a place that is its own. You could be forgiven for not knowing the difference between the people or places in other inner north city suburbs, such is their adherence to a specific set of cultural requirements. North-West Melbourne is a place you can really just be yourself.
(mg) What does your perfect day in North-West Melbourne look like?
(sp/ju) We’d start with a tea and mutsubi at 279, outside of course if it’s a gorgeous day. Then we would make our way to the Queen Vic Market and grab some delicious produce for the bar and for home. For a little break, definitely heading next door to Willows and Wine for a glass of wine and some cheese. For dinner, there’s nowhere better than Warung Agus. Traditional Balinese food from the family who have been running the show for 36 years. And for a nightcap Guinness and some live music, we look no further than The Drunken Poet.
(mg) Who are the other makers, creators, or people in the neighbourhood that inspire you?
(sp/ju) Kentaro and his crew at 279. They’re doing incredibly well yet have a humility that we admire.
Gus and Mary at Warung Agus. Running this sort of institution needs a special kind of people, and no matter how quiet our night, Gus never fails to come by and share some truly caring words that immediately remind us that this is a process.
(mg) What are you working on right now that excites you?
(sp/ju) We’re working on new kitchen dishes that will hopefully continue to push people’s boundaries and knowledge of Australian proteins and Indigenous spices, and what Australian cuisine could have been in relation to our closest neighbours in South East and East Asia.
North-West Melbourne is a place you can really just be yourself.
(mg) What is the most memorable trip you’ve taken?
(sp/ju) So far, Northern Vietnam — probably our most extensive trip, and our first overseas trip together. We spent a few days relaxing, and the rest was all in the chaos of Hanoi.
(mg) Where is your next travel destination?
(sp/ju) We’ll head to Japan. For better or worse, the dollar is strong, and Sandra has never visited the country. It’s a remarkable place, but we hope to avoid adding to the over-tourism stress of major destinations and explore some quieter spots as well.
(mg) How has travel changed the way you see the world?
(sp/ju) I don’t think there are many situations where a little bit of hospitality, even sharing a small piece of bread and tea, couldn’t bring incredibly disparate groups together. It is a true universal language.
(mg) If you could recommend anywhere in the world for a mosey, where would it be?
(sp/ju) We’d probably say anywhere you want to be, as there are few places that aren’t truly worth slowing down for. Some might require a bit of digging, but you can find amazing things in very unlikely places. That has always been our travel philosophy.
There are few places that aren’t truly worth slowing down for. Some might require a bit of digging, but you can find amazing things in very unlikely places.
Local knowledge
Favourite local ingredient or product:
Native Aniseed myrtle. Aniseed is the best, and our local variant might be the best. Closer to us, it’s probably our mates Will and Kat at Nubilum Distilling, just in Kensington. They produce world class spirits.
What to do beyond Errol Street:
Go around the corner to Victoria Street, where you’ll find the true beating heart of NW Melbourne ;) Say hi to Ibbie at Hotel Spencer for the most eclectic group of regulars to ever be assembled and some seriously nice rotating craft beer.
Best coffee in the neighbourhood:
Ohhh there’s a lot, but I reckon we give it to Small Batch.
The Flour and 279 are close runners up.
Favourite shop:
Get your shoes sorted at Manfred Shoes, with the bonus of avoiding waste.
Go-to spot to reset or find inspiration:
The Merri Creek trail is a great spot to ride a bike along, and it joins up with quite a few parks and relaxing spots as well.
Favourite time of day in North-West Melbourne:
Right before the sun sets completely, on a warm day with a light breeze. It’s so hard to not hang the apron up, grab a glass and join everyone outside.
North-West Melbourne must-eats:
So many.
CC Wok, Town Hall Hotel, Udom House, 279, Myth Cafe, Roslyn St Thai, Little Box Banh Mi, KL Bunga Raya, Bandak Chicken, Sake Namaradokoro. I’m sure we’ve missed some.
North-West Melbourne’s best kept secret:
Aside from us? I think the pastry and quality of coffee at Small Batch would suggest it should be rammed, but it’s still possible to wander in and have a chat.
24 hours in North-West Melbourne:
If a friend or family member was visiting for a day, our perfect day would definitely be our itinerary. Otherwise, probably over to Footscray. I think it might be the most resilient community in Melbourne.
