Overview: Ricardo Garcia Flores is opening a third El Columpio location on Bridge Road in Richmond, establishing a bar-first concept with a restaurant second. The venue will feature rare traditional Mexican mezcals and tequilas alongside seafood towers and alambres skewers.
The Full Story
Ricardo Garcia Flores’s restaurant El Columpio in Fitzroy serves some of Melbourne’s best Mexican food, with a second location in St Kilda focusing on seafood. The new Richmond spot will differ from the original or the breezy St Kilda outpost by prioritizing drinks over dining initially. The space formerly housed Annie Lewis Winehouse and has room for about 50 people plus streetside tables.
The Fitzroy original is all about traditional Mexican dishes served in a casual setting, while the St Kilda spot leans into seafood and is more takeaway focused. Flores says the Richmond spot will be one big party: a bar first and a restaurant second, conceptually and in practice. The plan is to approach the cocktail menu with a modern lens, hopefully creating some combinations that aren’t normally found in Melbourne.
The Bridge Road space formerly housed Annie Lewis Winehouse, a neighbourhood wine bar. There’s room for about 50 people, with some streetside tables also on the cards. Flores says leaning into the drinks feels natural “with the great vibe in the area and the building”, but the food isn’t an afterthought, either. El Columpio Richmond is expected to open at 138 Bridge Road, Richmond in early 2027. The bar will open first, followed by the kitchen in the first half of 2027.
Production & Profile
Flores says he’ll be sourcing all sorts of rare, traditional Mexican mezcals, tequilas and wines, steering away from the commercial ones normally found. The superstar will be a massive menu of Margaritas and Mezcalitas with house-made syrups. The beer list will be local, and Mexican wines will be supplemented by local drops.
The food features seafood towers (red, green, black) and alambres skewers. Flores says leaning into the drinks feels natural “with the great vibe in the area and the building”, but the food isn’t an afterthought, either. El Columpio Richmond will first open as a bar while the kitchen fit-out is finalised. From there, Flores says he plans to expand on the seafood tower concept from St Kilda by adding more varieties of seafood, vegetarian options and a range of salsas.
What This Means
The idea is to serve things that Melbourne has never seen before, so there’s a lot of planning going on. The hot food from the grill is going to be amazing, it’s the most exciting opening for me … the concepts are really modern, coming straight from Mexico. Flores wants to help popularise alambres (grilled meat and vegetable skewers) in Melbourne. If someone can have a new cocktail with a traditional Mexican spirit they haven’t found in Melbourne before, we think that’s a lot of fun.
Consumer Takeaway
The venue offers access to rare traditional Mexican mezcals, tequilas and wines avoiding commercial options. The drinker can expect house-made syrups for Margaritas and Mezcalitas, along with local beer drops and Mexican wines supplemented by local selections. Food offerings include seafood towers in red, green and black varieties, alambres skewers, and vegetarian options.
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