Meet Ashburton's second bar, Oydis, showcasing Sri Lanka and beyond

Slowly but surely, one cheeky glass at a time, Melbourne's eastern dry zone is dampening. When Oydis opened in late September, it joined Two Doors Brewing – just a minute up the road – as Ashburton's second watering hole and its first with a general licence after tough liquor laws were relaxed last year in formerly dry suburbs.

Owner Darshan Mallawarachchy has big plans for Oydis's double shopfront, which was once a homewares store. "So far we've opened a bar and small outdoor area, but there's a larger beer garden on the way," he says. "We'll add a dining room with live music and pub trivia, too."

Oydis is a Norse goddess of good fortune but the food and drink theme here is more British Empire than Scandi pantheon.

"My background is Sri Lankan, my wife is Indian and a lot of our friendship circle is South African and Mauritian," says Mallawarachchy. "We want to represent all of that, especially the Sri Lankan side of things. There's a large Sri Lankan community here but nothing that ties them to a venue."

A key snack is the Galle Face Beach Basket. "Galle Face is a stretch of beach in Sri Lanka," explains Mallawarachchy. "You walk down the beach and find vendors with fried snacks like fish cutlets, tuna and potato croquettes, and pan rolls, which are crepes filled with carrot, potato and chicken, then crumbed and fried." At Oydis, the crunchy treats are served with pineapple achar (pickle).

On-theme cocktails include a mango and ginger highball with arrack, a spirit distilled from coconut flower, and a South African negroni with rooibos-infused gin and biltong garnish.

Tight restrictions on the granting of liquor licences in Ashburton and nearby suburbs were introduced in the 1920s and repealed last November. That's not to say licences are being flung around like confetti. Mallawarachchy has been working towards the launch for three years.

He's thrilled to have secured a rare 1am licence for Thursday to Saturday nights.

"Our family moved into the area and we love the High Street strip," he says. "It's great during the day but it lacked night-time options. Young families move from South Yarra or Richmond; they still want the city feel without going to the CBD anymore."

Open Wed-Sun 4pm-late.

192 High Street, Ashburton, 03 9885 9887, oydis.com.au