Best Hidden Bars in Melbourne
November 25th, 2009 by Marina Kosmatos
Finding a good bar to go to in Melbourne is the stuff of urban legend. Often without signage, behind unassuming dumpsters and down dark alleys, a visitor to Melbourne needs more then a map, they need a local expert. With our very own Melbournian on the Offbeat Guides team, we’ll share with you the best hidden bars to go to in Melbourne.
Find the Croft Institute down this laneway
The Croft Institute (21-25 Croft Alley, tel 9671-4399). Tucked within the narrowest and smelliest alley in Melbourne, this place is somewhat charmingly fitted out like a high school laboratory; complete with beakers, test tubes and bunsen burners. Check out the upstairs ‘gymnasium’ playing house and electro, and the hospital gurney (with stirrups) on display near the women’s toilets.
Loop Bar (23 Meyers Pl, tel 9654 0500). This charcoal bunker in a laneway, Loop offers an eclectic mix of visual and aural art forms that merge as a stylish bar/slickly designed screening space. With a bar list that features ‘wow’ drinks using old school ingredients, Loop sets a new standard for Melbourne’s laneway bars.
Cherry Bar (103 AC/DC Ln, tel 9639 8122). Appropriately located down AC/DC lane, Cherry is a Melbourne institution for diehard rock fans. The attitude is grungy and loud, the music is played by rock gurus, and bar staff are instructed to pour drinks as if they were pouring for themselves. Place to party like the rockstar you always wanted to be.
Double Happiness (21 Liverpool St, tel 9650 4488). Hard to find, and once inside, you’ll feel like you’re in Communist China, Melbourne style. With brocade furnishings and propoganda posters, Double Happiness gives its nod to its nearby Chinatown location. The place is small and crowded, but the cocktails are generous and the bar staff friendly and relaxed.
Pimms and Punch at Madame Brussels
Madame Brussels (Level 3, 59 Bourke St, tel 9662 7775). After walking up sterile reception type steps and going up the elevator to the third floor, Madame Brussels is a breath of fresh, pink posied air, blending 50’s kistch with a country club ambiance. Walk on astro turf grass to the quirky trellised bar, only to be served by bartenders wearing pristine whites ready to tee of on the 18th hole. The rooftop garden showcases impressive Melbourne city skyline views and is the perfect place to graze on cucumber sandwiches while pouring yourself a glass of fresh punch or Pimms by the glass. It’s chintz, somewhat cheesy, but definitely a lot of fun.
Image credits- Croft Institute,
Build your own personalized travel guide now
You should follow us on Twitter here
Great post!
I’ll make sure oheck them out next time I’m in Melbourne!
Ben
Great choices.. but you’re right.. they’re incredibly hard to find on your own! I struggle and I’ve been there before.