bars and pubs

bars and pubs

After going through First (Fresher or whatever it is in the US), Second, Third and Fourth year in a over caffeinated hung-over daze, I feel I am a little qualified to give my opinion on some of the joints around Melbourne, Australia.  This is a very, very brief list which will be added to and reviewed as this site grows. There is no particular reason why these places are in this list, they were just tr fee say it all. If you want to have one of those $100 nights, “that actually wasn’t that good” then Boutique is the place to go.  While the real elite avoid this place like the plague, the wanna-be rich kids queue up with their hard earned trady cash and new sneakers to have a taste of what high-society is like

 

Boutique

http://www.boutique.net.au/
The high drink prices and audacious door fee say it all. If you want to have one of those $100 nights, “that actually wasn’t that good” then Boutique is the place to go. While the real elite avoid this place like the plague, the wanna-be rich kids queue up with their hard earned trady cash and new sneakers to have a taste of what high-society is like

 

Corner Hotel

http://www.cornerhotel.com/
If you like your music and live in Australia then you will most likely already know this place. If you don’t, check out their website and head on down to see live music at its best. The newly renovated upstairs beer garden is perfect for those warm Melbourne nights. Cheap drink prices and no door fee ensure this will be a quality and cheap night to remember.

 

Croft Institute

http://www.thecroftinstitute.com.au/
When my friends and I stumbled upon this place in a drunken haze one night several years ago we found ourselves in a laboratory themed bar, complete with grass, yes grass, bar and chemistry equipment everywhere. A novelty bar worth visiting at the least, it is frequented by the working city crowd and is known for its big Friday nights.

 

Caseys (AKA Cheers)

http://www.caseys.com.au/index2.html

If you are fresh out of school, or lacking and ID and want somewhere to go, then head down to Cheers on a Tuesday or Thursday night. Known for its very young crowd and its cheap drinks, this place is very popular with the fresher kids before they realize there are a stack of better places to go out.

 

Depot

http://depothotel.com.au/
I look back on going to this place with a kind of embarrassed fondness. Back in the day, not sure about now, they used to serve $1 Bourbon and Cokes and $1 pots with obvious consequences. Almost everyone I know has been kicked out from this place, and is a testament to the big nights we used to have there back in the good ‘ol days. Back in the $1 bourbon and Coke days a mate of mine, who was the designated driver, was kicked out for refusing to pay $3 for a straight coke, when they were selling $1 bourbon and cokes. The simple staff at this place embody this joint and your night out perfectly here. Simple and Cheap.

 

The Espy

http://www.espy.com.au/
Some would say that the espy is the home of live music in Melbourne, and I would agree. Get down there on a warm afternoon and sip a few beers while looking out onto St Kilda beach before going on and watching a kick-arse band that the Espy always manages to get.

 

Frostbites

http://www.frostbites.com.au/
Frostbites Hotel in Chapel Street is a well-known Melbourne cultural icon for its 20 or so frozen cocktails (Alcoholic Slurpees). Although these are usually fairly expensive, on University nights you can often get very cheap drink deals. This is a popular place with the First years (Freshers) out for cheap drinks and a good night out.  For the bargain hunter, there are many cheap deals available through coupons and code words that are SMS’d to you or sent in the mail. Back in the day, my University Diary had a coupon entitling the holder to a free Slurpee. I went around the whole lecture theatre and collected about 200 of them and had free drinks for a whole year! If the coupons are still in the diary, I suggest you do the same!!

 

The Glenferrie Hotel

http://www.glenferriehotel.com.au/
The Glenferrie hotel has been through many changes over the years. It was a very popular and successful venue about 6 years ago the private school crowd…then they added Pokies. Many people, including myself abandoned the joint with the vow to never return again, and we haven’t. However, apparently the business is picking up due to the very low drink prices, I have heard form a reliable source that they sell $1 pots and $3 champagnes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so if you want somewhere for cheap drinks this is your place. Just close you eyes when you see Aunt Mable gambling away your inheritance in the room next door.

 

Holiava

http://www.holliava.com.au/
This is one of those laid back relaxed kind of places that is often frequented by the older crowd interested in some meaningful conversation and boutique beers. There are nice couches, quality surroundings and an undercover out door beer garden that hard to beat. This is a very nice place if this is the type of thing you are into. Just bring lots of cash. Another thing to note, this place gets quite packed with the Uni folk who don’t get into The Depot, so if you want a quiet night avoid Thursdays nights here.

 

Hotel Kew

http://www.hotelkew.com.au/
This place disserves an Honorable mention, not because of what it is now, but because what it used to be and for how much it has changed. For those interested in history, this place used to be a strip club, complete with an  “All you could drink for $10 deal” that attracted all types of people keen for a bargain. As poor university students, we all used to head down there on a Tuesday, get our $10 worth then head out to a club somewhere in the Hawthorn area. Its closed now (I wonder why) and has been renamed Hotel Kew, which is a non-descript pub with average meals, average prices and an average clientele.

 

Nevermind

http://www.nevermindbar.com.au/
Nevermind has the same feel about as Holiava. This place is a laid back, relaxed place that is great for pre-drinks and some conversation before going out to bigger and better places. There are nice couches and a well laid out upstairs beer garden. The prices are quite good, with $11 jugs of Tooheys New.

 

 

 

 

Reviews to come:
Room
Skinny Dog
The Station

Motel

Imperial

Metro

More

More

More

 

Far more venues to come!