This used to be a night club, and honestly, I am totally over nightclubs, simply because they are…read moreloud, crowded, and can be impossible to enter at times. Well, this is no longer the case here. In fact, this place not only opens much earlier but it has an awesome atmosphere. Actually, I don't even think I can consider it to be a nightclub anymore, but rather a cocktail bar, and a pretty awesome one at that. Not surprisingly, there are references to books, and some pretty awesome books at that, all over the place. Oh, and not only do they also have beer available, and the service is also pretty awesome.

Only in Melbourne do you stick a fake tree and some mushrooms in a two story bar, and call it…read more"Story book" themed. Perusing the cocktails, my inner Harry Potter nerdyness screamed out at a polyjuice drink. Yes. Each drink on their menu has a short narrative, you should read the lot to to know which one you want. I place my order and then struggle to find some seats in a corner. I wait as drinkers pass by holding mini tea cups filled my an alcoholic concoction. It's cute. It's loud. It's crowded. I could've shed my heavy thick winter coat, but with the lack of seats, and space to breathe, that wasn't a possibility. Don't come here to relax or have a conversation. Come to try the cute imaginative drinks. And to see a tree and giant mushrooms. I'll give Storyville an A for their effort.

Yum! Great new place on Bourke street - had a couple of…read morework lunches here and the food is delicious! Pricing is standard for a restaurant. Service is fantastic from the moment you sit down right through to the end of the meal!

Just came off the midnight flight from Melbourne with bushy hair and thongs (it was 40' yesterday…read moreand I hate setting off alarms at Security). Made it to Southern Cross Station but to early to check in at my swish St Kilda apartment and no shoe shops open (I'm thinking a pair of flat boots, only have about 6 others in my robe) so I need a break. Now I'm on a raw food adventure at the moment, which is opening all sorts of exciting nosh doors. I packed my own nutty mineral bread and avo for the plane and now I need something. I chose The Common because my legs were tired and I'm so glad I did! I was warmly greeted by the most gorgeous young woman with hair like an electric mermaid, all orange and black and bouffant bigger than our 60s best. Absolutely stunning! She peered at me with so much care and suggested the chia pudding. Exactly what I need. And it was! Little chia bubbles in the creamiest coconut mousse with mini mint, strawberries and baby pansies, drizzled with burnt maple. Oh my. So perfect - just the thing to set up my day. I ate slowly, savouring each comforting mouthful while I read The Age. I like the quiet focused service in here. Nothing fancy in decor just clean and sharp but the menu shows care. There are healthy options and good bread. The lunch options also provide many healthy and satisfying choices at great prices. Gee the staff are good. Must be a good place to work.

Hidden gem - a little off the beaten track but well worth the effort…read more Great selection of wines with full bar available should you need it. Lots of excellent small plates.

Oui Oui! Kirk's is a lovely escape in the centre of Melbourne. If you're longing for your next…read moreEuropean holiday, then a visit here for glasses of wine and shared plates of cheese, charcuterie and other wine-friendly foods, will help tie you over until you purchase that plane fare. Forget the fact that the menus are written in English and the waiters have that Aussie twang, if you squint hard enough you could be on a Parisian street corner watching the world go by as you drink glasses of Chablis. A lovely spot for a date or a catch up with a friend, but probably not the place for a large gathering as seating is minimal. Service is efficient and non-obtrusive. They're happy to load up your table with eats and then drift past when your glass is looking low. There's always some daily specials that are a little more substantial if you want to stick around for dinner, but my pick is to come here for a few nibbles and a glass or two before moving on to another venue.

This is one of those pubs that I had been past a number of times in the past. In fact it was one of…read morethose pubs where we happened to stay at the hotel that was located just down the road. Look, I have to admit that I really wasn't all that much of a fan, namely because it was pretty small, and as such it did end up being pretty cramped. Then again, that probably has a lot to do with it being a Friday when I was here. Still, it really wasn't all that great and I'd probably pass on it in the future.

The Guinness is great, and the prawns delicious. Couple…read morethat with great company and endless Connect Four.

This place has $5 beers. It also has a fleet of thunderous black clad waitresses dying to exert…read moretheir hospitality authority and shuffle you around from areas where you can and can't be. Personally I'd rather pay $10 for a beer and be allowed to perch in the one spot with my mates for a Friday knock off beer. But there's plenty of other places allowing that - and that's where I'll spend my cash. Now I did promise a special shoutout to Maddy - girl, there's a whole world out there, perhaps spend some time networking with your professional clientele rather than pretending you're more important than you are. You might find yourself in a better place. Just saying.

Catching up with a friend who works down this end of the city she suggested ms Collins ... I hadn't…read moreheard of it before and thought I'll give it a try. When I asked her where it was and she said the old Silk Road I was a little concerned as this has been a bit of a cougar haunt the last few times I'd been there. Never the less I was being a bit lazy and thought what the hell let's give it a go. Ms Collins resembles little of Silk Road the former opulent decor has been replaced with a focus on grungy shabby chic and r'n'b music rather than electro. The space is very dark and they have created graffiti on some of the walls and artwork. The space is large so it's primary focus is a nightclub but like Silk Road before it ms Collins likes to dabble in food The menu is extraordinary. In fact it's so good you wonder how it fits the venue. It has a range of international street food designed by top renowned chefs including jacques Raymond, Paul Wilson, Daniel Wilson and Ricardo momesso and an excellent range of deserts. I have to say I struggled with the rating. Service was a 2 - waitress tried to take our plates away while there was still food on them. Decor 2 - just seems confused Ambiance 3, food 4, desert - 5 it was exceptional. So weighing up the factors that are driving the business - drinking and atmosphere I gave the whole place a 3. Having said that I would come back for the food as it was delicious but you need to get in early before the night club scene kicks in.

This place is definitely a hidden gem. It's tucked away in the middle of the CBD and on the…read moreweekends, you can only enter via Little Collins. It has a nice cozy snow lodge type feel in my opinion. You walk in and the dark wooden colour with the fireplace right in the centre. Wonderful for a nice cold winters day. We went for the High Tea which was $40 and $10 for a glass of Veuve Clicquot (can't forget to mention every glass of it is $10 per glass while you are there and we had the Brut and Rose). The amount of food you get, you definitely shouldn't have lunch and you should also expect to have a late dinner. The savory course had 6 options which ranged from mini cheeseburgers, a toasted sandwich, soup, and a few other yummy delites! The 2nd course of the High Tea consisted of a lovely creme brûlée, a chocolate souffle and a bunch of other yummy treats. I have to admit, if you want a great High Tea for a great price, this is the place to go! Supposedly they also have a cheese night with matching wines for a great price as well!

Progressive dinner continued at Mr Mason…read more Quite small place, waiter was really good and recommend the wine to go with the dinner. We both chose the salmon which was cooked well, I like mine a bit on the pink side in the middle which it was so very happy about that. Biggest problem was dessert, was called lemon meringue on the menu but it was not what we expected as was a really cold, almost frozen block of lemon curd which was ok if they would call it semi fredo but they didn't. I would have chosen something else if I had known. Was also cold in there and there was a very noisy group of 8 behind us which made it unbearable at the end so we left. Maybe it's better for meat eaters?

Nice seating outside allows you to enjoy the sun. Croquettas and chorizo sausage tapas to start…read moreand Razor clams, eggplant, and cos salad for mains. The croquettas were delicious crispy 3 bite morsels of goodness. Chorizo sausage was 5 tasty pieces perfect for sharing. Salad was decent fresh greens with toasted pine nuts and a creamy dressing. Razor clams were literally served in a tin and came with 2 slices of crispy chewy toasted bread and some pickles. The eggplant was amazingly good charred generous portion with a creamy cheese crumble on top but I think too much olive oil. The prices reflect the area. $31 gets you a porterhouse steak that doesn't come with any sides. Steak was a good cut of meat but you have to pay $8 or more for mushrooms or beans to go with it. Service was friendly so no complaints there!

Sit outside in the winter sun! It's lovely catching some rays in the breeze…read more We chose this place to have lunch as we were heading to the DFO and it was the highest rated place amongst all the eateries in the area. It was a good choice, they had a lunch menu which came with a complimentary drink as well (including wine!) so that was a huge plus. The atmosphere was great and the guys were nice. We got the polenta chips for entree which was divine, it set a high bar for the place. Until the mains came... Or didn't come. It took 50mins rather than the promised 15-20. It was very disappointing actually, it could've been a perfect meal, but the wait was too much. We weren't even being updated on any progress which wasn't great as well. When the food finally came (the beef with mash and the gnocchi, both which were average - at least maybe the wait ruined the food) we wolfed it down in five minutes and left. Would I return? Probably not, I'll give the others in the area a go.

Quick, cheap lunches, friendly staff.. This place has it all!…read more Sit outside on a sunny day!! It's great!!

This is a popular Melbourne night spot on Friday nights and over the weekend among young people;…read moregood luck in getting in. Maybe its just me; however this establishment does not appeal to me as a nightclub or an amazing hang out spot; but rather a cocktail hang out spot if I am too lazy to make my own cocktails at home; although it is a lazy five-minute stroll from my place. No excuses not to order the Soleil cocktail that will set you back $16 a pop. It is worth it once in a while, and again only if I happened to be too drained (although rare) to make my own cocktails if I really have to, and I then do not bother walking any further to catch the tram to a more decent night spot. This place does not appeal to me as a nightclub as the establishment gets way too crowded, and the young one's can get quite rowdy. There is so much more in Melbourne to discover and enjoy. This establishment gains credit for cheaper cocktails in Melbourne, however it's La Di Don't for me. This place does not do Melbourne any justice at all. I rest my case.

As newish pizza wine bar in North Melbourne's hippest street. This place serves gourmet pizzas and…read morehas an array of unusual and interesting wines to match. The servers here are clearly passionate about wines and will encourage you to try particular wines after chatting with you about your taste in wine. Casual atmosphere. More bistro than bar. But with more class than the average gourmet pizza joint. Best addition to the Queensberry strip since Beatrix.

Nice and relaxed place. Good to catch up for drinks and nibbles and a chat…read more The nibbles looked quite tempting but we went for mains and dessert. The mains had strong flavours but were good. The desserts were yummy.

I love the location, close to the water, next to the DFO and convention center. This spot has a…read moregreat atmosphere. They had live music playing one of the times I was there. The have a nice happy hour. Both times seemed a bit busy but I was able to get in and seated right away. The service is good, nothing over the top. I've tried the Barramundi, one of their pizzas with lamb, as well as the spaghetti bolognese. I enjoyed all the meals I've had here. All were delicious and decent pricing.

Ordered the spaghetti Ala vodka ...did not tasate like a vodka sauce but more alike a marinara so…read moreI would try something different next time ...very nice outdoor seating area to enjoy when the weather is nice .