I didn't want to review this club, because I didn't want to share the best kept secret in…read moreMelbourne. But I will because it's just too awesome. It's hip, urban underground and smooth. Classy yet it doesn't even appear they are trying. Open from Wednesday through Sunday, each night the Mango Bar comes alive with different sounds and genres of music. They've certainly got their pulse on the hottest up and coming local acts, as well as playing host to a range of renowned international DJ's. Each night there's something diff; electro funk, deep house, jazz and blues - there's something for everyone at Mango. The drinks menu deserves a rave as well. Spirits, beer and wine, as well as a sensational selection of martini's, cocktails and the signature Mango Daiquiri. It's like an oasis away from home. Somewhere you feel totally comfortable, totally chilled out and completed entertained by the music and live acts. There. The secrets out. Now go and enjoy!

Another Hall st gem!…read more Great selection of drinks, from $5 Friday happy hour, to cocktails & top shelf whisky's Mango is the perfect amount of chilled tunes & chatty crowd, with a small dance floor to carve up listening to resident & guest DJ's later in the night if the mood so grabs you, or enjoy the outdoor seating & perhaps throw in a game of jenga. BYO food (pretzels / crisps / nuts onsite for sale), and drop in for a quiet one, or settle in for an awesome night with the staff, old friends & new! PS- word is the espresso martini is the bomb (I don't drink coffee myself. Yes, we do exist)

I could really make this place a regular hangout, if only I actually had the time to do so. Sure, I…read morecould come here after work everyday with my book and laptop and simply absorb the atmosphere, but sooner or later I'm going to have to go home. Anyway, this is one of those bars that I had regularly passed while travelling down Sydney Road but had never actually been inside, so one Sunday, when I knew I was going to be early for church, I decided to jump of the tram and pop in here for a quick beer. I must say that I am really glad that I did because I finally got to experience this really laid back bar is one awesome beer garden. It is this type of bar than really gives Sydney Road it's character, and I'm really going to have to make the effort to come down here more often.

The relatively hidden pub is a real great find on the strip. Some friends and I came here after a…read moregig at Penny Black and i was surprised by how large the venue actually is. There's a small front entrance but it leads into an awkward cosy inside but very large outdoor area. We came and the place was pretty quiet, we knocked back a few pints and enjoyed the quirky 1920's B&W videos that showed crazy acrobatics, contortion and acting, it was mesmerising! We were a large group but the outdoor area accommodated us well and once the group began to dissipate we moved indoors and then finally (they kept hinting to us that they were closing) we left. Definitely a keeper!

I wouldn't necessarily say that this was a random pub that I visited, namely because I knew that it…read morewas here, and I intentionally got off the train to go and check it out. Well, I guess it was a good thing that I did so since I found this place to be quite nice. Actually, they had a pretty large outdoor area as well, though their selection of beers wasn't all that great. Still, it was quite a nice pub.

An inner city pub that hasn't been touched with the wand of gentrification is as rare as hens…read moreteeth. I usually enjoy these dive pubs and can happily sink cheap beer for a few hours. Not so much at Hardimans. I almost immediately screwed up my nose and began to mentally refurbish the decor, which didnt include the ingrained regulars. This place is just a touch too bogan, I get they have their clientele but im just not a fan of footy on the big screen above my mains. Anyway a friend and I were resolute to get the Thursday $12 parma/pot special. The service was fine, cant complain for $12. The parma was massive with a wee side salad and chips, look it was pretty dry but satisfied a baser carnivorous instinct. Theres the front bar/pub/dining space which also has live music occasionally. Out the back is a "fancier" dining space open for lunch and dinner. I cant comment on the other food besides the parma but I would stick to the pub basics. Not rushing back in a hurry.

There always seems to be something going on at Bar Oussou. Every single time I walk past, there's…read moresome form of live music or performance going on - be it reggae, jazz, blues and acoustic. The first time I visited the bar, it was about 4 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon and the band they had on were quite bluesy with a touch of country. They were playing their own material but sneaked in a Beatles and "Wooly Bully" cover. The food is inspired by Senegalese/French food and never fails to disappoint. I had the paella and my friend had the steak, which came with hand cut chips. We stayed mostly in the front bar, but checked out the courtyard before we left - which is where the Bar Oussou open kitchen is located. I highly recommend this place! It has a great vibe, no matter what time of day it is!

It took well over an hour to get the pizza we ordered and when asked it was alway 20min. way…read more Whether or not it was worth the price ($7) is irrelevant when you have to wait that long to get a dish whilst listening to bad karaoke versions of 1983 songs. Only the happy hour mad it up to the stars...

It is really starting to feel as it people are looking for any excuse to cross two style of shops…read moretogether. Okay, the idea of having a coffee shop tacked onto the back of a larger store has been around for a while, particularly with some of the major chains (I still remember having lunch at one of the major department stores, despite the cafeteria, and the store, being pretty tacky), however these days it seems as if many of these places are converting themselves into bars that happen to sell other things, such as records as is the case with this bar. Pretty cool I reckon because it means that you can enjoy the atmosphere of the bar, but you can also browse the collection of records as well. Also, they have a couple of pretty decent lounge areas, and also beer garden out the bar.

Long suffering partner of vinyl record fanatic? This is the place for you! Drinks, food, plenty of…read moreseating and good music. The biggest let down is that it doesn't have more records to keep him busy. :-D Serious though if I lived here I'd come here just for the garden, it's really relaxing.

I would say that this is an atypical Brunswick bar, but it is probably better to describe it as an…read moreatypical inner Melbourne bar. It is located in an old warehouse, and it has the charm that you would expect from such a bar. The service was pretty good and the atmosphere was pretty awesome as well. In fact, this place had pretty much everything that I would expect from a bar, including a great selection of beers. Oh, and being located near the railway station really helped as well.

Don't exactly trust the address... it's in a weird location, at the back of a dark car park. Look…read morefor the painted Zebra lit up with a street light. Next to it is the doorway, flanked by friendly bouncers ready to welcome you to this interesting new space! Is it a warehouse party? An art installation? A beer garden? A cocktail bar? A "asian-ish" tapas house? A music venue? Is it a mash up of all of these things? Yes. Is it good? Hells yes! I ventured in on a rainy cold night, so the first outdoor/indoor space was a bit wasted on my group. Instead we were in the true indoor space and spent time either mingling at the bar, sitting around the booth-like tables or (later in the night) showing off our moves as we enjoyed the DJ. The food was terrific - hot, flavoursome and beautifully presented in square steamer boxes that worked really well in conjunction with the cutlery holders, plates and sauce jars. It was obvious that a lot of thought has gone in to how the food is to be presented and consumed and it's this kind of attention to detail that always wins brownie points with me. Notable snacks: - The jars of pickled "things". I have no idea what it was (capsicum?) but it was delicious. - Crocodile spring rolls. No, I couldn't really taste crocodile but I felt badass eating them. - The bao, particularly the Kingfish. Fun to eat, though I think most of them came with mayo inside and I would have liked to have seen some variations on sauce. Wish a massive selection of beer, wine, impressive gin selection (though no Australian representation which I would have liked) and some inventive cocktails on the list there's pretty much something for everyone. I stuck to simple spirits and beer (Hitachino Nest White Ale on tap!) but I'd like to venture back to put the bartenders through their paces on the cocktails and see if they can cut it. The services was exceptional - super friendly and very attentive.

I really love everything about this place, the atmosphere the service and wine. It's a great place…read moreto go of an evening and chill out with friends

Fine wine, sneakily good beer selection and a casual atmosphere makes Strange Loves Bar a good…read morefriend of mine. With 3 areas to seat yourself, I've never had any issues finding room to relax here. If with friends I like to sneak upstairs for a comfy seat. In a more intimate situation or when I'm by myself I tend to enjoy front row seats and people watch. Typical of the area there is no real food served here. If you need some fine dining to go with a fine wine you'll be handed a book with local restaurants who will deliver to your table. And even bring an eftpos machine if needed. The staff here had reasonably honest and broad knowledge of wines and beers. The beer selection varies more often than the wine. For a wine bar there isn't a huge variety by the glass and some of the bottles are rather overpriced. Considering that there is fair competition within walking distance with other venues offering similar service. Still a great spot for post dinner drinks or two.

Gotta love the brunny! Wednesday night's been a usual spot for me and my mates since we found out…read moreabout open mic night. Last semester a bunch of my international friends would muster up the courage after a few drinks to play but now I just go for the 10 dollar jugs & random acts. I don't come here enough seeing as it's literally only a block away but this will change once exams finish up. I'm super bummed I can't go tonight which is why I've decided to get the word out for any one who may be available. With the ram stop right outside theres no reason for anyone to pass up the opportunity to chill at the brunny. Go grab some cheap beer and head here for a comfy night lounging with live music ASAP! There are always random bands playing from around the area and it's always fun to hear new music. The best part though, yeah you didn't think it could get any better did you? Well, the best part is the beer garden. You know a place has got to be good when they've mastered the layout of each room to suit pretty much anyone and everyone.

My two crazy russian friends had arrived home in Melbourne safely from the adventure around Europe…read moreand were having a 'welcome back' party here. I'd never been before but everyone seemed to think this was a good venue for cheap drinks and relaxed atmosphere. That is exactly the perception i got out of it. You cannot miss that crazy purple sign above the door and once you enter the dimly lit venue has not a lot going for it, but everyone inside is totally chilled giving the place a real laid-back feel. We arrived and they were sitting out back so i ordered a drink and headed out to the large beer garden. There's a large wooden communal table with small slum-couches scattered around. The venue is usually busy but never really feels 'packed out', such a great little place.

Good lord! This is…read moreone of Melbourne's last bastions of underground nightlife! Playing lots of great tunes and offering 3 different spaces it was easy to spend your whole night here! The first space was full of couches and a bar. Lots of good places to catch up with friends before you move to the back. The second space was a dance bar, was not lit and had loud techno music. My favourite space out the back was AWESOME. Great music, friendly strangers and very dancey/groovy. Get yourself down there if underground is your scene.

Hidden Gem on Sydney Rd not many people know about. It plays techno on some nights and psy trance…read moreon others. Very cool staff and place is like a community where it seems everybody knows each other. Not going to lie doesn't start to pick up until about 1am but when it does it's like your on another planet. The front bar has plenty of comfy couches, the dance floor has a smoke machine with laser shows going off and outdoor area is decorated brilliantly with some more light shows on the wall. I would say this place is very underground and similar but different to revolver in prahran. This is a great local venue to me and holds some great events like black market.

Firstly, being forced to order everything through QR code on your phone makes a terrible dining…read moreexperience. It isn't fun for the technically un-savvy nor for anyone who wants an actually pleasent evening where they and their companions aren't forced to be on the phone constantly. Why has this horrible trend taken off? I fail to understand how it reduces covid risk. But anyway, onto the rest of the info... Food was ok, nothing exceptional and tended to err on the too spicy side so beware if you can't handle your chilli. Portions are large for sharing which we did not know of course (since you can't actually interact with wait staff) so ended up with a large excess of food I won't be going back

This place is basically an old school beer hall, and while at first it looks like a restaurant, it…read moreis actually a lot more than that as down the side you have your typical side rooms like those you would find in your average hipster bar. Actually, that is what makes this place so cool, especially since there are a number of rooms upstairs with some quite comfy seats. The fact that it was quiet when I was there adds to the charm of the place. While there is an outdoor area, it is mainly for the smokers, and not really a place where you can sit down. Oh, and as is typical with Brunswick there are also quite a few craft beers available.