The first thing you will notice about the Melbourne Recital Centre is of course the facisnating…read morearchitecture of its exterior. The location of the Centre proved to be quite a challenge to designer Ashton Raggatt McDougall, being situated on post war sloping hills and uneven ground he had to come up with something special in order to achieve acoustic quality. The building seems to be covered in an irregular honeycomb shaped pattern giving it a shell like texture. At night time light escapes through some of these shells and makes for a beautiful structural appearance. The Recital Centre showcases a range of different performances from stage shows to music performances and even has some amazing artwork displayed on level 1. You can organise to have a guided tour of the MRC in which you will be atken throughout the building and can learn all about the design of the performance spaces, appreciate the artwork and explore backstage. The tours will set you back $15 full price and $10 for concession and they last usually about 1 hour, well worth it if you have time and are wanting to explore Melbourne.

Very nice and confortable place to listen a concert, the sound is so good…read more I went for a classic piano recital and it was amazing!

Steak night really good Reasonable price and good food…read moreHad an oyster too, service was really good

So this place was closed for a while and finally, in late 2014, there looked to be a bit of love…read morebeing breathed in to it. It opened, the hipsters flocked. On a hot night they would be everywhere out the front drinking pints and looking too cool for school. Signs proclaimed happy hours! $16 steak night! I wasn't convinced I'd fit in with the hipsters (am I in denial?) but the $16 steak on Tuesday night sure did sound like an appealing way to test the waters. We arrived a little after 6pm and it was pretty dead. There was 4 or 5 others in the bar and not a single soul outside. Was it too early? Was it not sunny enough? Had the hipsters moved on to the new hot spot in town? We ordered steaks ($16 for a 300gm porterhouse with chips and salad) and an extra portion of salad to make us feel better for clogging our arteries with the chips. A pint for him and a glass of Shiraz for me. The steaks themselves were okay. The flavour was good but they were cooked a little over than our requested medium-rare. The chips were super crunchy (twice fried?) and the portion of salad we ordered was, well, a bit strange. The cider dressing it was served with tasted suspiciouly like melted butter and congealed a bit on the raddichio leaves. Maybe it was supposed to do that, who knows? Dinner for two at around $60 is pretty decent if you ask me. For a resonably priced Tuesday night meal in a quieter environment then the Marquis of Lorne isn't a bad option

As I was visiting a number of pubs in the inner North of Melbourne one night (or at least the pubs…read morethat I hadn't visited) I noted that there was a little scribble next to this pub on my map that said 'pretty cool', though when I was standing outside I could not for the life of me ever remember actually going in here (and no, it was probably not because I was drunk the night I did go here). Anyway the pub itself was pretty cool, and while it was a little quiet it had a decent beer garden out the back. What I really liked about this pub though was what I call the little hidey hole. There are a number of small alcoves around the place that you can hide away in with a beer and a friend and not be disturbed (with the exception of others sticking their nose in to see if the hidey hole is available).

This venue is literally across the road from me (please don't stalk me) and a close friend had her…read morelast birthday celebration at the Commercial Club Hotel. We arrived at five in the evening and were greeted by friendly bartenders, the venue has that 'warm local' feel, a mix of young and old, both for drinks and for playing some pool. There's a large courtyard that could be thoroughly enjoyed on a day filled with sunshine (when i went it was raining pretty heavily), there's some sofas sprawled around the place, pool table and bar stools out front that provides a lovely place to make your local drinking hole.

Kangaroo entree was so salty. I couldn't eat it. The entree was rushed through after the kitchen…read morewas closed because the server forgot to send in the order. The Service was lacking because there was only one server for the entire busy pub who was also the bartender. Poor planning of staffing.

Brew Pub with about ten brews on tap. We each has something different and everyone liked their…read morechoice. Typically Australian, I guess, one has to order drinks at the bar and carry back to the table. Likewise, food is ordered at the bar but brought to your table. Menu typically pub like. We had Calimari, a burger and Parma. Now, coming from an Italian area in the US, I had misgivings about Chicken Parm at a Celtic type pub in Australia. I found a large chicken cutlet, breaded and fried, covered with red sauce and Mozzarella cheese to rival any Italo club at home. Oddly though, it came with fries and salad rather than Pasta. But, the portion was so large I didn't miss my ziti. There were three rooms, two with bars, one with pool table plus an upper level I didn't visit. Lots of room. Restrooms were big, multi unit facilities, one for men, one for women. I thought the men's room could have used a scrub down but, I'm old and some things bother me more than others. Three pints and a glass of house wine cost $42.00 AU .which didnt bother this US tourist since I could say it was really 25% less to me and no tip. Our room had live entertainment on this early, Thursday evening...a singer/guitarist playing songs from 50s through 80s. Outdoor seating with gas heaters for chilly nights. I thought it was a fine intro for my first night in Melbourne

OK, so as it turns out Montsalvat is not a random haunted castle that houses the criminally insane…read moreas me and my high school buddies once thought. Although it made for an eventful night one halloween. This place is actually pretty unique. It houses the works of many resident artist and plays host to wedding receptions and special functions and corporate events all year round. You can also dine here! The intimate restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy provincial style food, or sit outside in the beautiful courtyard.

Montsalvat is a working artist colony in Eltham, a leafy suburb of outer north east Melbourne…read more Established by Justus Jorgensen in 1934 it is home to over a dozen buildings, houses and halls set amongst richly established gardens. This property is picturesque, the is no doubt about it, which is why it is a highly sort after location for weddings, corporate functions and various film, TV and fashion shoots, as well as the odd locally produced porno. General visitors can pay a small fee ($14) to walk throughout the properties gardens, artists' houses/workshops and the surrounding buildings. There are also classes and workshops taken by visiting and resident artists as well as an intimate restaurant that serves lunch and dinner. Montsalvat is also home to an annual jazz festival that takes place in September and is great time to visit. Although I think Montsalvat shines during weddings, where the buildings and grounds encourage romance and result in amazing wedding photography. Montsalvat is fantastic for functions and events, but it is also an amazing place to escape city life. You may feel like you have gone back in time amongst the gardens and old halls, or perhaps you have wandered onto a film set. If your creatively inclined this is the place to get inspired!

Came with group of 5 on a Thursday night ... lots of peeps but next time will make reservations…read more.. nice patio area to sit but too cold tonight. Got the steak and potatoes with veggies was excellent. My friends ordered the Parmesan chicken and steak sandwich all said was good. So so beer selection a bit noisy but all and all good experience. Order at counter a little bit of a wait but food was good.

This place has an amaaaaaaazing beer garden out the back. Easily one of the best beer gardens in…read moreMelbourne. It's spacious and leafy and great for large groups, and I love how hidden this pub is -- it's randomly tucked away in a residential neighborhood not far from the hustle and bustle of Brunswick Street. Unfortunately, it loses points for me based on food and service. The service has just always been terrible here. Surly dudes with acne scars and a bad attitude. My food experience here also wasn't good. I ate here once -- got the vegan salad, which looked like my only option -- and it was really bland and tasteless. I think it's great that pubs are serving vegan meals more often these days, but vegans are like anybody else -- they come to a pub to eat fatty foods and drink alcohol. It felt weird downing cheap jugs of beer with my workmates while having to delicately chew on a bowl of raw greens. The dressing was nice, but there was way too little of it, and too many giant leaves. So yeah, basically spent $18 on a giant bowl of greens with some cashews thrown in. Not pub food! Where's the veggie burger and chips?! Anyway. It's nice they made an effort to include something vegan and healthy -- but it was just so bland and boring. I think come here on a sunny day to drink but not eat. Soak up the sun in the beer garden. That's what The Standard does best.

This is my local. Nestled in the heart of The Basin, The Oak Tree Tavern is a good old 'English…read moreStyle" pub with an Aussie twist. Wine barrels serve as tables, darts are the game of choice, and on tap you'll notice the staples are Guinness, Kilkenny, and Bulmer's Cider. Nicknamed "Merlotte's" by friends after noticing the resemblance to the bar in the series "True Blood", the vibe here is that of a local community drinking and more often than not, dancing together. With live music 3 nights a week, including Karaoke nights on Fridays, you can expect your share of local talent to come out and shine, more often than not incorporating the whole pub into a sing-along as they wail away. The live music tends to be of the blues persuasion, the area known for its talented Blues musicians hiding in the nearby hills. The menu is standard pub fare, with hearty meals of chicken, steak or vegie options, plus desserts and pub favourites that wont break the bank and keeps plenty of coin in your pocket for drinks. With local laws enforcing last drinks served at 11pm sharp, it has become a local custom to order a table full of drinks at five minutes to eleven, and then happily sip away until the owner has seen enough of you.

The Oak Tree is a cosy little place with an 'up it's own backside' vibe. I think a pub like this…read moreought to be warm and inviting and perhaps to locals who go there all the time it is. It's just that in three visits here I've never felt a level of value as a customer more than at mediocre level. It's a shame because this is precisely the kind of venue I like. I've eaten there two out of three times and it's decent pub grub, it even has an option to cook your own steak. This is what I wish I had done considering my medium rare steak, which took half an hour to come out and was medium well. I was watching a show and didn't want to get up throughout the performance. Plus I'm pregnant and I was so, so hungry, hence I didn't say anything until afterwards. Maybe I should have. There are other things I could complain about but can't be bothered. Go. It's a nice place but don't expect too much.

Amazing selection of on tap beers and even better selection of food. Would expect this quality from…read morea great restaurant but its available at the local pub which makes it quite a rare gem.

I've been to this place once before and I have to say that it was quite by accident that I actually…read morediscovered it - I had stepped out of the Brunswick Hotel, looked down Weston St and saw this Carlton Draught sign, so I decided to go and check it out. I must admit that it didn't really stand out that first time, however when I went back more recently I discovered that this is actually a pretty cool pub. It is one of those pubs that have a lot of little nooks and crannies, and also staff that are more than happy for you to look around and explore. In fact when I mentioned that I quite liked old pubs, the owner started telling me how a number of historical societies come here to check the place out. I should come here more often.