With a pub, bar, venue (or mix of all three) on every corner in Melbourne, it's hard to find a good old fashioned down home drinking hole these days. A place that serves drinks, smiles when you order, and whose menu consists of bags of crisps or peanuts is a rarity. You feeling me? Then head to The Labour in Vain.
In the heart of Fitzroy, you have plenty of options, however "The Labour" knows what its good at and sticks to it. A range of good beer is on tap, including some punter favourites micro-brewed in the next suburb, plus a mix of 'beer worth serving' available in bottles in the fridge.
Walk past the pinball machine and head upstairs and you'll find a decent sized beer garden with a few share tables, some covered, some open air, plus heaters in the undercover section for those wanting fresh air in winter. You'll catch a great view from here as you knock back a few pints before or after dinner. As I mentioned, there's no kitchen, but my hazy memory recalls the barkeep saying it was cool to bring a take away pizza or two in if you wanted some grub.
Downstairs the bar hosts free live music a few nights of the week, and on afternoons on the weekends. The usual genre is a mix if Alt-Country and Blues outfits, with many a Melbourne music icon stopping by for a stripped down set.
On a personal note, a group of friends and I headed here for my bucks afternoon after being told to leave our first destination after 10 minutes. (We had barely finished our first drink). The Labour was fantastic, and we repaid the hospitality by acting accordingly and pouring a small fortune over the bar. While I'm not going to recommend every rowdy bunch stop in here to cause havoc, (and if you are planning to head here with a large group, either make other plans or call ahead), we were treated with respect as we managed to drink away the afternoon in peace. Cheers guys, you made my day. read more