This new hidden cocktail bar is already one of my favourites. Entering through a side door down a…read morelaneway, and climbing the stairs, opening the door as if to a house and being greeted so politely. The choice of the cocktail bad, whiskey and cigar room or the rooftop, delights me and caters or all your needs. The cocktails are strong, creative and use spirits and aperitifs in the most unique ways to deliver the most perfect cocktail. There are so many liqueurs, sprints and aperitifs that you wouldn't have even heard of. All the food sounds Devine, and the chocolate truffles are a slice of heaven. Cannot recommend highly enough.

It's rare to find a sophisticated bar outside of the CBD these days, and it's even rarer to find…read moreone that won't break your weekly drinking budget in one night. Hawker Beer and Wine Bar is located in the suburb of Highett just 30mins from Melbourne CBD. The bar is named after Harry Hawker, a local of the area. Harry George Hawker, was an Australian aviation pioneer. He was the chief test pilot for Sopwith and was also involved in the design of many of their aircraft. After World War One he co-founded Hawker Aircraft, the firm that would later be responsible for a long series of successful military aircraft. The bar itself is small and is directly across the road from the Highett train station, which seems to have some type of train passing through every 15mins. The fit-out is minimalistic, with large windows that give you a great view of the comings and goings in the area. What is great about this bar is the large cocktail list. With mostly original cocktails with a few traditional with a modern twist. The service is friendly and attentive, and I get the feeling if I lived in the area this would be my local. Apart from the great cocktails it has a good selection of beers and wines. It also had a pretty awesome snack menu, being provided by Typhoon, the Vietnamese restaurant next door. If you live in the area chances are you have either visited Hawker or know of it. If you haven't been do yourself a favour and pay them a visit, it won't disappoint.

By far my favorite place that I've found in Melbourne, possibly in Aus! I can't speak highly enough…read moreof every aspect of this bar. Intimate setting, yet quite comfortable. Always an excellent music selection, with footy on the tv if that's what you're lookin for. The staff is WONDERFUL. so personable, quite willing to give their recommendations if you ask (and you should- they haven't steered me wrong yet!). The nachos, add beef, are easily the best nachos I've ever had- loaded with toppings, seasoned chips, absolutely delicious. Quite a diverse menu, with plenty of options depending on your hunger level. Great wine and beer selection, and a solid cocktail list too!

Food is awesome - Baked mushrooms - I could just have a plate of them on their own…read more The staff are easy to chat with and service was well timed.

I thought I had missed this place, but is just seems to have been turned from one type of bar into…read moreanother. This means that I did get a chance to have a beer here, even though it technically isn't the same place. Still, it wasn't too bad, actually, come to think of it, it was actually pretty good. They have a nice area out the back, and a great selection of beers. Oh, and the service is pretty good as well. Also, it's close to the station too, which is definitely an added bonus.

Top venue. Highly recommended for drinks. There is also a great pizza place next door that food can…read morebe purchased at and brought in.

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.

Previously known as Melissa's, this place opened about 2-3 years ago when the council amalgamated…read moreit's offices into the central business district of Dandenong. Since I've been away for two years I didn't realise the place had changed owners, but it evidently remains a busy little hub- even on the weekend when I would expect the area to be vacant. For a Saturday morning this place was quite busy. There was quite a wait for my coffee, but I'm glad to report it was surprisingly good! Within this area decent cafes have been opening up on recent years so there is a bit of competition around at the moment and I'm glad to report this establishment can be considered a strong competitor. The ambiance is chill and the location is perfect. I'd definitely go back and would reccommend this place to people nearby in need of good coffee.

I love the coffee here and the staff are on the ball plus all the staff no me by name and they…read moreknow how i like my coffee

Had a catch up with some long time friends here at the "used to be Switch" Billy's Kitchen…read more The venue is quite nice and cozy. We ordered some coffees to start (Piccollo latte for me), which was delightful. Then I got the breakfast bowl which sounded great but seemed to be crowded with too many greens and beans. There was some pumpkin amongst it but barely any which was slightly disappointing so it felt like it was just greens and beans. So not great but the rest of the place was nice and reasonably priced.

A solid 3/5 from me for Billy's Kitchen…read more The food, mostly, was just good, not fantastic or impressive. The chips were average and a little bit dry and dull. The pita bread was wonderful, tasty and soft. A higher quality, spot on. The Chicken was good and decent. As well as the iced coffee drink. Not too strong, quite mild. My friend did say that Billy's Breakfast was very good. Not a bad word to say, and from my end it looked like a good mixture of alot of small things. The price was a bit more expensive then other restaurants. But in the end it was overall, a good and passable experience. It would be worth coming back here.

Has to be the best restaurant in Patto!…read more Food is divine, great service and cool ambience. Menu tapas faves are pork belly, truffle infused ham and cheese sandwiches, pate and potatoes with chorizo and beans - you'll just want to try everything on the menu! Finished off with the gazpacho which was clean and fresh - no room for dessert this time. Will return to try the semifreddo I had my eye on!

Lacks consistency…read more I've eaten in this high class tapas establishment five times since this place opened a few years ago. First impressions were amazing. The philosophy from talking to senior staff is "CBD-calibre fine dining in Patterson Lakes." However, although my first two experiences were amazing, on all subsequent experiences the food was nowhere near as good. Food tasted bland and overcooked. Which at this price is not acceptable.

This place was awesome, nothing short of awesome. That had a lot to do with it basically being a…read morecraft beer bar. Well, it is a little more than that because I sort of got the impression that it was also a wine bar, but in a way it seems to go way beyond being just a wine bar and actually being a pretty decent place in which to get a decent beer. Yeah, this place turned out to be pretty good, and the service was quite fine as well. Sure it was a little small, but you can't have everything.

I guess being close to the railway station really does assist pubs in a lot of cases, but this one…read morecertainly does stand out, even if it is due to the lack of pokie machines. Well, it does advertise that, and I certainly do appreciate it as well. Okay, while it didn't have a huge selection of tap beers, I did find that the staff were actually quite friendly, and the atmosphere pretty good as well. Oh, and I also really liked the building.

I have eaten there twice now and both times the food has been great as well as the service and…read morestaff. Would recommend.