I normally tend to stay away from the kind of place where the average age is 18 and a half and they…read morescan your drivers license upon entry - you know just in case you knife someone inside the club or change out of the unfashionable collared shirt they probably require you to wear to gain entry. But I have to say the Night Cat is slightly different. The first and major big difference is that they have live bands playing on a circular stage, usually surrounded by enthusiastic dancers. And the bands they have playing are often pretty good. When there is no live music ,they tend to have a DJ playing some pretty cheesy music - but in my view, cheesy in a good way. They often can be found spinning some old school classics that you jump up on the dance floor to have a bit of a laugh, only to realise you are having a lot of fun. So if you are looking for a boogie and prepared to admit to yourself that having fun is way better than hanging with hipsters and jazz musicians then give the Night Cat a go. What's the worst that could happen (sans Interpol being notified of the details on your drivers license)?

It's a fascinating venue and one that has escaped me for many years…read more Boy does this place fill up. Its pretty trashy and cheap with a basic selection of average drinks. But when the music and band kicks in, it doesn't really matter. Everyone is dancing. It's the opposite to most places where the odd few are dancing whilst the majority remain as stone human statues. There's good areas to sit and relax as well. very interesting place to sit watch and observe people too.

I give this place a 3.5 Star thanks YELP…read more Been there twice, first time was pretty cool. Some nice old school hip hop tracks which was a thumbs up from me. YAY world! Bar service was a bit slow and nobody smiled they all looked like they wanted to die. Bathroom was okay- had chunder all over the floor but thats standard. I also got elbowed in the eye by some asian chink- wasn't too impressed.. Standard. Anyways- I danced a bit on the table which was interesting. Uhm- The place has a smoking area... Thank the lord- thumbs up. Second time, was a friday night. Pretty empty around 11-12 but got busier later with weird people in suits. HOWEVER. The girl who was playing initially was pretty decent. Then it all changed when another chick come up with short shorts that went up her anus. Her music was TERRIBLE. Some poppy hip hop crap. Sucked balls. Thumbs down. A jug of beer is at a pretty good price though, it was only 18 bucks compared to the standard average of 26. YAY AGAIN! Fun place overall. Totally recommend it. It's really laxed and pretty trendy. There were a couple painters there that night doing some canvas work. COOL-

Laundry bar is an awesome two level club that offers a variety of events inclusive of drum and…read morebase, dubstep and even host an awesome gay night (danceteria). The venue is usually jammin' and has a pretty good crowd. Went to 'Danceteria' recently and the venue wad busy, upstairs offering deep ghetto beats and downstairs a little more 80's and retro. They do random events like open mic hip-hop which usually consists of white guys stoned out of their minds rhyming words that somehow string together into coherent sentences (sometimes that is).

In the middle of last week I was sitting happily at home contemplating an alcohol-free day, and how…read moremuch my overworked liver may appreciate such a wondrous happening. Long story short, is I got a phone call saying there was a new wine bar down the road in Essendon, and that I should tag along to check it out. If you like a very competitively priced glass or bottle of wine, I suggest you do to. The wine bar down the road in Essendon turned out to be the Essendon Wine Bar. The night I went was the soft opening, and there was the odd fixture waiting to be fixed in the back of the venue, but it also gave us a chance to look through before it was all polished and suave. One of the highlights for me was seeing inside the old safe (the venue was a NAB branch in a previous life) which now serves as a liquor store (as in backup booze cache, not bottle shop). Somewhere between being a bank and becoming a wine bar, this was also a nightclub, so some of the furniture has been re-purposed, but much of it is slick and new. The back of the venue will retain a wide dance floor and as it will be open until late a few nights a week, but it will be given a facelift. The smoking area out the front is a nice spot when there are no smokers, and there is footpath seating. Food is outsourced to neighboring restaurants. Armed with my initial freebie-opening-night-celebratory-wine, I perused the wine list. It was still being printed, but the interim one was interesting and featured a number if wineries I had never heard of. Second glass of wine was a Heathcote Shiraz, and it was great, at $6 a glass or $22 a bottle. In consultation with my group, we invested in a bottle for the third round. Then another. A third, equally-well-priced bottle was purchased, but I can't remember what it was. Then there was a discussion about sampling a white, so we did that obligingly without doing too much damage to the bank account. Finally it was time to leave as the sober driver wanted some sleep. A beer for good health courtesy of the bar manager was all that stood in the way of a swift departure. Throughout all this I nibbled on samples of the catering, and can tell you the olives a good, the arancini balls delightful, fries moreish, and meatballs worth the wait. As a special tip for those of you who made it this far into my review, bottles of Champagne, real Champagne from Champagne, start at $65 a bottle for Mumm Cordon Rouge or Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Now tell me you don't want to check this place out!

Got a groupon as a gift at this place and as mentioned on the coupon went made a booking for 9pm…read morethis evening. The place smelled of puke (or was it cheese), either way it was not too pleasant. The voucher was for a 'Wine Tasting Experience with a Meat and Cheese Platter' for two. Their menu states that a platters include 'cheese (4), cold meats (3) Marinated olives, water & gluten free rice crackers' and the pictures on the website looks scrumptious. Infact, I though it was one of those hidden gems, a cozy nook and and was eager to try their yum cha. However, when I made the booking last evening I was told that I could only order what was available as yum cha was outsourced. The wine list consisted of a few low to mid range wines and I settled for a glass of '2013 Mike Press Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills' and my husband settled for a glass of Pimm's. As for additional food, we were told told that the only food available was from the pizza menu. Husband came back with the drinks from the bar and it took approximately 30 minutes for the Tasting Platter to arrive upon questioning it's whereabouts. The slightly rude personnel behind the counter had the nerve to say 'It is because we are busy', when we politely questioned as to how much longer it would take. Made a mental note to not spend a penny more than what the voucher would cover and to take our dinner bill elsewhere. The cold cuts, prosciutto and the salami tasted funny, the cheese was alright, the water crackers were soggy and who the hell serves Peckish Crackers. I could have made a better platter at home. I wish restaurants would stop existing for the sake of existing and actually do justice to the culinary art. Absolute disappointment!

First Floor is a guilty pleasure of mine... Sure, it has a slightly sleazy crowd, is open…read moreridiculously late, and is dark and dingy but it's just so much freakin' fun. First Floor only really gets going at 3am - it's the only bar on all of Brunswick Street that is open past that time, so expect a line if you're heading there late. Also boys, expect a wait unless you're accompanied by a lady. As mentioned previously, the crowd is sleazy but completely harmless. I have competed in dance-off's at First Floor with some seriously creepy people and had the time of my life. The drinks are reasonably priced - the same you'd expect anywhere, and the music varies from night to night. Friday's is a retro night with a mix of the best from the 80's and 90's, and Saturday's have a rotating list of DJ's. Occasionally, on public holidays, an 80's hair metal band will play. GO SEE THEM. You'll have the night of your life.

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)