Looking for a fun night out in Melbourne and something a bit different? Then you should check out…read morethis place! The location is extremely easy to get to (Flinders St, basically opposite the Aquarium) and was originally a bank building in during the gold rush in the 1800s. Once inside you could be forgiven for thinking you had gone back in time with the authentic decor. The entertainment was quality, the venue was lovely and the staff were very friendly. Recommended especially for a unique date night!

Saw the Rob Maloy Bobby Darin show and paid $50 for a ticket - the show was WOEFUL, the singer and…read morehis sound guy had clearly never rehersed, the wrong backing track came on multiple times which was funny once yet after the 3rd and 4th time it was awkward and embarrssing. If paying $10 a ticket no issues with a crappy show for a laugh yet when you're charging good money to see a guy basically sing karaoke, it's unfair to purport the show to be clearly something it is not and take people's money willing knowing the performance will be well below average. Poor, poor form.

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.

Absolutely disappointing experience and appalling customer service. The vibe looked good and we…read moredecided to take a chance. We entered at 11pm and decided to get a bottle of sparkling. No one informed us about any policy. We paid for the bottle with 5% service charge which I do not think they deserved. We had a sudden work call at 11.30pm and grabbed the bottle to go, only for the staff to chase us to the front of the bar to inform us that they do not have a takeaway license. For christ sake, we already had bought the bottle!! Though it's alright, we respect policy. They highlighted that they needed to keep the bottle in the establishment. We asked if we could come back and finish it. They said they would keep our bottle. We rushed back to our hotel (Marriott- 200m away for the call). When we returned at 11.58pm, they had already thrown our bottle away. Unbelievable! They were quick to receive our money but equally quick to throw our experience out the window. No doubt, we returned almost at closing times but throwing our wine before closing time - if you wanna go by the book, that is still not your closing time. When we raised our grievances to the staff, she said she told us about closing time at 12 midnight. However, we emphasised that she should have let us know about the takeaway policy and license. Had we known, we would not have ordered a bottle. She looked at us blankly and simply replied "feedback received, but we do not allow anyone in after 12, so you have to leave". Quite honestly, ChatGPT / Claude / Grok could have conveyed more empathy. I am not a VIP customer nor am I a high spender. That being said, I value places with a human connection and empathy, and would regularly visit such places with joy and happiness multiple times. This place is not one of them. For this reason, I will never visit again. If you think likewise, and value authenticity and a true Aussie welcome, you would not visit this place. I hate to give negative reviews but please spend your money elsewhere.

The perfect blend of new and old, Caretaker's Cottage is undoubtably the best bar in Melbourne…read more Don't take my word for it, take the word of the 3 other bartenders around town that unanimously answered "Caretaker's Cottage!" when I asked what do they think the best bar in town was. CC is also on the Top 50 bars list! At Caretaker's Cottage you get high end, modern cocktails wrapped in an old-pub feel atmosphere with interesting decor. Aptly named, the place is a converted old cottage behind the Wesley Place church. Step inside, and it's a mix of old and modern, maintaining the heritage and namesake of the place while having fun and modernizing it a bit to make it more suitable for a casual and fun bar. The drinks menu changes constantly and the bartenders avoid to make any modifications as they work tirelessly to perfectly blend the right amount of ingredients with each concoction. Don't worry, the drinks are that good that you wouldn't want to change a thing anyway. The team gets really creative, too, including ingredients such as ube, yuzu, kiwi, green melon, and charcoal. Both the bartenders and the rest of the staff are friendly, efficient, and happy to help when needed. The place is small but they make it work and on nice days, you can stay outside and enjoy the small yard. Overall, if you like creative cocktails, visiting Caretaker's Cottage is an absolute must!

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.

This used to be a night club, and honestly, I am totally over nightclubs, simply because they are…read moreloud, crowded, and can be impossible to enter at times. Well, this is no longer the case here. In fact, this place not only opens much earlier but it has an awesome atmosphere. Actually, I don't even think I can consider it to be a nightclub anymore, but rather a cocktail bar, and a pretty awesome one at that. Not surprisingly, there are references to books, and some pretty awesome books at that, all over the place. Oh, and not only do they also have beer available, and the service is also pretty awesome.

Only in Melbourne do you stick a fake tree and some mushrooms in a two story bar, and call it…read more"Story book" themed. Perusing the cocktails, my inner Harry Potter nerdyness screamed out at a polyjuice drink. Yes. Each drink on their menu has a short narrative, you should read the lot to to know which one you want. I place my order and then struggle to find some seats in a corner. I wait as drinkers pass by holding mini tea cups filled my an alcoholic concoction. It's cute. It's loud. It's crowded. I could've shed my heavy thick winter coat, but with the lack of seats, and space to breathe, that wasn't a possibility. Don't come here to relax or have a conversation. Come to try the cute imaginative drinks. And to see a tree and giant mushrooms. I'll give Storyville an A for their effort.

It's always good to visit a bar that I haven't visited before, and with Melbourne there are…read morecertainly quite a lot of bars in which this can be done, since they do tend to be literally popping up all over the place. Well, this one is certainly no exceptions, and while it isn't one of the best rooftop bars that I have visit, it is still pretty good. Yeah, in a way there certainly does seem to be pretty nice atmosphere up here, and the staff are pretty cool as well. Oh, and I probably should mention that they have some rather nice beers as well. Yeah, this place certainly is pretty cool.

What a wonderful day to sit outside for lunch on a rooftop cafe. Warm but a bit breezy and…read moreeventually rain chased us off the roof. The food is Fancy Hank's BBQ from downstairs but it was the open fresh air that did it for me.

- 100 stars if I could - behind a nondescript door in an…read morealley - it's hard to find, especially in the night - delicious and inventive drinks - everything is good! - bartenders are very knowledgeable about their craft - get your camera ready - no wifi - walked in without resey on a Thursday night

This is one of those places that has a realy prohibition feel about it, to the point that it can be…read morepretty tricky to find as it happens to be behind a rather non-descript door. In fact it took me a bit to actually locate the place since it isn't hugely advertised, however once you step inside it is pretty awesome, but I suspect that is what the whole prohibition theme is about. The service wasn't bad, and while it is a little pricier than norm, they do have a pretty good selection of beers. It is pretty classy, but as I suggested, that has a lot to do with the prohibition feel.