Just off Little Bourke St on level 1 is a little Latin American bar called Vamos. Dimly lit with some cosy little fairy-light nooks, coming here early on a Thursday night for a knock-off drink provided a nice casual spot to catch up for a drink.
Service is great, the staff were really lovely and helpful. Many of the staff here also teach Spanish at the local language school where I study, which certainly speaks to their passion for bringing their local flavour to Melbourne.
The menu is Latin American inspired small plates, so we ordered a couple of bites from the bar snacks portion to share as a group - beef shin empanadas, guacamole and chips, and polenta chips. All were tasty, the guac and chips were spot on and I particularly like the polenta chips as they were quite thin and crunchy rather than the chunky-burn-your-mouth out trying to eat it type. I'd come back and give dinner a go.
I wasn't drinking so can't comment much on the booze available, but I did see that they do have happy hour specials going and mulled wine for winter. Probably somewhere I'd come more for a beer or margarita than a wine.
They have a lot of shows and events here, their web site features a lot of fun Latin-American inspired music acts from mariachi bands to flamenco and Brazilian performers if you're looking for something more upbeat.
If a boozy rowdy night is your style, I'd plan ahead for when something is happening or go on a Saturday night. If you're after a more chilled out spot to catch up with some friends, early weeknights are a good time to go. read more