Melbourne: Where to have a bloody good night out!

Full Disclosure: I grew up in Melbourne and spent the majority of my 20’s lurking in dark bars watching bands and knocking back pints of Geelong Bitter – so my idea of a good night out may not be shared by many people. But here are some suggestions if you find yourself in Melbourne (in the city and close by) in the evening looking for something to do:

Let’s skip the dinner part (there’s a million posts out there about where to eat in this city)…..assuming you’re beginning your evening with a fully lined stomach, let’s get down to business.

Starting the night off right….something competitive 🤗

AXE THROWING

WTF?! Axe throwing?!, trust me there is something extremely therapeutic and damn fun about throwing an axe at a target.

Melbourne finally has its own axe throwing bar. In the words of Molly Meldrum “Do yourself a favour”….

Maniax, Russell Street, Abbotsford.

www.maniax.com.au/Melbourne

OLD SCHOOL ARCADE GAMES

Street Fighter 2, Time Crisis, Daytona USA, Ghostbusters on pinball – if you like me, spent a lot of time in the arcade as a child, the above will certainly bring  a smile to your face. Bartronica, brings back the old school arcade vibe in its basement bar on Flinders Lane, try reaching that old top score of those after some game themed cocktails. This place is super FUN!

Bartronica, 335 Flinders Lane, CBD

www.facebook.com/bartronica/

THE BARS

Now I could list a million bars here – but below is a small selection of places I’ve been to during this short stint in town and some of my old favourites:

Mjølner

Mjølner Bar, Melbourne

A Viking fan? Enjoy drinking beer from a horn? Now this is the place for you, tucked down Hardware Street, the front door is easy to miss but once inside pop downstairs to the bar. This bar has all my favourite things, its dark, the bartenders know what they are talking about, and yes, drinking beer from a horn!

And a note to whisky fans, Mjølner has the largest selection of Highland Park whiskies in the southern Hemisphere.

Hardware Street, CBD

www.Mjolner.com.au

Town Hall Hotel

Town Hall Hotel North Melbourne

Ahhh the Townie –  an ol’ favourite of mine. I think I spent more time here than at uni back in the day. This place hasn’t changed (except maybe the menu – which is excellent by the way) aside from the addition of more record sleeves and musical knick knacks to the already groaning walls. If you like your rock n roll, good beer, and cracking banter with the bar staff – this is definitely the place for you.

There is a huge beer garden out the back, which is great in Summer but is also heated so good for Winter too. Check it out.

33 Errol Street, North Melbourne

http://www.townhallhotelnorthmelbourne.com.au

Shady Lady

The Shady Lady, Fitzroy

Blues. Beers. Picklebacks – enough said.

36 Johnston Street, Fitzroy

www.theshadylady.com.au

Boilermaker House: This list is certainly not complete with a decent whisky bar (I am a bit of a “whisky wanker”). This has the largest selection (that i’ve seen anyway) of whisky in Melbourne – if you like a dram or 4 definitely come here (Warning: the whisky list although impressive is not broken down into region / country, so if you are like me and specific about the whisky you drink and want to try something new, this will do your head in.) The staff are extremely knowledgeable and happy to recommend if you cant decide what to order.

209 – 211 Lonsdale Street, CBD

www.boilermakerhouse.com.au

Other bars to check out:

  • Ponyfish Island, Yarra Pedestrian Bridge, Southgate (drinks in the middle of the Yarra)
  • Horse Bazaar, 397 Little Lonsdale Street, CBD (the food here is amazing FYI)
  • Naked For Satan, 285 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy (for amazing views of the city)
  • The Tote, Corner of Wellington and Johnson Streets, Collingwood (for great live music)
  • Cherry Bar, AC/DC Lane, CBD (late night shots, dancing, air guitar, and bad decisions)

BRUNCH

Feeling a bit delicate the next morning? head to Bowery to Williamsburg for a New York style brunch. Awesome coffee, and a selection of American brunch classics – go with an empty stomach the portions are MASSIVE!

16 Oliver Lane, CBD

www.bowerytowilliamsburg.com.au