Hey there!
It occurs to me that some people who stumble across this blog may be travelers searching for things to do while in Melbourne. If you’ve come here because you’re in to Tiki, cocktails or sub-culture, I thought I could help out with some helpful pointers for getting the most from your visit.
Cocktails and Bars
Ok first of all, you absolutely must find a bookshop and arm yourself with a copy of Deck of Secrets‘ “Bar Secrets: Melbourne” and “Bar Secrets: Melbourne City Fringe”. These sell for under $10 each, and have 52 cards, each with a review, contact details and map for some of Melbourne’s nicer bars. Be warned that many of Melbourne’s bars are hidden away – it’s often quite a hunt to find the obscure alleyways where we hide our best venues.
Some of my picks for Melbourne Cocktail bars are:
1806 – A new bar run by Sebastian Reaburn, Melbourne’s mad scientist of Cocktails, and an avid drinks Historian. Seb is a veritable font of knowledge, and the drinks at 1806 are a testament to this (the name of the bar is a reference to the first written definition of the cocktail in the year 1806 – definitely a place for cocktail nerds like me).
Seamstress – Melbourne’s bartending dream team works at this new bar in Lonsdale Street. Headed up by Jason Chan, who has a knack for hunting down obscure and exotic spirits, Seamstress is a must-see bar.
Der Raum – world renowned cocktail bar doing lots of innovative “molecular mixology” stuff.
Golden Monkey – Asian inspired drinks and decor with ever-friendly staff, the Monkey has been the darling of the Melbourne bar scene for the last two years or so.
Murmur – Very low key “cuban-style” bar – this is a typically Melbourne Alleyway bar. Look for the giant chandelier in the alley.
Ginger – Head off the beaten track a little to Brunswick Street a bit north of the city, and you will find Ginger – a progressive cocktail bar with a great friendly atmosphere. After 3 visits, you’re practically family thanks to the most awesome hospitality of Alex Ross and her crew.
Tiki Lounge and Bar – Hands down the best bar in Melbourne. Exquisite drinks and impeccable hospitality are the hallmarks of this behemoth of the Melbourne Cocktail scene. Plus, their head bartender is smoking hot.
Subculture:
Tiki seems to attract a lot of attention from the low brow art community and pop culture enthusiasts. Here are a few people in Melbourne who are doing their best to further the cause…
Outre Gallery – Lots of lowbrow art and artists – Shag, kozyndan, Niagara and many others, Outre is the place for Tiki artwork and books.
Route 66 – Clothing store specialising in rockabilly type styling, Route 66 often play host to bands in their Prahran store. Great people and strong supporters of Tiki Lounge and Bar.
There are a number of Burlesque troops floating around in Melbourne. Off the top of my head we’ve got HiBall Burlesque, The Town Bikes and Man’s Ruin (who I can’t find a site for after 30 seconds of intense googling.) They’re all well worth checking out.
I’m sure I’ve missed some vital stuff out – please feel free to drop a note in the comments if you’ve got anything to add.
Cheers,
Kev.
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January 15th, 2008 at 4:22 pm - Edit
Kev, thanks for the recommendations. I made it over to Murmur and 1806 last night, and had some really excellent libations.
January 15th, 2008 at 11:52 pm - Edit
No problem! 1806 is a drink geeks paradise.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:23 pm - Edit
Well, it’s a good thing I saved Der Raum for last because it blew both of those joints (as good as they were) completely out of the water. The “Death In the Afternoon” and “Latin Threesome” cocktails were simply astonishing. I was slightly less impressed with the “Blackstrap”, as it tasted a bit like cough syrup and was flat, despite the ginger beer.
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:53 am - Edit
Glad this post came in useful! Der Raum used to be my defacto home when I needed to escape housemates while living in Richmond. It’s a lovely bar, and Matt’s very committed to pushing the envelope as far as bars go. I used to record some episodes of my cocktail Podcast there – soused.thepodcastnetwork.com – with one of the bartenders who is now at Seamstress in Lonsdale street.
Kev
February 7th, 2008 at 1:12 am - Edit
Man’s Ruin is no longer together unfortunately, Sarah Lea Cheescake is now performing solo.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:45 am - Edit
Nice Site!