New Gold Mountain

Address: 21 Liverpool St

Melbourne 3000

Of all the bars listed I’m tipping this is the one that hardly anyone knows about or even if they do they struggle to find it. Given it’s actually just a doorway with the number 21 and a bike above. It’s a great little late night spot hiding upstairs though and it’s part of the lily blacks group so you know they know what they are doing. It’s open til 5-6 on the weekends.

 It’s a relaxed sit down place, where you come for cocktails and conversation. They do have some booth seating as well so it’s a good place to get cosy with someone at the end of the night as well. The bartenders follow the lily’s style of shirts and vests and the décor is a cool green with black furnishings and lush features.

This is a great place if you’ve been before and want to show off your Melbourne bar knowledge as it’s a hidden gem that really is a surprise when you walk up the stairs. It’s located at the Paris end of the city and in the midst of many good bars and it’s a great place to end off an evening. No dress code or security guards but behave yourself because once you come here you’re going to want to come back again and again.

Butterfly Club

Address: 5 Carsons Place

Melbourne 3000

Butterfly club is a theater that hosts cabaret shows and also has two awesome bars that look like an Alice in Wonderland explosion in a thrift store. It’s really one of the bars that you take people to when you want them to lose their breath and say I can’t believe this place exists. It’s also hidden up a typical Melbourne lane way and up some concrete stairs so when you get into the bars it a very pleasant surprise.

Given the nature of the venue and the shows they put on in their 70 seat theater attached they also get a very different crowd to your typical bars. It’s a lot of people waiting for the shows but also people who have heard how great it is a want a poke around.

If you are having an event talk to them about hosting and you’ll be getting many many high fives from your guests. The bar itself is small but good, the staff are friendly and chatty and there is a smoking area on the top level. Come have a drink and check out their line-up of shows. This is a very one of a kind venue and needs to be seen to be believed.

Collins Quarter

Address: 86a Collins St

Melbourne 3000

Collins Quarter is a very up market bar and restaurant at the Paris end of Collins st. Even though I’m not a really up market sort of person I do like this place because it’s so damn well presented and they have done a good job of separating the different areas so you can relax in the up-market décor while still wearing your green day t-shirt. As far as I know they don’t have a dress code as I always wear jean but still get let in, that said between 5-9 expect to see a lot of the Collin st crowd having after work drink. Actually if I was a girl who wanted to meet a rich young guy I’d put this at the top of my list.

This venue is made up of three separate areas. The front being a high class restaurant with great booth

seating, the middle which is a great open air bar area, inside the building and the backbar and VIP room. Be aware the drink prices vary from the open air bar to the VIP room and most affordable in the middle part, which luckily is the best part in my opinion and you can smoke, even cigars.

They have a great range of beers on tap and staff right now how are fantastic, some of the best people I’ve met behind a bar. The bar closes pretty early around 11-12 but it’s a nice place to start your night especially if you want to avail yourself of some great food as well.

Clique

26 king st

Melbourne 3000

Clique is fast becoming my favorite late late night spot in Melbourne. They are open til 6-7am even on the week nights. during the week is a very good haunt for the hospo crowd as well as some random people who wander in from King st. The bar staff really know what they are doing and have a very good range of drinks that you’ll find it hard to locate elsewhere. Thinks like Fireball Whiskey and Bacardi 151.

It’s a modern bar with a nice clean décor with black leather couches and good bench space at the bar. They

have some incredible street art decorating the walls as well and a very good smoking room with seating which becomes the home of many late night chat sessions. They also have a pool table which gets a lot of action and the bar staff are sharks so if they look bored just challenge them to a game.

This is a place where you’ll have a lot of fun drinking by yourself if you’re the type that makes friends easily and loves random adventures. I had an epic night here last night and found a pool shark girl who help me improve my pool game by miles, thanks taz. They also have a happy hour at 5-6am which is incredible. If you’re still drinking at 3am and need a good place to go come here.

Campari Bar - Rooftop

25 Hardware Lane
Melbourne, 3000
www.camparihouse.com.au

Campari is a great rooftop bar in hardware lane. It's one of the most enclosed rooftops i've been too and is still going strong in the winter time. It's much better in summer because they do have a great view but it's always humming with life.

They have a good snack menu and you can always get some grub to soak up the beers and cocktails. The decor is fairly standard outside bar style with big outdoor table and fake grass which add a nice touch. The clientele are usually a bit upmarket office types who love to come here when the day is done for a drink after work, but that makes it a very good place to come if you actually want to chat to people and meet someone.

The entire rooftop is a smoking are which can make it great or not when it's enclosed and it's one of the only rooftops i've seen where people will actually dance as well when the night gets going. Come here if ou feel like grabbing some sun and pizza with your beer.

Nihonshu Shochu & Sake

163 Lonsdale St
Melbourne, 3000
www.nihonshu.com.au

Nihonshu is a little counter bar nestled next to a Japanese restaurant in lonsdale st. It's low lit, relaxed and run by one of the coolest bar tenders in Melbourne. It's a sake bar, but they also have a great range of Asian beers, like Tsing Tao in the can and they have a full range of Japanese Tapas as well.


This place is run by none other than Kay the lead guitar player from the old Japanese Ramones style punk band Mach Pelican. I've had heaps of great nights hear chatting with him about great shows and bands and getting him to play some classic Japanese punk for me.



This place closes pretty early before 1pm but it's a really good place to start your night. If you're in the area definitely stop passed and have some food and great Japanese beers. If you're a sake or Japanese whiskey fan this is also a good place for you as they have a huge selection.

Berlin Bar

3/16 Corrs Lane
Melbourne, 3000
www.berlinbar.com.au



Inspired by a city once divided and now reunited, Berlin is a very interesting and fun drinking experience. It starts when you climb up the stairs to knock on the solid metal door. The door is opened and you are shown to your seat inside.





The bar is divided into east and west Berlin. One being the lush capitalist opulence with lots of chandlers, artworks on the walls and soft music. The other side is like a communist army barracks with actual bunk beds, spray painted warning signs and camouflage netting on the roof.


Berlin is a cocktail bar and the bartenders do a great job in making the hits, as well as concoctions of their own like the love parade. The old fashion i had here made by my mate Ben was fantastic and i just loved the atmosphere in this bar. It's not the sort of place you go to dance or really party but if you want to show some friends a bar in Melbourne like none other, this is it.