Melbourne Nightlife

If you're traipsing round the city looking for cool places to hang out, problem with Melbourne is that many of the best places are hidden away down alleyways or hiding behind innocuous doors that you just wouldn't believe would be a place to hang out late into the night. And there are some really fantastic places.

Hidden gems include:-
The Croft Institute. Half the fun is finding it and then trying to find it for the 2nd time! Spread over 2 or 3 floors, the rooms are tiny and it has the feel of a laboratory or some other medical institute - the grey concrete walls and floors, clinical white cupboards are full of equipment you think you should recognise from chemistry lessons - it almost looks as if they are making pure alcohol on site. Occasional live music but normally you can't work out where the hell the person is playing - it gets very full. It's hidden in Croft Alley - walk pass the garbage bins of the surrounding restaurants, read the graffiti whilst you're wandering if it's safe! Off Little Bourke St (Chinatown) near to the Russell St junction.

Another great place is Tony Starr's Kitten Club - discrete lighting, 50s and 60s clean lines and bright colours, cool jazz (live and taped), awesome cocktails and pretty good food. Behind that door! 267 Little Collins St - virtually opposite the Town Hall.

Continued on next tip

Dress Code: None of the above have dress codes - anything goes.

If you're tired of trying to find those bars in the backstreets, or you've tried and been unsuccessful, thankfully not every decent place in the City is hidden away. In fact two of the best places in the city couldn't be more obvious!

It can get VERY full and at first may seem to be the place to avoid - but the Young & Jackson Hotel on the junction opposite Flinders St station is a fun pace to hang out. A traditional pub spread through rooms and different levels - noisy, boisterous but full of atmosphere. You can also eat here. On the corner of Flinders St and Swanson St.

Just across the road from Y&J is Taxi/Transport. Edging Fed Sq on the Swanson St side, another place you will see immediately on exiting Flinders St Station. It coudn't be more different from Y&J (with the exception that it also gets extremely full). Stripped white pine, glass and chrome, more window than wall, Taxi/Transport is a funky European watering hole - made more so by the sheer number of beers it has on the 'menu' (Japan, Europe, US and Australia mainly - but if you're looking for an obscure wheat and pineapple stout from Transylvania - if is exists, it'll be here). One corner of one of the 'rooms' (several divisions at play rather than lots of single rooms) there's a small (but good) sushi bar. Lots of monitors abound for the latest in sport or music vids and there's a couple of outdoor terraces as well. Top floor is a seriously fancy-schmantzy cocktail bar.

If you can get in, MoViDa, the fab tapas bar in Hosier Lane (2 minutes walk along Flinders St away from Fed Sq) is great to snag a table and stay for the evening - a few tapas and great wine to be had - and a great Spanish atmosphere of dim lights and dark wooded furniture.

I have a soft spot for the European Bier Cafe (120 Exhibition St), Belgian/French beer cafe which is pretty sleek and upmarket. Gets pretty full on towards the end of the week (live music and DJs upstairs and basement) but if you fancy a quiet (Belgian on tap) beer or two midweek, you could do a lot worse.

Hairy Canary is, by comparison to many here, is easy to find - 212 Little Collins St - the other side of Swanston St from Tony Starr's. It's officially on the first floor, but this narrow bar and foodie opens out onto the street and more of a raised ground floor than 1st floor. It's noisy, it's fun, it's very friendly - opposite the Victoria Hotel.
Cookie - 252 Swanston St. It may be on the main street but you'll walk past this several times before succeeding in identifying the right door. It's huge, it's an extraordinary mix of suits and Paris Left Bank type students and passes as cocktail bar, beer hall and great Thai food.
Gin Palace - low lights, drapes, subversive corners, secluded alcoves (discrete love-affairs and spy novels must have been plotted here), and Martinis the house speciality. 190 Little Collins St.
Melbourne Supper Club is a personal favourite - overstuffed Chesterfields reminiscent of a Gentleman's Club, waiter service who know their wines and it stays open all night. And that huge circular window overlooks Parliament House. No standing allowed so sometimes queues up the stairs - it's another one behind the door! But The European restaurant downstairs is the landmark - i's next door. 161 Spring St.

Arguably the best place to see live music in the city. The beauty of the Hi Fi bar is that the programme is so mixed - ranging from live Djs from across the globe through to the best of world music through to Aussie rock through to the occasional comedy act as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

It's big but intimate at the same time - it's also a club when the live music is not on - my only criticism is over use of jos sticks!

Prices vary according to the night.

Unless otherwise advertised, 18+ only

This is a legend in it's own lifetime - and just 'so' jazz. Two 'auditoria' - (read rooms with slightly raised stages) connected by a smoker's yard (no smoking allowed - and be warned - no talking allowed at most concerts unless deemed appropriate! But you can drink :)). Only a few of the gigs have tickets on sale in advance - so you should be Ok whatever the night - although for very popular nights, worh getting there at 'door open' times of 830pm (most gigs start at 930pm).
Bennetts Lane has launched many an Australian jazz career and introduced many an international star for the first time to appreciative Australian audiences. Great thing is that you really do get close to the stars - 220 seats (and tables) for the main space, probably not much more than 150 for the smaller space.

And at around $20 per ticket for most concerts (although $40 for the big names) it's a great space to go chill out and see some great live music.

But it's another one of those Melbourne hidden gems - up a back alley. It's off Little Lonsdale St between Russell and Exhibition Streets - don't rely on taxis knowing where it is!

Dress Code: Black is probably de rigeur but anything goes...

Everything you need for a great night out is all under one roof at the huge Crown Leisure Complex. It's situated along the Yarra River and is very easy to get to. You'll find restaurants, nightclubs, casino, bowling alley, cinema and shops.

Other than the previous tip, there are the big 'West End' or 'Broadway' venues that will offer musicals and the occasional visiting theatre production and a number of 'fringe venues'. Of these, the best fringe venues/companies are

'Chapel Off Chapel' (220 seat and 100 seat) venue hosting theatre, music and cabaret
www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/lifestyle/arts/chapel

La Mama - small venue and experimental theatre company in Carlton exploring contemporary/cutting edge Australian and international work - also 'hosts' performances at the Carlton Courthouse
www.lamama.com.au

Red Stitch Actors Theatre - an ensemble company working out of converted church in St Kilda (120 seats) who present contemporary international work throughout the year.
www.redstitch.net

This does not include the visiting companies or temporary venues created in major festivals such as the Melbourne International Arts Festival or the Melbourne Fringe Festival.

I have undoubtedly left off quite a few - I'll add as I go along and provide more comprehensive information about the individual companies.

For a city the size of Melbourne, you'd expect a number of venues offering live theatre on a nightly basis. Surprisingly, whilst it is the main city in Australia for it, not quite the diversity of choice you'd expect.

Main rep companies are Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC) and The Malthouse. MTC offer the mix of Australian and international, contemporary and the classics (although more emphasis is on the contemporary). Currently without it's own home (a new building had it's foundation stone laid a few months back), the MTC perform mainly at the Arts Centre. Current season includes new plays from Australian, American and British playwrights.
Not cheap but ! www.mtc.com.au

The Malthouse is the other rep company - the main emphasis being on contemporary Australian theatre with the occasional European classic. They have a converted brewery as a home - hence the name The Malthouse. Two great theatre spaces and a third, smaller studio as well as a bar etc. It's opposite ACCA and will be only a few minutes from the new MTC venue (when completed) and NGV International making a cultural island on the edge of the CBD. It's a little more 'edgy' than MTC. www.malthousetheatre.com.au

Dress Code: Anything goes