The Spanish Club is a tapas bar, a music venue, and a Spanish community centre. The versatility of…read morethe space reflects its eclectic mix of patrons. Despite the variety of spaces The Spanish Club remains an authentic Spanish experience. The bar is home to a small stage where flamenco and acoustic Spanish music is often played live on weekends. The patterned carpet, booths and dimly lit bar provide a unique backdrop. The chorizo, patatas bravas and paella are favourites but this is a great place to try something new. Grab a group of friends and make the most of the tapas bar. Order big and try everything. This is authentic tapas. Wash it all down with cocktails, wine, beer or the obvious choice Sangria. The large stage in the rear salon hosts a variety of live music events and rocks on the weekend. This space is a great place to sample Melbourne's live music scene. The Spanish Club has a 'anything may happen tonight' feeling. Perhaps it is the warm hospitality, diversity of patrons, the intimate bar, the classic live music venue...or maybe it's just all the Sangria I had earlier!

This place has really grown on me. The first time I visited the place it was packed out, however I…read moredidn't actually spend any time having a good look around. That happened the next couple of times and my thoughts changed when I discovered a band room and a really cool beer garden out the back. In fact it is the epitome of the trendy inner-city bar. The beer garden has a really urban feel about it, and the beers on tap are pretty good (though it isn't a craft beer bar so they tend to be the standard lot). Mind you, it isn't always that crowded, it really depends on when you pass through (Friday nights are probably the time when it is the most difficult to find a seat, though that is expected with the popular bars). I probably don't come here as often as I like, but it's definitely a great place for a drink.

The Workers Club runs an event called 'Orlando', which i attend every time…read more From the outside, 'The Workers Club' doesn't look like much but once you enter; is really something else. Orlando see's The Workers Club play your ever-so-cool uber 80's / 90's mash up mix tape with the crowd to suit. There's the main bar, a band room, a courtyard and a smaller bar as well, The Workers Club is a decent venue with awesome gigs, great pub food and cheap jugs on specials nights.

With a recent much needed series of renovations, the Laundry is once again a venue worth visiting…read more Just as it did before, the Laundry hosts some excellent music, however, with the addition of soundproofing, an awesome new sound system and lighting array, the upstair portion of the venue is equal to any in Melbourne. That said, lets not forget downstairs, for there have been some serious changes here too, with newly installed tap beers, including Guinness, and vastly improved seating granting the entire venue a well deserved breath of life. Probably the only issue with the Laundry is that it has yet to find its groove, however, as Friday nights has been run by local DJs for several seasons now, it is only a matter of time before this bar becomes a must for Melbourne drinkers, clubbers and musicians alike.

This was a rather nice and friendly bar, and I managed to get in just as it opened. I did quite…read morelike the atmosphere, it was rather nice, though I can't say that it was really a favourite. In fact, I'd probably consider it to be one of those hidden gems that I so quite like. There were some rather nice beers on tap, which I though was pretty cool, and they also have a rather nice upstairs function area as well. Yeah, while this wasn't necessarily the best of the bars that I have visited, it still certainly did have some charm.

When I travel I always search for a dive bar. I was in town for a blink 182 concert and wanted some…read morepre show drinks. Found the cherry bar and I loved this place ! Dark. Dirty. Divey. Just my type of place. The bartenders were awesome. Happy hour had $6 house beers. Highly recommend this spot if you're in Melbourne.

This was my first time in a typical pub. (Yay!) So I can't really comment about the pub-ness of the…read moreplace, but I can review it like a restaurant. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana, which on Friday costs $13. (It's a dollar more on the other days of the week.) I love eggplant, so I was really happy to see the huge huge slices of eggplant on the plate covered in cheese and tomato sauce!! The dish was really satisfying. It also came with a small salad and some fries - or I guess "chips." (Please forgive me! I'm an American trying to adjust to Australia for a semester!) The place itself was nice and pleasant, although it was kind of hard to talk to people because the music was so loud (but I don't know if this is how pubs are).

A pretty traditional student-y kind of pub, the John Curtin Hotel god one for an understated…read moreafternoon/evening out with friends. Inside it looks a bit dark and broody but is actually pretty upbeat in atmosphere. The booths are a good size for medium groups, with one or two large enough to fit a bigger crew. Another plus is that the music's never too loud and it's easy to conduct a conversation. There're only a couple beers and one cider on tap, but the prices are the cheaper side of average, as is the food. The menu is your standard pub fare and nothing too special, but when lamb shank's on the specials board you can be sure it won't last long, so tender is the meat. They also do a particularly good chicken parma, which is on the larger side of average and enhanced by the option of self-serve chilli flakes at the kitchen counter. The bar staff are friendly, particularly Leon, who always gets to know the regulars. There're a couple of benches out the front that get filled pretty quickly on a warm evening, although the trees along the footpath have a cheeky habit of dropping bits and pieces of themselves into your drinks around springtime. There's also a recently revamped band room upstairs that hosts live music gigs most nights of the week and the occasional gallery exhibit. It also does trivia on a Monday night. All up, the Curtin is an easy and unpretentious staple pub where you can enjoy a relaxed couple of beers.

dr martins (the shoe company) have been doing a popup bar, shop and band room which is well worth…read morechecking out. The shop has some limited edition items you can't buy anywhere else. During opening hours they also provide hot dogs from massive wieners (prahran) and code black coffee!

Located on the Victoria street end of Church, across from the Fire Station, station 59 is a quiet…read moreenough bar to have a few good ones. Yes, opposite a fire station and many-a fireman frequent, though not the hot ones. The flashing lights of the engines when they rush to an emergency will cast a wicked red/blue glow to the main area, so all you fire engine enthusiasts should hang out for that. With a simple and safe pub menu - nothing too dangerous or experiential, nachos, wedges, parma etc. - a lovely beer garden and music on weekends (open mic Monday nights), either side of the working week is a good time to come. Nice barmen and cooks, and the owner Mick is a real character if you find him - once a magician, pool shark, handyman and storyteller.

Can I give a negative star? Went here for a free comedy…read morenight and it was so terrible that I'm mostly traumatised from going to comedy events now. So unfunny and sometimes hurtfully offensive, it didn't surprise me to hear this is the place that tried to hold the "why rape is/isnt funny"comedy 'debate' The decor is dingy and feels like the kind of place you will get felt up by an old man on the way to the bathroom. Avoid at all costs

I came here to see "The Big Hoo-Haa", which is improv comedy/theatre sports. If that had a Yelp…read morelisting, I'd probably give it a 4 star review. The Butterfly Club is located at Carson Place, which is effectively an alley. There's a few separate rooms, divided across a couple of floors. From what I remember, there was the bar area, another lounge, and the small theatre downstairs which seats about 40 people max. As another reviewer mentioned, the decor is very much "wacky and eccentric". Almost every square inch covered by kitschy items from the 70's and 80's, almost as if a hoarder had an estate sale and someone bought everything and decorated the bar with it. It certainly has a fringe, artsy feel too it, and the shows that take place here reflect that. The smaller theatre space was fun to bring an intimate feel for the improv show.

I get a smile on my face whenever I venture into the Butterfly Club. The venue is packed with…read moreknick-knacks and the show schedule is packed with unique shows. I've seen improv, comedy, and cabaret here and I've always left feeling satisfied. The performance spaces are smaller, so there is also an intimate feel. The programing veers towards 'fringe' style performances and there always seems to be something interesting going on there. Although that does mean that the shows might not be to everyone's tastes. If you're looking for a place to grab a drink and discuss what you've just seen, there is a dimly lit bar and lounge room on one of the levels. (This is also covered in trinkets.) I say - take a risk, wander down a dark laneway, up the stairs, and try something just a little bit different.

This place used to be called "The Laundry", and is where my band cut our teeth on the live scene…read more We used to play here every Thursday Night, doing 2 sets, for a room packed full of punters knocking back $1 pots. We had a blast. We recently returned to play here, and with the name change it seemed the life had been drained from the venue, with the large downstairs room feeling quite barren, and although the service was good, the new stripped back décor has made the place lose it's feel. As we were leaving, we did notice that the music took a turn, and with the speakers blasting out Michael Jackson, a new crowd of 'Revellers' wandered in and started dancing to the tunes, leading us to believe that the live music element is now filler until the late night crowd is ready to dance.

This is certainly a great venue for comedy shows, or any shows for that matter, though of course…read morethere are quite a number of people that are a little upset that it is no longer being used for its former purpose, and that is as a meeting hall for the trade unions. Still, this building does have quite a lot of history, and has been kept in a really good condition, and of course, there are lots of space for comedy events as well.

Socialist flag on top Of the large building that represents any trade unions. It was closed today,…read moreSaturday but we understand that they have court for a $22 minimum wage here, providing lots of perks for the union workers.