Awesome to have a beer hall / drink spot like this in the west, absolutely pumping on a Saturday…read morenight with awesome tunes and a great crowd! 24 beers/ciders/wines/cocktails on tap, plenty of areas to perch on. Great selection of local, kiwi, US goodies on the drinks list. Mixed crowd from young hipster kids, boys on a night out, and middle aged couples. Great atmosphere, such a pleasure to have a venue like this in the inner west with an inner city bar vibe. Will frequent again :)

With open mic and cheap taco wednesdays, and nearby to Footscray station, this venue is a good…read moreoption for a stop off on the way home from city for those living in the west.

The Dancing Dog takes me back to my uni days in New York's East Village around the turn of the…read moremillenium. It's got a cool, grungy, stick it to the man kind of feel: Girls with tatts and extravagantly dyed hair pulling cheap pints. Arcade Fire playing over the loudspeaker. Piles of flyers advertising local punk shows in abandoned warehouses. A chalkboard promoting the cafe's open mic nights. They've got a little outdoor area that really pumps on a weekend night as well as a darkish back room filled with comfy broken down furniture. This is a local's spot through and through and you're guaranteed to meet some Footscray characters (and I mean that in a good way). Beer selection is pretty average but you're here for the atmosphere. And if you're me, the nostalgia.

I was pleasantly surprised when I was wandering along Barkley Street to suddenly discover a bunch…read moreof innercity style bars, such as this one. Well, needless to say I decided to duck in and check it out, and to say that I was amazed is an absolute understatement. This place is gorgeous. Not only that but they have an amazing beer garden out the back, and also some pretty nice beers on tap. Okay, this isn't the only Footscray bar that I have visited, but it certainly ups the ante in the area.

There are moments in life when you're on your way home from a long hard day and you need to…read morecollapse into a comfortable spot and eat a delicious meal and drink a nice cold beer. I couldn't make it all the way home and I certainly couldn't make delicious food and I was by myself, what to do? Thank the gods who gave us Littlefoot. Gorgeous wee bar in the heart of Footscray, with the nicest staff who instantly make you feel welcome. But the clincher is the fabulous menu. It's weird to find yourself raving about a bar menu because they're normally so stock standard. But this menu is packed with such clever little items, with some lovely nods to the unique local cuisine in the 'scray. Tonight I chose off their specials menu and scored the most succulent little crumbed eggplant fritters. And the mini churros with salted caramel goodness. I must mention the injerra scrolls as I've had them before and they're a superb invention! Delicious! Nice and light, and very promptly served. The bar menu is also very good and any liquor snob will find something to their taste. I'm a tequila drinker and their range, while not extensive, is excellent quality. Topped off with great local beers on tap, a perfect spot for a few drinks with friends. Great to see this end of Footscray developing, and Littlefoot is setting an excellent standard.

This is a cool place to hang out and drink, go with a bunch of people, enjoy the vibe. The food can…read morebe a bit hit and miss, but the atmosphere makes up for any of this. Not recommended for first dates or intimate evenings.

Back Alley Sally's has that whole industrial-warehouse-turned-trendy-bar-and-pizza-joint vibe down…read morepat. It IS trendy, in a hipster/Westside way -- it sort of seems like it's trying to be a seedy dive bar, but it's too popular for that (and the decor is too cool for a dive bar). They have good beer on tap, plenty of pizza options from Slice Girls downstairs, and good tunes. It's dark in here, and it's LOUD, so don't go here if you want to have a meaningful debate about the merits of Fauvist painting with your friend the art student. DO go here if you want a few bevvies with laid-back friends in a cool environment. I've been here a few times, mostly for drinking, but have also had the food. They have a couple of vegan options including a vegan pizza and a vegan share platter with breads and dips, all clearly marked on the menu. I had the vegan pizza ("Livin It Vegan It") with olives and mushrooms and basil. It was alright, but not super memorable. Mostly you're coming here for the vibe -- typical Melbourne warehouse-hidden-off-a-main-street setting, where the ground floor is a pizza place and you take the stairs to the actual bar area, which is a giant dimly-lit room, with lots of different seating areas available. Definitely come check it out for drinks if you're in the area, but don't come here necessarily for the food or ability to converse ;)

This is another awesome bar, and it literally snuck up on me. I say this because as I was wandering…read morealong the road towards another destination I looked up and suddenly I saw this bar. Well, I went inside and it was literally love at first site - great beers, awesome outdoor area, and great staff. Not only that but this place was also incredibly chilled. This is the type of bar, if I lived in the area, would end ups spending an awful lot of time at.

So blown away by this hip little bar in Footscray. Incredibly friendly staff and patrons. Can't go…read morepast the cheap BBQ and bloody Mary's on a Sunday. Was particularly delighted to see the owner offer table with a small girl, some bubble making toys and a bag of chips to keep her amused. Even the patrons were friendly and great to chat to. The DJ played an eclectic mix of music too. Will certainly my return.

An awesome little spot that has funky tunes, some great drinks and a cute little beer garden out…read morethe back. If you're nice, they might even let you bring in PieThief from next door (but promise me you'll be good). Rotating beer selection is fantastic at a reasonable price.

It certainly looks like Footscray is now being invaded by these small, hole in the wall, bars. This…read moreis a bit further away from some of the others that I discovered, and I didn't find it to be one of the best. It was a nice enough bar nonetheless, and the staff were pretty friendly. Like a lot of these bars, it was quite small, but also cosy. There was a good selection of beers on tap as well, but in the end, it wasn't really one of my favourites.

Tried this place for a few sneaky beers prior to a concert at Festival Hall…read more Love the set up of this place. Sufficient room to bring a pram(next time) and let the little ones roam and also have a dog sit comfortably. Plenty of beer on offer. We tied the burgers and dim Sims - I loved it all. My new local favourite.

Ventured to Yarraville on a Sunday arvo to catch an alternate screening at the Sun Theatre, looked…read morefor a quiet place to have a bite to eat and a drink before hand. Now this is actually a hard thing to in Yarraville on a Sunday as it is a hive of activity and nothing is quiet! Had read a few reviews on Barkley Johnson Deli, so that was the choice. BJ is a tiny shop, with an intimate court yard at the rear, which is where we sat. There is a huge array of wines and a beautiful selection of antipasti. As there were four of us, we opted for a bottle of red wine from the specials board and the Antipasto platter to share. The waitresses were very helpful and quick to attend. The wine was delish and the platter abundant with a variety of olives, cured meats, marinated mushrooms, eggplant, capsicum, pesto, dip and bread. Was a lovely quiet place to sit and relax with good wine and great company.

I like to come here for a glass of pinot and peruse their glossy, new issues of The New Yorker…read moreafter a hard day's work. They also whip up a mean cup of joe; very strong, dark, and to the point. A variety of European style snacks are on offer, including a stunning plate of cured meats and Italian style sammies. This tiny place gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights so get there early or come by on a more sedate weeknight. A civilized and sophisticated little spot.

This is the 'Go To' place for Western suburbs people, after dinner, the movies, or for a night out…read more Secretly tucked upstairs, many people would not know it was there. It originally started many years ago as a cigar and wine bar, but the non-smoking rules came in to challenge their popularity, but this quality has survived the change and prospered. They have a seriously good wine list, all carefully selected, a small but tasty food menu including tapas and pizza and live music on Saturday nights. The cocktails are top quality and all bar staff, as expected, really know their stuff. The ambiance is warm and inviting with a fireplace and Chesterfield lounges mixed in with some eclectic tables, chairs and stools. This place is simultaneously great for groups, small parties or even a date night. Go before 9pm on a Saturday night if you wish to secure a table as it gets really busy, or just prop yourself up at the bar and mozy on down to the dance floor and bust a few moves..

Now this is the culturally Melbourne site I've been waiting to see! Acqua is a perfect mix of…read morehipster, classy, and casual. My cousin who lives in Melbourne, who was hosting me at the time, took me to this place as he said it was one of his favorite places just to listen to music and hang out. The lounge/bar has a very intimate feel to it, as it's quite dark inside. At the time we went, there was live music, and I am always open to hearing new genres. The place is a large lounge with ample seating for dining, hanging out, and of course just having some good drinks. Maybe this was just me but the drinks did seem to be on the steep side for a place not even in the CBD but more on the edge of it. I'm not sure if it's because I was still adjusting to the price shift or if this place was really pricey.

It is really starting to feel as it people are looking for any excuse to cross two style of shops…read moretogether. Okay, the idea of having a coffee shop tacked onto the back of a larger store has been around for a while, particularly with some of the major chains (I still remember having lunch at one of the major department stores, despite the cafeteria, and the store, being pretty tacky), however these days it seems as if many of these places are converting themselves into bars that happen to sell other things, such as records as is the case with this bar. Pretty cool I reckon because it means that you can enjoy the atmosphere of the bar, but you can also browse the collection of records as well. Also, they have a couple of pretty decent lounge areas, and also beer garden out the bar.

Long suffering partner of vinyl record fanatic? This is the place for you! Drinks, food, plenty of…read moreseating and good music. The biggest let down is that it doesn't have more records to keep him busy. :-D Serious though if I lived here I'd come here just for the garden, it's really relaxing.