We were all given the heads up that "Yelp is about to make these cold winter nights a lot more fiery," and they did just that. The Velvet Manhattan, was a great sip and chat drink to bring out everyone's friendliness. The Salted Caramel Espresso Martini was the sugar to my tea, like straight up alcoholic coffee, this is one good drink. I do admit, we had some confusion with the bar. First we were told to go to the side area for the cocktails, then they told us to go back to the other side, and I think they could've just done a little bit better with the communication. But other than that, everyone was friendly and quick. The food was tasty in portioned little bites. Pumpkin soup, scallop ceviche, mini burgers, chicken wings and rum cheesecake. Each one surprised me just a little bit each time they were brought out. The pumpkin soup had a ginger twist to it, the ceviche was creamy with avocado and melted in your mouth, the burgers were much needed, the chicken wing: whoa was it tasty with bourbon-beer-maple glaze, and the cheesecake was whipped with little chewy bits in it. All in all, my taste buds were having fun. Lounge itself is straight upstairs. The ceiling makes it look grungy with mismatched tiles and even peg boards up there. The outside balcony is very cool, it comes out and you get a full-on view of the bustling street down below. Plus side: they have enough space heaters to make it a toasty place. The Lounge X Yelp Party really switched things up for a wintery Tuesday. It was very good tasty, drink filled, happy Yelpers kind of night. Thank you Yelp for making it a good one! And thank you Lounge for hosting, the great cocktails and the great dishes and Hawthorn Brewing Co & Crush Wines for the drinks! . read more

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Plenty of warmth, seats, food, drinks, good tunes and happy faces were to be found at the most recent Yelp Party hosted with Lounge X! The Unicorn paintings were cute too but my favourite part was catching up with familiar faces and of course chatting away to new ones. I had only been to Lounge once in the past and must say I didn't even know they had food options or a dance floor. The food was surprisingly delicious, top picks were the scallops and pumpkin soup as the wings nearly burnt my fingers off and I ran out of time to try cheesecake. Drinks were plentiful with drink tickets being handed out at the beginning and more to be won with the lucky dip which very handy. The Manhattan was a bit strong for me but my trusty friend helped me eat the alcoholic cherry and I sipped on a crisp sauvignon blanc. Thanks Yelp and Lounge for turning a dreary Tuesday into a good night with a bit of a boogie included. read more

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Great party, guys and girls. I hadn't been to Lounge since a shameful alcohol-splashed night a couple of years ago in which my only non-hazy memory of the evening was that I was wearing spike heels and stepped backward without looking and accidentally speared a guy in the foot with my heel. Yeaahhhhh. So last night's party was definitely an improvement on my previous Lounge experience. Cool balcony, great drinkies, great people. I dunno what was up with the nude unicorn painting, but it was pretty epic. read more

I loved this Yelp party and the iconic venue, The Lounge. Being here brought me back to uni days and when I used to skip classes with friends and drink jugs of beer. No jugs of beer on this great evening. The Lounge and Yelp really turned it on with cocktails on arrival and an ever popular twist on the Espresso martini. I loved the ample food selection and especially the not so mini cheeseburgers. They were brilliant. A great night to catch up with Yelp friends old and new and to become reacquainted with my trusty old friend The Lounge. A great school night out!! read more

Lounge X Yelp Party - Yelp Events Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

Seems this venue elicits nostalgia for a lot of folks here, and I'm no different. I was a regular in my uni days (a million years ago) and stepping into the Lounge was like stepping back in time! Except it looked completely transformed from the grungy student hangout I remember, into a....je ne sais quoi... more mature, sophisticated but still slightly edgy cocktail bar. I was impressed with the spacious, heated balcony area too, and I think all up there was more than enough elbow-room to cater for us Yelp party animals! The velvet manhattans kicked into my system pretty fiercely, so much that I forgot to try the espresso martini (woe is me!!). Food came out slowly (but after seeing how meticulously they were presented, I can understand why) and it was amusing to observe how easily humans could turn into a pack of vultures everytime a new course came out (or was it just specifically for the mini-burgers!). Thankfully, I managed to try each dish, and boy was it all simply top-notch! Thanks Yelp crew for doing a superb job with organizing and managing the event, and adding the EXTRA into my ordinary Tuesday night! :) read more

Lounge X Yelp Party - First stop- the bar - Yelp Events Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

I'm quite new to Yelp but already I saw some familiar faces and had a chat :) I tried a Manhattan and quite enjoyed it. Didn't get to try the salted caramel expresso martini so that might be a good excuse to go back! By way of food I tried the pumpkin soup, scallop ceviche, cheeseburger and the cured trout. The scallop was by far the best ... but I did enjoy the others as well. Thanks Yelp! read more

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This was a fun, casual night out with Yelp friends. It was the perfect setting to have some drinks in a non-pretentious environment and then be pleasantly surprised at the many tasty dishes throughout the evening. I can see popping back here for a cocktail and bite overlooking the street. What a fab spot with friendly service! read more

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Yelp knows how to liven up midweek in Melbourne! I imagine some of the regulars at Lounge are Yelp converts after this party. The bar team mixed up a spirited welcome cocktail to keep the chill at bay featuring Diplomatico Rum. For a softer into, Hawthorn beer and Crush wines were also pouring. Tasty bites made the rounds: pumpkin soup in shot glasses was a personal favourite and hungry Yelpers descended as soon as the burgers appeared. The salted caramel espresso martini served as a sweet nightcap to the evening. Cheers to Yelp and all the sponsors for hosting such a fun, social evening in this new-to-me venue. read more

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Love it. The people are so sweet. They remember you from previous Yelp events. Thanks Yelp for another fantastic night. read more

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Wow what a party! Yelp certainly knows how to throw a great bash. I used to be a semi regular at the Lounge quite a while ago so it was a great opportunity to see how the venue had grown up. Well, it's developed into a sophisticated venue worthy of lunch, afternoon drinks on the balcony in the sun overlooking Swanston street or dinner and drink. Basically good for all occasions. The kitchen is worthy of checking out. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. So is the drinks menu for that matter. Overall a great venue. read more

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It's been 20 years since I've been to the Lounge and I am pleased to say that I slotted back in just like it was 1996 and I'd never left. Yelp, Diplomatico and the Lounge made the perfect threesome. The music was on point too, the sound system helped create a fun ambiance. Danny B even got some of us O.G yelpers up on the dance floor. Mat O, Luke B and I were the last to leave, just like old times! Being welcomed with a perfectly made Velvet Manhattan signalled that the night was going to be a very good one indeed. Catching up with newer yelpers was also fun. So too were the staff who were so genuinely friendly and accommodating even when they had to keep pumping out cocktails for the thirsty throng of bloggers. The food was tasty and in abundance. Creamy and flavourful pumpkin soup, plump scallops, beautifully gin cured salmon, sought after sliders, cheeky chicken wings and a sweet and light cheesecake to finish. I may have had two. Well I had worked up a hunger from the dancing! I loved the salted caramel espresso martini, I could have guzzled those all night. Good times were had by all and I was very pleased to be a part of creating more memories at this Melbourne institution. Thanks to all of the generous sponsors, our gracious hosts at the Lounge and Tres, Jackie and Tomas as always. Long live the Lounge. read more

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It's always great meeting new faces, other Yelpers, and being greeted by some friendly faces. It what makes Yelp event more than just a tasting or blogging events. As always Jackie and team have pulled in all the stops and tonight I've discovered a new venue ( not new to everyone but I've been living under the rock of parenthood). Lounge is a huge space with great food and some delicious cocktail menu. We tried the pumpkin soup - surprisingly delicious, scallop ceviche, cured trout and cheeseburger. Unfortunately duty calls and we had to head off although I was dying to try the rum cheesecake. Someone have one for me please... Kinda cool looking out at the bustling Swanson st underneath us and enjoying the music. Have you ever heard of reggae version of gangster paradise?? I haven't. But I liked it. I was told by others that the dance floor opens up at night, and music varies each time. I kinda like it and we will def be back. My fave part of the night has to be discovering the emoji search function!! Hit up your CM for more info and prepared to be awed ;) read more

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Really great party, I enjoyed the music, the people and the cocktails. I love this venue with the view on the street and many corners to chat with big or smaller groups. The chicken was really hot (Almost burnt my fingers when I picked one) but really tasty! Thanks again for the party. read more

What an awesome way to spend a cold Tuesday night in Melbourne! A Manhattan cocktail on arrival certainly blew of the chill. And was great to see both old and new friends. Boy did that food get pumping out. From the pumpkin and Parmesan soup, mini cheese burgers, chicken wings and the cheese cake, you couldn't find a fault. Each dish was well prepared and defiantly plentiful. The "lucky dip" was a nice touch too. Being able to find some Yelp merchandise (my personal fav being the phone charger, followed closely by the chap stick and playing cards) with added drink tickets - amaze balls. Thanks Jackie, Tresna and all the amazing Lounge staff. read more

Definitely one of those can't be stuffed middle of winter nights, if you chose to continued to think that way. In the end I made it down, and was glad that I did. It's pretty easy to sway me in a good direction with decent cocktails, add one of my favorites, then add a twist by using a dark rum base, and I'm pretty much sorted for the evening. Thankyou Manhattan. I've been to Lounge (perhaps shamefully in some instances) many times over the past years, even as far back as when they still had the downstairs area. Food was great, but, as many eye witness accounts can attest, I was only really interested in the Mini cheeseburgers, which were kinda medium sized. Personally, I think the qaulity of the cocktails was on par, and more importantly, they weren't just rushed out. Given that the bar staff would usually not deal with en masse cocktail orders all at once, they did well. Lounge is usually more tap beers/jugs/ wine by the glass/stubbies oriented venue. Everything ran smoothly on the event night, and the place was very presentable. Gladly, I scored some of those yelp mittens, (great for the bike, but usually short lived.) Hopefully, I Can get several pairs. Matt O- There's a Yelp Phone Charger now? read more

Lovely Manhattan cocktail to start and great food tasters throughout the evening. In particular I loved the scallop and maple syrup chicken wings. Unfortunately the Espresso Martini's had run out by the time I went to get one, luckily my friend let me have a sip of hers and it was pretty darn tasty! All in all a lovely venue and an enjoyable evening. read more

Basically good for all occasions. The kitchen is worth of checking out. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Drinks menu is very nice too Overall a great venue. read more

Last night's even was a great success for both yelp and Lounge X ...the cocktails and bubbles! Yes! It was on a Tuesday night and me and my friends certainly had the most amazing time ever! Shout out to the play list at the end of the night, the deep house music made us danced a little and the staff were so friendly! Nice venue , will def return for more of the fun times! Shout out to the kitchen! The smoked salmon was beautifully finished with fresh little flowers , and tasted so fresh too! read more

Lounge X Yelp Party - Last night's event was simply gorgeous! One of the cold canapé that's served with little flowers on it! So detailed!! - Yelp Events Near Me - Melbourne, VIC

What a great party from the Yelp team! Delicious food from the Lounge Kitchen with everything from Ceviche to Mini Burgers! Tried some rum from Diplomatico and some Hawthorn Golden Ale which is a very fresh brew! Looking forward to the next one! read more

Very much enjoyed the Lounge X Yelp Party! The selection of drinks and food was top notch - especially loved the diplomatico rum featured in the cocktails!! The venue was great for the event, with plenty of space and a spacious outdoor balcony. read more

Boy, were those salted caramel espresso martinis to die for!! Definitely the best I've ever had! Bartenders could have been a bit more customer friendly and service at the bar was a bit slow for my standards, but other than that, everything was great! read more

The Lounge X Yelp Party was fantastic. The food was artful presented and delicious. The cocktails classy and tasty. The atmosphere was fun, engaging, and creative. Everyone I met at the party was warm and friendly. This was my first Yelp party but it certainly won't be my last. read more

An amazing night of delicious cocktails and gorgeous canapes! The salted caramel espresso martini was just SO addictive.

Loved all the food and drink and blog post to come soon