I feel like I've been to quite a few rooftop bars, and I'm sort of wandering when they are simply…read moregoing to become part and parcel of everyday life. I suspect that happens when I start referring to them as being pretty much like every other rooftop bar that I've been to, and unfortunately this one sort of falls into that category. Sure, it's still a rooftop bar, and I like it, but it really doesn't seem to stand out in the way that they used to stand out for me. This was okay, but not one of the greatest, probably because there are so many of them now.

Beautiful setting up on rooftop in Prahran. This place is beautifully decorated with lounges,…read moretables and accessible bar. Sunday they have rnb night with do playing all day/night. Bar snacks is quite nice with different choices. I've had the dips which changes from time to time. And also the calamari. Delicious!!! Drinks is pretty decent. Service is great. It will be a loca hang out as there are some amazing staffs there. Very attentive and fun!

This bar was pretty cool. In fact it is definitely one of those bars that I really do like. I guess…read moreit has a lot to do with the atmosphere here. I'm not sure if I can called it grungy, but it sort of reminded me of the style, something that I do tend to appreciate in a lot of these places. Another thing that was cool was the verandah out the front, though that was actually set partly into the building, something that you tend to see with a lot of these bars in the innercity, even if it is just for the smokers. The service was okay, but they did have some pretty nice beers available. Yeah, this place was cool.

Been past Kent St so many times over the years and have no idea why I've never popped in for a…read morepint. Could just be the allure of other cool Smith St joints around perhaps. Regardless of why, I'm now happy to have righted this wrong. Out the front looks like many other inner-city bars: footpath tables, forward-facing tables just inside great for people watching - but the further you venture in the grungier and kookier it becomes. Cool artwork and odd bits and pieces mean there's lots to look at, and if that doesn't catch your eye the projector screen showing such gems as 'BMX Bandits' or 'Best of the Brownlow Medal' probably will. Drink offerings are kept pretty simple, but there's something decent for everyone. No food, but you don't have to look far out the window to find something on Smith to snack on. This is the kind of dark & dingy bar I would have especially loved five-ten years ago. Which isn't an insult to the place as much as it is to me that it took me so long to stumble in.

Its not the sort of place you would want to go there by yourself.. Rocked up with a large group of…read morefriends and didn't chat to anyone but my own people. People were really into themselves and werent that social. Crowd was like models and footballers and I guess if you're not one of those, you're going to end up in the outskirts of the club. LOTS of insecure people. Not really my scene, made me consider moving to fitzroy.. :-)

A Crowded Asian Club on Saturday…read more Long line to get in, the love machine seems to be a new venue for all asians in town to party at. Good location I would have to say, with all sort of other night clubs and bars around that same area - just to make sure you won't get home until morning! Saturday Dj is super awesome. House, electronic, club, mainstream offstream you name it. Drinks are quite expensive but it's a good atmosphere to dance with hey! There is always at least a 500-700 people crowd on a Saturday night, and sometimes free model dancing show on stages in club too.

Highlander is certainly pumping on a Friday for after works drinks. So pumping that if you come…read morehere for a casual bite and drink, you might struggle to find somewhere to sit. But once those suits and business people skid-addle, it is a nice place to be. It's dark, very dimly lit with a few tealights on tables. The floor is sticky, that's to be expected. It's cool though, with feels of a pub in the U.K. that you want to visit. Despite the strong recommendations of how good their burgers are, we opted for more of a share meal, ordering the Mac N Cheese Balls and Panko Chicken. The cocktails were good, the food was filling. It was exactly what we would expect to eat, a hearty savory meal paired with cocktails. It's probably one of those venues that's lunch time- you eat and evening time- you drink. There's nothing wrong with that. Do: Come here for their lunch specials. A Burger and a beer for $15- YES! Do: Plan a Happy Hour here, every single weekday from 5-7pm. Do: Sign up to be part of their Highlander Klan. The perks are worth it!

Hidden out of the way at the bottom end of the city, Highlander Bar has a great set menu ranging…read morefrom finger foods all the way up to your usual pub fare- burgers, schnitzels and the like, but they're offered with nice twists and are expertly prepared. Then there are the specials which seemingly change every week- this week it was sliders, with three for $15 proving excellent value. I had one chicken, one beef and one crunchy fish and they were all delicious in their own way with soft rolls and tasty extras like chipotle mayo. Add a drink for $2 and they were a great value Friday lunch.

Ahh there are many fond memories from nights at Circus with the crew, following in true Melbourne…read morestyle the underground club plays a very good selection of dirty electro, techno and house music. They host regular Melbourne dj's as well as bringing in some internationals from time to time for their in house events. Circus Bar has recently undergone a hige refurbishment and the results are nothing short of impressive, spread across two levels Circus has the main room downstairs complete with rich red walls, chic circular booths and of course a decent dance floor. Upstairs is the balcony that has been fitted out in a way that resembles the beach bars in Miami. The balcony has a second bar as well as another dj booth and looks out over the top of Chapel Street and Commercial Road. Circus is open Thursday through Sunday and is available for both birthdays and private functions.

Circus is where I've ended up at 4am on a Monday morning after getting knocked back from revolver…read more They are very generous on who they let in but I've only been here on there Sunday Night. Has a very weird mixed crowd of people which you never would of thought existed. The venue is very nice looking and plays the exact same music as revolver as they both have the same resident DJs. The rooftop is beautiful but they do close some of it off for functions. The only negative points of the venue are the crowd (essentially the revolver rejects, me being one of them at the time ) and gets very overcrowded being a small venue. Only time I would visit is when everything else is shut as it closes around midday Monday. On the positive super friendly staff and security, great music and nice looking venue.

The Den is a cool and classy cocktail bar hidden in the basement of The Atlantic restaurant. Access…read moreto the bar is through a front door on the waterfront promenade, or through the restaurant just downstairs from the oyster bar, which gives it a feel of being a very sophisticated and modern speak-easy, and a very private atmosphere. The bar serves everything, but specialises in both hand picked whiskies, and cocktails that take inspiration from around the world. My favourite was the Southerners Julep. which is Bourbon, fig, mint, maple syrup and powdered sugar. Sounds weird but for me, it worked! This is a great place for a few drinks in a sophisticated environment, that still has a fun vibe. Perfect for something a little different from the average Melbourne upscale bar.

Being in a malleable mood, I also wanted to experience what The Den had on offer after seeing it…read moreadvertised so often by woman that possesses a head that resembles a fish (literally) in the venue's advertising. The service in the Oyster Bar is just as professional as what you will find in the restaurant and is consistent with what I described in a previous post when I visited the restaurant which was surprising. I was expecting the service not to be as professional since you are in the bar area but that was not the case. After observing another table consume a seafood platter, I was both jealous and frothing at the mouth as it looked substantial and beautiful. My overwhelming desire for oysters did take a hold in the end though. What I did find curious is that you must order three of the same type of oyster where in the restaurant I believe you are only constrained to having to order two from the same region. Not being content to rest on my laurels, I wanted to explore what was on offer at the bottom of the staircase. I paid the bill and with the epicurean emo in tow, we stumbled down the stairs like thieves in the night into The Den. I had never seen a photo of the bar and I did have a preconceived notion of what it would be like since we were in Crown Tower of all places. What I found was completely opposite to what I expected. The Den is set up like a stately study, a place that you would find in a mansion in Toorak or the set of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. It was a pity that I did not spot Nicole Kidman sipping a wine in the corner as the table was occupied by hipsters sharing a glass of Coca Cola as they waited for their table to be made available in the upstairs restaurant sadly. The barman proved to be quite knowledgeable and very amusing. He recanted tall tales as he poured glasses of 666 vodka. It was not only comfortable but convenient to do our duty by holding up our end of the bar whilst relaxing in a place that defied expectations. There are hundreds of places that you can drink in the area. You can not compare and contrast the quality of the product as that remains constant, but it is easy to segregate different levels of service. Like with the Oyster Bar and the restaurant upstairs, the service in The Den, remains constantly professional, efficient and amusing when required. Besides The Waiting Room, I can not think of a place that affords the customer this type of service in Crown or the general area for that matter. Like with the restaurant and the Oyster Bar, quality and service comes at a price, but if you are looking for a relaxed time out and away from the madness of the casino, The Den can not be beat. I am looking forward to returning on a Thursday or Friday night to hear the piano being played. It just seems like the right thing to do.

The afterwork drinking venue for most of us the in the office, European Bier Cafe provides a pub…read morelike environment but with some more interesting drinks than your local pub. We have enjoyed a-many of drink induced lunch and brunches here, the venue is usually on the quieter side and a good place for large groups. There's table and lot's of standing space for you to enjoy your drinks but try the food here, decent sized and delicious. With over 50 different types of European biers, there's something different for everyday!

So many beers... I mean biers…read more In a previous life when I lived on the other side of the planet, I developed a passion for Fruli - a sickly sweet berry flavoured beir from Belgium. I drank pints and pints of the stuff until my jeans didn't fit anymore, and realised I was better off without such a delicious drink in my life. I moved back to Australia and I thought I'd never drink my beloved Fruli again, but one evening at the European I saw it there on the menu and realised we had some unfinished business together... I'm not a beer connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I appreciate the Euro's dedication to bringing the best from the old world to our stomachs. It's a fun spot to spend time picking random drinks and then drinking them, and as such it can get pretty loud later in the evening. The European is unpretentious and welcoming to all - an easy night out. Tip: wear loose pants. You'll need room for your stomach to grow.

This may be one of Melbourne's oldest bar. I assumed this place must be a very busy place back in…read more5-6 years ago. Owner Mark is absolutely a great host. Too bad the bar is struggling to attract new crowds to make it looks busy now. The place is at a decent size, at a basement on a busy street, the infamous hardware lane is just across the road (sorry no phone reception, you might struggle a bit if you're a popular person with the mobile phone). Free entry before 10pm. Tip: there is ALWAYS a young bloke across the road giving out free entrance card to get in after 10pm. So people, DONT PAY! :) Friday is a Thai night, and Korean night on Saturdays. So if you're looking for some Asian times, this should be it ;) One big thing that I like Amber the most is their pole dance podium. It is located right in the center of the basement. It sucks to see random drunko jumping on stage and attempt to be a stripper, but as a pole dancer student, this is definitely a good spot for me to perform in a public. Free pole dance, why not? Strictly no entry after 1am for this place so make sure you get your sexy bum there on time ;)

I actually quite like this place on the weekends! It's sort of a chilled out clubbing experience,…read morewith a pretty DTE crowd. I think they used to have asian nights, but the crowd's pretty mixed & international now. I've been there early once or twice on a friday, as I think they've got pretty good happy hour specials on friday (around 6:00pm?) . I like their booths, as they're not too secluded, but private enough, and only a few steps from the dancefloor.........and the dancepole! :D The music's mainly commercial though, and I think they only open on Fri/Sat. Plus, they don't let anyone in after 1:00am for some reason (my friends couldn't get in), although the club's open till much later. But I like the general area, as it's off Hardware Ln; there's plenty of restaurants, bars etc to check out!