Micah, the bartender, is a really awesome guy who you can chat up with and he will listen and…read morerespond. The tap beer here is also outstanding. I tried Lager, Pale Ale and Dark Ale and I like them all. Especially the dark ale which gives an exotic smoked wood aroma and not so deep flavour which is just my preference!

I have certainly been to this place before, however before I went off to my bookgroup I decided…read morethat I would pay this place another visit, and it certainly was well worth it. There is quite a large beer garden out the back (though if it didn't have one then calling it the 'Fitzroy Beer Garden' would somehow defeat the purpose). Okay, the beer is a little pricey, however the food certainly isn't, especially the Porthouse Steak for $16.00. That is probably the cheapest steak that I have seen outside of steak night. The inside of the bar is also really impressive, with little objects covering almost all of the wall space.

The former 'Funf', and 'Yelza' before that, the re-branded Fitzroy Beer Garden hasn't changed much…read morefrom it's previous incarnations aesthetically or lay-out wise, the new name just emphasising its best feature front & centre. Was there on Saturday night and it was pretty busy but also fairly laid back, a good mix of types, and no real dickheads. Only issue was that every single person but me seemed to be smoking in the beer garden. Can't wait for the day us non-smokers can claim back some of these great outdoor bar places. Had some tasty pints for around $8, which for a Saturday night is pretty staggering ($8 pint anywhere these days around Melbourne is pretty good). With Forester's Hall now open right across the road having 'beer' in their name also gives some cohesion to this corner of Smith St, and I'm sure we wont be the only ones to start at FBG in the afternoon sun then drift across the road to sample the impressive beer range at FH this summer.

As I was wandering around Northcote one afternoon I discovered this lovely place so I decided to…read morecheck it out. Well, it turns out that this bar pretty much meets all the expectations that you would want from an inner-city bar, especially one located to the north of Melbourne. The place is just so relaxing and chilled, and of course having some pretty awesome art on the walls, especially some rather unique ones, certainly adds a lot of spice to it. Oh, and not surprisingly they have some great beers to chose from, and the service is also top notch as well.

Who doesn't love pairing Boggle with cocktails and imported beer? Kelvin Bar in Northcote is one…read morebloody cool place. The room is dim, the drinks are many and the orange scooter parked out front is the best indicator that the door will be open. The crowd here is very cool. No douche bags tend to frequent it and this is a massive plus. While monopoly and scrabble aren't the average patrons idea of a wicked night out, they have me exceptionally satisfied. Besides, incorporating bets and shots into these games is one way to encourage even the most unenthusiastic friend into an extreme word finding Boggle-off. The vibe in here is the reason I keep coming back and the comfy chairs, great service and good company do nothing to change my mind. Awesome place.

Its name might say 'Working man's club' but Kelvin Bar - or Kelvin's as the locals have it - is…read moremore like Mad Men, but with Boggle in lieu of secretaries and a soundtrack of Fat Freddy's Drop instead of Roy Orbison. A heady and seemingly irresistible combination to the retro obsessed, the unathletic but competitive, and, erm, New Zealand music fans. I.e. me. If, like me, the only reason you hunger after an iPhone is for the endless possibilities of the Scrabble app, you'll love Kelvins. The décor is faithfully early seventies, the wine list refreshingly organic, and the cocktails pretty damn good. But what really makes this place special is the veritable smorgasbord of board games on offer. Not only is gaming of the board variety accepted at Kelvins, it's positively encouraged. And with Kelvin's offering games numbering Yahtzee, Monopoly, Guess Who and more, you can easily while away the hours over a bottle of organic wine and a tryst with a board game in this unassuming and under-celebrated but really quite awesome Westgarth haunt.

Pallino is a great spot. One of the top picks for this end of High street in thornbury, it isn't…read moreopen as late as some of the other bars in the nearby area, but it;s open late enough. The owners and staff are always very inviting warm and friendly. There's usually a few good beers on taps, around 4, and they sport a great back bar selection- along the wall. Cocktails can be made too and are listed, and Lani ( I hope this spelling is right) is a dab hand at whatever you may wish to drink. A smaller chilled space, the front can get over-run with the smokers crowd, but there is limited seating on the street. There's also a fantastic courtyard, and if you arrive at a reasonable hour before 10pm, you can get food from one of the many near by businesses- pizza mainly, but other options are around too.

Negronis, pizza, bocce and a friendly atmosphere. If you're in the area, definitely check in.read more

Enjoyed a simple but great pub meal today. Had the steak sandwich and cheeseburger…read more A always reliable pub providing great drinks and service as well as lovely formal restaurant dining room at the front of the pub, wonder out the back to the entertainment area where it is much more relaxed with an electic mix of patrons from gen y's enjoyong the outdoor seating area, to the locals enjoying the cricket on the big screen. There is always something for everyone here.

The Peacock is like that old friend you can always depend on. It will always open its loving doors…read morefor whatever reason you're chasing a drink. This is one of my fave pubs on the north-side. The beer garden is great for large groups in the summer months. The menu in the restaurant is also quite nice if you're chasing something a little more fancy than a pub Parma. Now that it's winter it is the perfect time to cosy up in front of the open fire- so lovely for after work drinks on a Friday! Last time I was here on a Friday they were also passing around free nibbles. Free chicken skewers and spring rolls whilst I have a glass of wine in front of the fire? Hells yes. Game of thrones fans- they also have a GOT themed pinball machine. Get on it and score some points for your fave house. Go Starks!

Dropped by on a whim as I'm rarely in the area, and I'm glad I did. I'm sure an old church being…read moreconverted into a bar is not a new concept, but can't think of any others in Melbourne so the novelty of it piqued my curiosity. I had a glass of vino and sat around chatting for ages. Nobody cared that we weren't ordering more drinks. There was no band playing, so not sure how different the atmosphere would be if there was. But for an easy-going night in a cool venue, it's worth checking this place out. Just don't forget to say your prayers!

This is one of the reasons that I love Northcote, though I have to admit that I don't get down this…read moreway anywhere near as much as I used to (despite the fact that it is pretty close to the railway line). I've been here before, but a group of friends wanted to come to the quiz night one Wednesday, so we all piled into the place, and ordered our meal, and promptly lost (namely because we weren't up to speed on our Canadian artists). They have a pretty awesome beer garden out the back, and some decent selection of beers on tap. However the menu wasn't as huge as it could have been. Still it's a pretty decent place to come for a night out.

Yeah, this bar doesn't really stand out all that much, but that is probably because it happens to…read morebe located near a whole heap of other bars, which seems to be the case with numerous parts of Northcote. Yeah, this bar really didn't stand out all that much in my mind, though it wasn't too bad, certainly nowhere near as bad as some of the other places that I've been to. The beer selection is good, and the service wasn't too bad either. When I was here though it did seem to be rather popular, but as I suggested, it really isn't one of my favourites.

From the owner: 61 on High is a place to eat well, drink better and enjoy doing both with those closest to you…read more Nestled into the heart of Northcote's creative and dynamic High St, the split level venue has been carefully shaped to create a comfortable space to put your feet up or kick off those heels. 61 on High caters for after work drinks, cheeky catch-ups, date nights and everything in between. A menu that takes inspiration from those who've long made the area their home - with a focus on authentic Mediterranean and Latin American dishes. Carefully selected wine list accounting for all tastes, local and imported beer, cocktails and spirits and coffee keeping up with Melbourne's famously discernible taste.

Yeah, despite what the name says, this is not a shoe store, so don't be surprised if it isn't open…read morewhen all of the other shoe stores happen to be open. Yeah, it's actually a bar that happens to have a name that suggests that it is a shoe store, though it isn't actually a shoe store. As a bar it is pretty cool actually, and has a really nice beer garden out the back. In fact the beer garden is bigger than the bar itself. Mind you, they don't have a huge range of tap beers, but what they do have is pretty good. Further, the bottle beer range is actually quite impressive, so yeah, this place isn't bad at all.

I often find myself caught between thinking of Joe's Shoe Store as a pretentious waste of time and…read morea timeless classic. The barmen are all interesting, willing to chip in with a joke or two while flipping bottles about their person like a ninja with numchucks - which is pretty cool in my book; and then they go and do something like roll your Cooper Pale Ale across the bar, as if to say that they are serving up the perfectly average Coopers beer because it is brewed in the bottle and thus needs the barman to distribute all of the indigestible yeasty residue throughout the bottle for your benefit. It is a fine line for me. They have a record player usually spinning some good tunes, some leather booths and a nice backyard. There is a laid back vibe about the place, but I can't help but feel that people are laying back just enough so that if a photo were taken unexpectedly they would still be striking a pretty good pose. The drinks menu is also interesting with a slightly continental slant of old world wines and Italian beers aplenty. I normally go to Joe's Shoe Store, sit down and immediately start feeling a little uncomfortable with the clichy crowd. By my third beer I have gotten over my insecurities and order a pizza from Meine Leibe next door and settle down for another drink - I only settle down enough so that the better looking side of my face is pointing towards any cameras mind you.

This is one of the first bars that I discovered when I first arrived in Melbourne (probably because…read moreI lived a little further up the line from where it is located) and I have to say that I have always been pretty impressed with it. Since it is located a little further along High Street from the main Northcote strip it has never been anywhere near as packed as some of the other places, but it still seems to draw a pretty decent crowd. Basically it is your typical hole in the wall bar, which includes a decent beer garden (though it is huge). It also has an upstairs area (which I have yet to check out). I can't say it is the biggest place, but they do have live music occasionally, as well as other event. Oh, they also have a late night kitchen, which means that you can grab a bite to eat when everything else has shut. It's a pretty decent place and I'm sure to visit it again sometime.

As soon as you include the word 'local' in your business name, there is an implication of…read moreinclusiveness that doesn't rub well with me. I had a similar experience down Balaclava way a few years back where the local bar, named appropriately 'The Local', felt like this place for about five family's worth of folk to hang and generally dictate the terms of. While the Thornbury Local doesn't necessarily fall into this trap, there is still something about the place that rubs me up the wrong way. They do drinks and are promising to open up a restaurant soon. The DJs they select haven't been great in my experience, but at least they are dedicated to having music on a nightly basis. I haven't been to the karaoke here, but would prefer to stick to the private rooms in Chinatown that punch out 'Eye Of The Tiger' in a room full of people I don't know. They do have great signage here and they are open late, but I feel like there are other places in the area that fit better with my tastes. This doesn't mean it's not a worthy addition to the strip, just that I'll be somewhere else.