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.

Revolt art space is a wonderful, amazing venue located in the suburb of Kensington, which is about…read more10 minutes away from the CBD. When I first came here it was to see one of my favorite bands (Bonjah) play on Australia day 2010. I was blown away. The huge 'factory' is abundant with art. It's visual candy - everywhere. There are separate rooms with couches filled with sculptures and paintings. It has a main stage with with ample room for standing to watch a band or performer. Performers vary from dancers to mimes to comedians to actors. Revolt is open most days - it has a chill atmosphere you can just call in have a coffee and read a book or attend one of the many events which can be found on their website. The staff at Revolt are a family - literally. They took lease of the space in 2009 and have worked hard to make it what it is today. I was lucky enough to volunteer during the 2011 Fringe Festival which was a great experience. I encourage you all to call into Revolt & check it out, if only for the visual experience. You will be amazed at this place & wonder why you have never visited there before. They serve alcohol & have bar food. http://www.revoltproductions.com/home/

Revolt is a secret pirate cave of wonderment. I want to say more, but I don't think I could capture…read morethe excitement of the first time I entered and wandered around the many rooms and spaces that have amassed in this new performing arts centre in Kensington. It's a maze, designed with both performers and audience in mind. The crew make sure you're getting a truly unique experience by either attending or using Revolt to stage your event. What's more (and the bit I think I like the most) is their philosophy of supporting new artists. For someone with a great idea but not a big plan on how to market that idea, this is possibly the place to approach to stage it. It's a bit of a secret, really, tucked down a back street in an unassuming warehouse district, but not one that should stay so.

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!

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.

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.

NOTES: ~ They regularly put on events and host local bands…read more You can probably get a lot of updates on what is going on via their website and/or Facebook. ~ There are several rooms to this place you can walk in and out of so it might look tiny when you first walk in but it actually isn't! ~ They have a furry wall! "Get Him to the Greek" anyone? LOL. If I could describe this place in one word, it would definitely be "trendy". They put on an event for a launch party and it was pretty awesome (served free drinks early on in the event!). Like I said, definitely look at the schedule to see what is going on because you'll probably find something that interests you. The venue itself is pretty cool. They have arcade games such as Street Fighter and Pinball, live-art shows, and a really hip and trendy atmosphere! I would probably come back again to check out what is going on. It is definitely worth a shot if you find something cool here. Things they can improve on: ~ The bar is very short on hands. I asked my friend to grab me a glass of water and it probably took around 7 minutes before the barman even got to him. The barman was not being rude, but it was just ultimately one man working a busy bar. Poor guy.

Revolver may be a multi purpose venue, but I'll always remember it for what it is in the early…read morehours of Sunday morning: an iconic underground club that plays really loud and bass heavy techno. I have found myself at Revolver one too many times on a weekend after a night out, as it is open until midday on Saturday and pretty much all day Sunday for all those dedicated partiers who aren't ready to call it a night. Revolver is decked out with comfy couches, funky patterned walls and is split up into 3 different rooms. You can often find live acts and bands in the front room, while the main room is where the dj cage (yes that's right cage) is located, with an ad hoc dance floor to boogie the night away. The bar at Revolver does tend to get very busy, and often you are waiting quite awhile for a drink, but being a bit of a mixed bag in terms of the crowd that Revolver attracts, you can often find someone new to chat to while you wait in line to be served.

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!

2023 they had a stage in the middle area which was fantastic for the kids and adults, 2024 they…read moremoved the stage indoors, this reduced how enjoyable it was and the entertainment was less enjoyable, but still good. 2025, no stage with general entertainment, far less entertaining as an over all event. Food is still expensive, but that's what your expect at these things, so that hasn't influenced the low rating. Something just seems to be missing from the whole place this year.

I brought my son and a friend's son to the show and the staff from Chant company special mention to…read moreSarah who was very kind and patient to our boys went above and beyond to ensure that they enjoy themselves. Thank you again for making the small childrens' day amazing !