Melbourne Nightlife

Fancy a margarita as sharp as the crowd that surrounds you? Melbourne’s bar culture awaits you. Wander the city’s broad boulevards and narrow lanes to discover a wealth of places in which to enjoy a drink, kick back or dance until dawn. Once-forgotten warehouses and obscure old buildings have emerged as designer-cool caves for patrons’ drinking pleasure. Choose from cocktail lounges and vibrant pubs to underground dance dens and unsigned doors that conceal a warm welcome.

Melbourne’s most famous pub is the Young & Jackson. The crowds keep coming for its comprehensive range of beers, its delectable meals, its unmistakable central location and its legendary nude portrait called Chloe. For vibrancy and a good beer, try the smart and inviting Portland Hotel, which brews its own selection. In the west-end it is the quaint Mitre Tavern, which, at more than 130 years old, is one of Melbourne’s oldest pubs and the watering hole of choice for the city’s office workers who spill out into the lane on fine nights.

Hungry as well as thirsty? A whole host of pubs and bars offer a menu every bit as satisfying as their drinks list. Join the suit brigade in the Cellar Bar at Grossi Florentino, a Melbourne culinary institution. Meet friends beneath the chandeliers of Syracuse, set in an opulent space that used to be the dining room of a grand old hotel. BearBrass, named after the original name of Melbourne, is a sleek riverside bar at the Southgate complex commanding sensational views of the city. Hairy Canary, right in the heart of town, is another drawcard for hungry, thirsty, cosmopolitan city workers.

Melbourne does a fine line in bars heavy with atmosphere and heaving with cool. They are mostly discovered through word of mouth, with underplayed promotion adding to the intrigue. Many are in lanes or in lanes off lanes and the list is as long as the hunt can be to find them, here contains but a few pointers. The very popular Meyers Place is one of the city’s original no-signage bars, handled, simply by the lane it occupies. It’s dimly lit and comes with a funky fit-out by one of the city’s leading architectural firms.

Find the apple-green door and you will discover Tony Starr’s Kitten Club, a favourite after-work cocktail lounge with a dining section and a glamorous Holly Golightly ambience. Just down the road is Ffour, where contemporary design takes on new meaning. It doubles as a club, cocktail bar and even multi-media artspace.

If you like your drinks of the stirred, not shaken variety, another place to head is the Gin Palace, which draws a sophisticated crowd with its plush interior and generous range of gins, vodkas and cocktails, ensure you ask about their martini tastings.

The Melbourne Supper Club has become an institution. It’s known for its fine drinks list and club-like atmosphere. You will definitely require your best tracking instincts to find The Croft Institute, with its science-lab décor, and other bars in obscure lanes including Misty Place and Double O, which attract customers as cool as their interiors designs.

Melbourne Theatres

WE WILL ROCK YOU

The No.1 selling show in London with a standing ovation every night since it’s opening in May 2002. This spectacular rock musical is the result of a unique collaboration between the band Queen, Ben Elton and an internationally renowned creative team. It features 24 of Queen's greatest hits including We Are The Champions, Radio Ga Ga, Bohemian Rhapsody and of course We Will Rock You. View local papers for theatres and showing times.

THE PRODUCERS

Opens in April 2004 at The Princess Theatre, Melbourne. Everything you have heard is true! "Mel Brooks has put the comedy back into musical comedy!" raves USA Today, which hails The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical as "the funniest, most fearlessly irreverent thing ever seen on stage!" Now you can experience the biggest Tony Award winner in Broadway history when it comes to Melbourne in April 2004! Directed and choreographed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman known for her previous work on Crazy For You, Contact and The Music Man.

PRINCESS THEATRE

163 Spring Street, Melbourne. Phone: 03 9299 9800. The ornate, circa 1886 wedding cake style edifice was refurbished in the late 1980s for the long running production of “Phantom of the Opera” which was a blockbuster success. The theatre located directly across the road from Parliament Gardens, is one of Melbourne's Broadway-style venues, along with the Regent Theatre on Collins Street.

VICTORIAN ARTS CENTRE

100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Phone: 03 9281 8000. Although it lacks the architectural grandeur of Sydney's Opera House, the Southbank Arts Centre is Melbourne's most important cultural landmark and the foremost venue for performances by the Australian Ballet, Australian Opera and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It also encompasses the Melbourne Concert Hall, the Arts Complex, and the National Gallery of Victoria. One-hour tours begin from the information desk at noon and 02:30 pm Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, a 90-minute backstage tour begins at 12:15 pm. At night, look for the Victorian Art Centre's spire; set on fire using brilliant fibre-optic cables, it creates a magical Melbourne spectacle. Opens Monday to Saturday 09:00 am to 11:00 pm and Sunday 10:00 am to 05:00 pm. Admission for tour $AU10, evening backstage tour (no children) $AU13.50.

WOMEN’S CIRCUS

Footscray Community Arts Centre. Footscray. Phone 03 9687 3665. Physical theatre, circus performances and workshops for audiences and participants. The Women's Circus runs workshops where a variety of circus skills including acrobatics, stilt walking, trapeze, juggling and acro-balance are taught. These workshops are open to all women regardless of age, fitness or experience. Bookings essential.

KALEIDE RMIT UNION THEATRE

360 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9925 3713. A multifunction audiovisual venue for hire, featuring 194 comfortable raked seats and suitable facilities for lectures, seminars, film, video screenings and dramatic performances. The Kaleide hosts a vast array of cultural and theatrical events throughout the year, all of which are proudly supported by RMIT Union.

THE PLAYHOUSE at the ARTS CENTRE

100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Phone 03 9281 8000. Designed specifically for drama, the Playhouse seat 884 people and is renowned for its foyer collection of aboriginal artworks. Aubergine-coloured carpet leads into a Theatre where the seats are of camel-coloured wool, the railings and ceiling are of copper and the walls are clad in rubbed timber.

CONCERT HALL at the ARTS CENTRE

100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Phone 03 9281 8000. 1981 design by Roy Grounds. Part of the Victorian Arts Centre. Primarily presents orchestral music where there is seating for 2,600. Three quarters of the building is below ground level. Also houses the EQ Cafe bar, the Black Box and the Alfred Brash Sound House.

CIRCUS OZ

40 Bay Street, Port Melbourne. Phone 03 9646 8899. Workshops for everyone professionals, adults, children and teenagers. Classes include acrobatics, trapeze, corde lisse, dlying ("petit volant"), hula-hoop, feldenkrais, handstands, fire twirling, stunt work and so much more.

LA MAMA THEATRE

205 Faraday Street, Carlton. Phone 03 9347 6142. Cabaret musica, play readings, poetics and more. See website for current and upcoming shows and event details. Tickets available from La Mama Theatre or The Courthouse Theatre at 349 Drummond Street, Melbourne.

MELBA HALL

Conservatorium of Music. Melbourne University. Gate 12. Royal Parade, Parkville. Phone 03 8344 7830 or 03 8344 5265. Melba Hall is located at the Conservatorium of Music, a grand white building on Royal Parade dating from 1909 and classified by the National Trust of Victoria. See website for this years calendar of events.

MELBOURNE FRENCH THEATRE

213 Canning Street, Carlton. Phone 03 9349 2250. French dramatic works, rare books, exhibitions, café-théâtre and carrousel theatre. Founded in 1890 by Alliance Française de Melbourne. Phone for specific event details.

MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Southbank Centre, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank. Phone 03 9626 1111. See website for timetable and bookings. Ticketing for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is through Ticketmaster 7. Phone 136 100.

NATIONAL THEATRE

Corner Barkly and Carlisle Streets, St Kilda. Phone 03 9534 0221 or 03 9525 4611. Drama, ballet and theatre. See website for events and additional information.

IWAKI AUDITORIUM

ABC Centre. 120 Southbank Boulevarde, Southbank. Phone 03 9626 1500. Events venue, commonly used by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

BLACK BOX

The Arts Centre. 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. 03 9281 8000. Part of the Victorian Arts Centre. A multi purpose venue with a focus on youth culture. Entry next to EQ café bar.

OPERA AUSTRALIA

35 City Road, Southbank. Phone 03 9686 7477. See website for Opera Australia event details, times and venues.

ANTHENIUM THEATRE

188 Collins Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9650 1500 or 03 9650 3504. Art house and small budget films.

Theatre Restaurants

DRACULA’S CABARET RESTAURANT

100 Victoria Street, Carlton. Phone 03 9347 3344. Over a million victims have been horrified, mortified, terrified, exited and entertained; Dracula's is the world's first gothic horror themed restaurant! Featuring the world's only ghost train ride into a theatre auditorium.

THE LOONEY BIN

419 Spencer Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9329 5712. Fully licensed bar, comedy cabaret, authentic Austrian come Bavarian costumes.

WITCHES & BRITCHES

84 Dudley Street, West Melbourne. Phone 03 9329 9850. Interactive theatre experience. Combines good food, entertainment and dancing in a mythical medieval castle.

ALADDIN’S THEATRE RESTAURANT

374 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Phone 03 9534 4666. Live performance of the story of Aladdin and his lamp.

TITANIC THEATRE RESTAURANT

1 Nelson Place, Williamstown. Phone 03 9397 5101 or 03 9397 6006. A theatre dining experience. Dine in style and be entertained by the three-piece string orchestra.

Dining with a Difference

SPIRIT OF MELBOURNE CRUISING RESTAURANT

Cruise the evening away! For that perfect night out, the Spirit of Melbourne Cruising Restaurant offers a romantic experience, right in the heart of Melbourne, the vibrant river city. With a stunning city background of colours and lights, delight in a fashionable fusion of international dishes and fine Australian wines, a reflection of the cosmopolitan culture that is Melbourne. Enjoy a luxurious dining experience whilst cruising the twinkling Yarra River. An evening not to be missed! The Spirit of Melbourne is fully enclosed, catering is for only 40 pampered guests. The vessel's features include luxury fittings, roof top light well, alfresco deck, heating and air-conditioning. Included in your perfect evening dinner cruise is: - Three hour cruise * 6 course gourmet dinner * All beverages, including Australian table wines, sparkling wines, beers, all spirits, cognac and liqueurs.

THE COLONIAL TRAMCAR RESTAURANT

This unique “best of Melbourne tour” is a showcase of Melbourne's charm. Since it's inception in 1983, the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant has become a star attraction in Melbourne. Dining is not only a culinary delight, but also a journey into a little piece of Victoria's past. The converted 1927 tram that has become a glossy, burgundy restaurant on wheels, the first travelling tramcar restaurant in the world and a delightful innovative approach to dining. As it cruises the scenic streets of Melbourne, diners can enjoy fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines or make a selection of beverages from the fully stocked bar at an all-inclusive price. The atmosphere is cosy, the service friendly and the decor as inviting as the colonial period reflects.

To ensure a smooth ride whilst dining, heavy-duty stabilizers have been fitted so not even a glass trembles as the tram glides along. The food itself is prepared on the tram and the Maitre d' oversees traditional silver and white linen service. One-way glass windows have been installed, so diners can enjoy the passing parade without the gazes of the curious to distract them. As well, this 1927 tram features all the modern conveniences you would expect to find in a first class restaurant, such as burgundy carpet underfoot and seats covered in velvet, beautiful brass fittings to cast a coy glow and tables decorated with fresh carnations, which are given to guests when they depart. The tram is air-conditioned for total comfort and piped music helps to create a unique mood on wheels that is the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. Naturally, there are restroom facilities onboard.

Once you have been onboard, you will understand why it has been the winner of many coveted National Tourism Awards. Bookings are essential to avoid disappointment.

WINDSOR HOTEL

103 Spring Street between Bourke Street and Little Collins Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9633 6000. Opened in 1883 as The Grand Hotel. Whilst the Windsor has undergone a name change it remains the city’s grandest historic hotel. Not just a grand hotel, the Windsor is home to one of Melbourne's proudest institutions, the ritual of afternoon tea served daily between 03:30 pm & 05:30pm. Ask about themed buffet teas served on weekends, such as the Chocolate Indulgence with a vast selection of chocolates, chocolate cakes and chocolate desserts. Although the Grand Dining Room, a belle-époque extravaganza with a gilded ceiling and seven glass cupolas is open only to private functions, try to steal a look; it is well worth the effort and subterfuge.

RIALTO TOWERS

Level 55. 525 Collins Street corner of King Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9629 8222. The Rialto Towers are both the tallest reinforced concrete structure and the tallest office structure in the Southern Hemisphere. The Melbourne Observation Deck on the 55th floor provides a 360-degree panorama of the city with views on a clear day extending to the Dandenong Ranges and far out into Port Phillip Bay. If you want a bird's-eye view of Melbourne, there's no better, or more popular place. Admission includes a 20-minute film and use of high-powered binoculars. The Melbourne Observation Deck opens Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, Friday & Saturday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. Admission $AU11.80 adult, $AU6.80 child.

CROWN CASINO & CROWN ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX

8 Whiteham Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9292 8888. One of the largest gaming facilities in Southern Hemisphere, featuring 350 gaming tables and 2,500 slot machines. A genuine Las Vegas-style gambling palace, encompassing restaurants, upmarket boutiques, nightclubs, two hotel towers, a cinema complex, and floorshows.
Open 24 hours except Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day when it is closed from 04:00 am to noon.

MV LADY CHELMSFORD SHOWBOAT CRUISING RESTAURANT

Wharf 14, Docklands. Phone 03 9620 5620. Cocktail cruises or four course dinner dancing cruises, with live entertainment, through the waters of the Yarra, Docklands, Port Phillip and Hobson’s Bay. Bookings essential. Bookings available for weddings, parties, lunches and other functions.

HOTEL SOFITEL

25 Collins Street the eastern, “Parisian” end of Collins Street, Melbourne. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the men’s toilets of Le Restaurant on the 35th floor offer “busy’ men, panoramic views of the city.

The Weird & Wonderful

OLD MELBOURNE GAOL

Russell Street between Victoria Street and La Trobe Street, Melbourne. Phone: 03 9663 7228. Built in 1841, now a penal museum run by the Victorian branch of the National Trust. The building has three tiers of cells with catwalks around the upper levels. Its most famous inmate was the notorious bushranger Ned Kelly, who was hanged here in 1880. His scaffold, death mask and one of the four suits of armour used by his gang are displayed in a ground-floor cell. Evening candlelight tours are a popular with both locals and visitors who truly enjoy this touch of macabre Melbourne nightlife. Allow up to an hour for your visit. Opens every day from 09:30 am to 04:30 pm except Good Friday and Christmas Day. Night tour performances Wednesday and Sunday evenings when the suggested age minimum is 12 years. Self guided day tours admission price $AU12.50 adult and $AU7.50 child; candlelight night performances $AU18.70 adult and $AU11 for chidren under 16 years. Reservations are essential.

SOUTHGATE LEISURE PRECINCT

Maffra Street and City Road, Melbourne. Phone: 03 9699 4311. On the river's edge next to the Victorian Arts Centre, the development of Southgate successfully refocused Melbourne's attention on the scenic Yarra River and revitalized a sadly neglected part of the city. Opened in 1992, stylish, cosmopolitan Southgate is a reflection of Australia's cultural diversity, with a distinct Melbourne flavour. Southgate has so much to offer overseas visitors, city workers and day-trippers alike. Restaurants, bars and cafés, 39 unique stores, a riverside Food Court, exciting entertainment programs, secure undercover parking. It's a prime spot for scenic walking being especially vibrant with throngs of people including many street theatre performers.

ROYAL MELBOURNE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS

Elliott Avenue, Parkville. Phone 03 9285 9300. Zoo souvenir shop, licensed bistro, take away food outlets, lockers, umbrella, wheelchair and pusher hire, conference and function facilities, picnic pavilions, special animal feeding times, keeper presentations, multi lingual information. Free guided tours available, and guided mobile tours (for elderly and disabled people). Bookings essential. A very popular Melbourne attraction maintaining a large collection of native Australian and exotic animals, birds and butterflies. Average visit takes approximately 4 hours to complete. Opens every day from 9:00 am to 05:00 pm. Opens till 09:30 pm on selected summer evenings. Admission $AU18 adult and $AU9 child.

CHINATOWN

Little Bourke Street between Swanston Street and Spring Street, Melbourne. Phone 03 9658 9658. Situated on Little Bourke Street and the neighbouring lanes between Spring and Swanston Streets, restaurants, cafes and Asian grocery stores dominate the precinct. Chinatown is a bustling thoroughfare with people sounds and smells to invite and entice. Chinese medicine, music, restaurants, gold and jewellery, unique and exotic gifts, cinema, events and festivals, the museum and karaoke are all major features of Chinatown.

SCIENCEWORKS & PLANETARIUM

2 Booker Street, Spotswood. Phone 03 9392 4800. Push it, pull it, spin it, and bang it. Through hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, tours, activities and shows, you will find science has never been quite this much fun. Revel exploring the mysteries of science and technology. It's a great value day out for curious minds and active bodies. The Planetarium uses the latest in digital technology to recreate the night sky upon a 15m-domed ceiling.

LUNA PARK

Lower Esplanade, St Kilda. Historic amusement park built in 1912. Opening Friday from 07:00 am to 11:00 pm, Saturday from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 06:00 pm. Open more days and hours during school holidays.Admission is free; single rides $AU7.00 13+ years, $US5.50 4-12 years, $AU3 3 years and under; unlimited rides $AU33.95 13+ years, $AU23.95 4-12 years, $AU12.95 3 years and under.

MOONLIT SANCTUARY

Pearcedale Conservation Park. 550 Tyabb-Tooradin Road, Pearcedale. Phone 03 5978 7935. See Australia's wildlife at night. Endangered native nocturnal animals, wetlands, animals that have become extinct from the wild, native animals such as kangaroos and emus, souvenirs, art and crafts, café, educational programs. Guided tours available from dusk. Tour Bookings essential.

LYGON STREET

Following World War II Carlton became an Italian neighborhood, then being known locally as “Little Italy”. In the 60s and 70s it transformed into an intellectual and bohemian area. In the 80s renovations and reformations again took place, today Lygon Street is a perfect example of Melbourne's successful multiculturalism. Where once you would have seen only Italian restaurants, there are now Thai, Afghan, Malay, Caribbean and Greek coffee shops, cafes and restaurants. Toto's Pizza House at No.101 claims to be Australia's first pizzeria. Whether or not the boast is true, Toto's has served Melburnians with delicious inexpensive pizza for almost half a century. Jamaica House at No.106 is a popular local haunt. At Casa del Gelato No.161, you can enjoy some of the city's best ice cream. For Southeast Asian fare, Lemongrass Restaurant at No.189, serves a more sophisticated and understated strain of Thai food than the boisterous curries of other Thai restaurants. Nyonya Malaysian Restaurant at No.191 is good for reasonably priced, well-prepared dishes from the Malaysian peninsula. Near Grattan Street is a local institution, the University Café at No.257. Tiamo No.303 has been a trysting place for generations of Melbourne lovers, who come for the cosiness, wholesome food, and good coffee. The legendary Jimmy Watson's Wine Bar at No.333 is the spot for a convivial glass or two downstairs, or a more formal meal upstairs. The area has great colour, particularly at night when the sidewalks are thronged with diners, sightseers and a procession of high-revving muscle cars rumbling along the strip.

BRUNSWICK STREET

When the bohemian lifestyles left Carlton, they moved to Fitzroy. Brunswick Street has a mixture of weird and interesting shops, clothes and food.