Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

MELBOURNE AFTER DARK 557
Double Happiness This tiny but hugely atmospheric bar is detail at its best.
The retro-Chinese theme, which would make Chairman Mao proud, attracts a
hip crowd. Try the “Gang of Four” cocktail (mango, Vodka, Cointreau, lemon).
21 Liverpool St (off Bourke St.). & 03/9650 4488. www.double-happiness.org.
Hi-Fi Bar & Ballroom Featuring lots of live music mostly of the hard rock
and contemporary persuasion, and patronized by the younger set, this cavernous
venue below ground features many visiting acts. 125 Swanson St., City. & 03/9654
7617. Cover A$20 (US$13) Sat.
Honky Tonks Down a dark lane into a nondescript warehouse, up a flight of
wooden stairs and you are transformed—before you a crowd of happy revelers
enjoying some live but laid back jazz or a DJ weaving his magic on the turntables.
The cocktail bar is buzzing and the view from the deep lounges across the Yarra to
the botanical gardens beyond is surreal. Duckboard Place, Melbourne. & 03/9662 4555.
KingPin Why not combine your two favorite pastimes—tenpin bowling and
drinking! Experience the newly refurbished lanes and the new purple lounge
which really mixes it up with cool live DJs and great cocktails. Situated in the
Crown Casino complex, this venue is open 24-7, so happy days really are here
again. 8 Whiteman St., Southbank. & 03/9292 7009. Cover around A$20 (US$13) for bowling.
Melbourne Supper Club Upstairs above the very popular “European” cafe/
restaurant, the Melbourne Supper Club is a perfect post-theater venue. Deep
leather lounges and a giant circular window which looks directly onto the beautifully
lit Parliament House buildings makes this bar a place to idle, smoke a
cigar, or dwell over a bottle of your favorite wine. 161 Spring St., Melbourne. & 03/
9654 6300.
Misty Funk meets Barbarella in this ultra hip and arty venue—cool music,
smooth cocktails mixed in with live combos and soulful DJs. One of the quintessential
Melbourne bars, down a cobblestone lane. And it just gets better with
time! 3-5 Hosier Lane, Melbourne. & 03/9663 9202.
Revolver Mostly techno music, though bands play on weekends with dancing
later. 229 Chapel St., Prahan. & 03/9521 5985. Cover $10 (US$6.50) on weekends.
Tony Starrs Kitten Club Don’t be put off by the name because this is one
great place to go. A restaurant/bar on one level serves an ever-changing array of
excellent tapas and more exotic fare. Upstairs at the Galaxy Lounge is where the
action really is though. There’s live entertainment most nights—ranging from the
peculiar, to the animated, to just plain bizarre. One cannot fail to have a good
time at the Kitten Club. Don’t forget to visit the Love Lounge, which seems specially
designed for Pepe Le Pew to seduce his lover, with floor to ceiling red fabric,
heart-shaped lounges, and secluded booths. Open for lunch and dinner until
1am. 267 Little Collins St., Melbourne. & 03/9650 2448. Cover A$5 (US$3.75) Sat.
WHERE TO SHARE A PINT
Something fun to do if you want to have a few drinks and meet a few people is
to take one of the City Pub Walks (& 03/9384 0655 or 04/1208 5661). The
2 1 ⁄2- to 3-hour walks stop off at a variety of interesting pubs and bars where you
can sample the local brews (at your own expense). Tours leave from “under the
clocks” at Flinders Street Station at 6:30pm Tuesday and Thursday.
Belgian Beer Café Bluestone Belgian beer culture in all its forms. In an
old Art Deco building, it is extremely atmospheric and just the place to pretend
that you really are in Brussels. Full-bodied Belgian brews dominate. While