Drinks
Grumpys Green
Most bars I know look a little seedy during the day what with the light picking up the spilt beer and split chair fabric and whatnot. So it’s interesting that Grumpys Green is not only open for dinner and bar snacks, but also breakfast from 10. Having only visited for dinner, I can’t actually tell you how Grumpys fairs in the daylight but perhaps they’re going on the fact that the food is just that good that people don’t care. Or that they’re too hung-over too notice. Both are distinct possibilities.
The Red Hummingbird
Hanging above an unmarked doorway was a crimson birdcage, and printed above the door was a hummingbird in the same shade – a demure, reserved reference to the venue within. This is one of those classically Melbourne bars in that it prefers its advertising medium to be word-of-mouth; and makes you work to experience the delights within by making the entrance discreet.
Provenance
Provenance is a beautiful little restaurant on Smith Street. There is so much to like about the place, not the least of which is the fact that it is such an anomaly. It is not over-designed and pretentious, nor is it under-designed and dull. It is just simple, warm and inviting. Refreshingly, its focus is on great food, wine and coffee.
Los Amates
Some of my friends and I have a bit of a habit. It’s not a drug habit, or an alco- okay, maybe we sometimes have an alcohol habit, but that’s not what this is about. This habit involves gorging ourselves at as many Mexican restaurants as possible. Now, here’s the thing: we don’t mind Tex Mex food. We love it for what it is, and it’s easy to find. Finding a good Mexican restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food, though, is a far more difficult task. Through the grapevine, we’d heard about Los Amates (we heard ‘great food, crappy service’) but with open minds and empty bellies we decided to give it a shot because good food will often override the crappy service.
Bar None
Better known for a battalion of mediocre Italian restaurants, terrible shoe stores and ladies-who-lunch, Camberwell has been hiding it’s star talent. Bar None may very well be the treasure of the eastern suburbs.
Tucked between an alley of dumpsters and a Persian rug store, Bar None basks in the class and mystery of a backstreet city bar, but outshines them with the simple fact that it is not in town. Stepping out of the living room style basement at the end of the night, you are greeted, not with a hoard of drunkards jostling for a cab but the soft sounds of sleeping houses. Bliss.
Lucky Coq
If you live in or around Melbourne, and haven’t been to Lucky Coq for $4 pizza, you’re one of very few. A Chapel Street institution and sister of Bimbo Deluxe in Fitzroy, Lucky Coq is a reliable, endearing, comfortable and adaptable watering hole on the corner of High and Chapel Streets.
Sister Bella
Melbourne is renowned for bars that force you to whip out a map, find the godforsaken lane it’s hidden in, stumble down said lane, stepping in puddles, dodging garbage bins and holding your nose before finding a barely-marked doorway and entering tentatively. We seem to love the bars that make us work to find them, and let us feel like we’re in on some big secret. Sister Bella, while now fairly well-known for a ‘hidden’ bar, is an establishment that still forces you to wind your way down a dingy alley in authentic, secretive Melbourne style.
Mamasita
According to Urban Dictionary which is, without a doubt, the definitive source for all linguistic information in contemporary times, Mamasita is:
A hot mama; a hot babe; little mother. Rather like the English word “momma”, mamasita can mean a mother of both the standard and the red hot kind.
If that is what the makers of Melbourne’s newest place-to-be were aiming for, they hit the bullseye. Mamasita on Collins Street is indeed, one hot babe.
The London Tavern
A pub in every sense of the word, The London does its thing in true Richmond style, oozing casual pleasure from every nook. Walking into The London kind of feels like you’re sighing in relaxation – its familiarity is truly disarming and just a small part of its overall appeal.
Bar Lourinhã
Bar Lourinhã is simply lovely. Perched at the top of Little Collins Street, opposite Meyer’s Place, the bar and restaurant are a pleasure to be in.
One wall is decked with trinkets seemingly collected from someone’s travels. The more you look, the more you find. It could be a nice distraction from the topic of conversation – if necessary. The other wall features framed photos of various foodie destinations.