Melbourne has always been known to be a bit of a party city. There are pubs, bars and clubs littered all over but then there are those hidden, underground places that sell you on exclusivity. The city has plenty of laneways and in those laneways there are plenty of hidden gems. Some bars are just bars housed in non-descript buildings. Others are bars built inside bars you can access by moving some book case aside. You may find some in the myriad of tiny alleyways all over Melbourne; in hidden basements, elevators that stop at floors that aren’t supposed to be there, underground staircases and more. There are a lot of hidden gems in Melbourne that even the locals know nothing about. It can be hard to find these hidden spots if you don’t know where to look.
The good thing about these spots is that they attract a certain kind of clientele. They have the allure of exclusivity. There is no feeling like the special feeling of being part of a select club, one that you get to join because you have been invited to visit. It sets you apart, marks you as a special kind of person.
One of those hidden-door establishments is New Gold Mountain. It’s easy to miss this bar located in a tailor shop that has been converted. If you don’t know where to look, you can easily miss it. What is it like? Think 19th century English bar in Melbourne with side tables for gambling and where the air is thick with clouds of cigarette smoke and a bar that sells top-shelf hard liquor. This isn’t your typical cocktail establishment. This is the place to take your out of town buddies, just to prove to them how cultured you are.
Bars like Gold Mountain are everywhere. There are bars inside bars, bars that are hidden behind bookcases, bars that appeal to those who like classy hangouts and chic interiors and bars for people who prefer to do their drinking in the grungiest places they can find-like Dive Bar, which doesn’t claim to be anything but a dive bar, except it’s a little clean and you have to love their breakfast menu if you are one of those people who loves a bowl of fruit loops at 10pm.
Of course Melbourne also has its own fair share of strip clubs and if you are looking to get sloshed, watch beautiful girls, dance, eat something delicious, showgirls bar 20 offers that and then some.
Bars aren’t just for getting motherlessly drunk; they can be a great place for a romantic date. Just make sure that the cocktail menu is as sumptuous as the food Menu. Manchuria in the heart of the city’s Chinatown is a great bar in Melbourne for dates. The bar ticks all the right boxes: Great ambience, good food and great music. Wednesday is for lovers whilst Thursday is reserved for the city’s best musical acts.
Melbourne offers an ever-changing nightlife scene. Even in the worst of times, people still need to feel connected with the rest of humanity and there is no better place to do that than at your local, neighborhood bar. The establishments that are open operate under strict health regulations, the vibe might have been a little bit dampened, but it is definitely starting to pick up again.