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Welcome to
Melbourne, Mate!
Nightlife & Sports Bars
Have a pint with
friendly mates at places like Bridie O'Reilly's.
Melbourne is known as one of the most
laid-back cities in Australia, and possibly the world. It has its share
of beaches, theaters, bars, clubs and pubs.
The people here are very warm, helpful and open especially if you meet
them at the local pub! There are many influences that give Melbourne
it's special feel, but it's the people that make it what it is.
Melbournians take life as it comes and there are few things that faze
them, if there's a problem, well there's always a solution and it's
a matter of finding it. They will also gladly invite you to a "Barbie"
at their home and they'll be disappointed if you donıt show up, even
if you just met them on the train.
There are lots of things to be said about Melbourne, but it's easiest
just to come down and see it for yourself. We'll shout the first round,
mate!
PubClubbing in Melbourne
Pugg Mahone's goes
from quiet pint to quite busy by night.
There is a range of bars, clubs and pubs
in the city center but many more outside the city, so finding a spot
for a swift half is easier than finding the nearest bank. The city has
the usual variety of English and Irish pubs such as the The Grosvenor,
Elephant & Wheelbarrow and the Mitre Tavern. There are also plenty of
bars and clubs such as Cherry, Deep Eleven and Snakepit. With more than
50 pubs, 160 bars and almost 50 clubs in the center alone, Melbourne
caters to every type of party-person there is. There are plenty more
venues just a short tram or cab ride outside the city center.
Most of the pubs in the city are within a 15-20 minute radius, so it's
no problem walking between the pubs on a real pubcrawl! Though you can
easily take one of the many trams that run criss-cross through the CBD
and most other areas.
One of our favourite pubs is Bridie O'Reilly's on 62 lt. Collins
St., which is the more traditional style of Irish pub. It serves the
usual pubgrub at reasonable prices, has two bars, and THE largest selection
of beers on tap of any any other pub here. Happy hour is from 6-8pm
everyday, and free snacks are served on Fridays. It's never really crowded,
with St. Patrick's Day being an exception (but then again, which Irish
pub isn't!), so it's nice and calm. It also has live music most nights
of the week which makes it a great place for a quiet pint with your
mates or just talk to the staff behind the bar, who always have a smile.
Pugg Mahone's, situated on the end of Hardware lane just off
Lonsdale St., is another traditional English-styled pub and features
two bars. One bar is on the upper floor and there's another in the lower
area, so patrons have a choice of watching people go by or watching
their feet go by! It has music most nights and can get quite crowded
just after the 9-5 crowd starts to arrive. Catering to anyone who's
out for a pint, you'll find a large variety of people coming through
the doors, so there's always someone around to strike up a conversation.
The Charles Dickens
Tavern is not this quiet during sporting events.
Charles Dickens Tavern is a nice, quiet pub which resides beneath
Collins St, making it a comfortable place to escape the rush and stress
from the streets above( or hide from your boss!). To find this place
you really need to have your eyes open for the sign on the sidewalk
pointing to the entrance, because it's quite easy to walk right past
it. Few tourists know about this out-of-the-way pub but they are missing
a real local's treat. The prices are reasonable, there's a large selection
of pugrub, and it's not usually overly busy. Except during sporting
events.
Sitting on the corner of Bourke St and Exhibition St., is another
traditional English/Irish pub called the Elephant & Wheelbarrow.
It's part of a chain of pubs dotted around Australia but that doesn't
make it boring or stale in any way. The Elephant & Wheelbarrow has
has large screen TVs, two floors, outside serving a friendly and efficient
staff. The patrons are a unique mix of backpackers to business folk
to local regulars. There's an ample selection of beers at reasonable
prices and good food so it's a great place to have an after-work beer
or a pubcrawl.
Hanging out one
of the Elephant & Wheelbarrow's two floors.
The Quarry Hotel pub isn't actually within the limits of the
CBD area but is well worth a 15-minute tram trip. The reason is a good
selection of beers on tap and bottles, great food, pool tables (with
pool competitions on Wednesday), live music on some nights, happy hour
on Thursdays, its own bottleshop, and a great staff. The Quarry Hotel
is a quiet pub but it can get busy during long weekends, or if someone
has a party,
Fluid Oz (International Backpackers), Well, the name says it
all! Itıs a backpacker pub with games, pool tables, large screen TV
with music videos playing. This place usually gets going after dark
and during the day itıs a nice quiet place to meet fellow travelers
or people just passing through. The drinks are affordable, though there's
no food service. That's not much of a problem since Melbourne has plenty
of eateries that do the trick.
The Queensberry Hotel is another gem! It's got a nice bar, really
friendly staff, a pool table, good food at reasonable prices, and a
big beer garden. What better way to spend a hot Friday night after work
than having a cold beer in a beer garden with your mates?
The Royal Melbourne Hotel is not an unusual looking pub, but
has a very unusual feature. It's quite plain and in a more upmarket
part of town. The beer garden at the back also doubles as a functions
area and on the opposite side of the beer garden they have what looks
like a jail...which is precisely what is is! That part was the old jailhouse
of the Melbourne Police Dept. The shackles and iron bars have long since
gone, but it creates a very interesting atmosphere.
Oxford Scholar Hotel, in front of RMIT University, has a mixed
atmosphere between an English pub and a backpacker joint, 'cause it's
full of university students. It has video games and pool tables and
the prices are quite reasonable. The Oxford Scholar Hotel is on the
corner of A 'Beckett St and Swanston St, not too far from Melbourne
Central Station.
e:55 – we're not sure what to call this place. But we'll
try. It's a bar/pub/lounge mix. It has deep, comfortable couches, a
little quiet corner (to spend quality time with your significant other),
and great lounge music playing in the background. Located on Swanston
St. and below street level, it can be hard to spot. Best tip: When you
hear the music, you're there!
 Sydney
City & Nightlife Guide!
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