Melbourne, being the smoke free zone that it is (no smoking indoors or at any public transport stop), means that smokers such as myself (not that I intend to be one for much longer) can be difficult to accommodate when arranging a drinks night out and about. Sure pubs with beer gardens aren’t too difficult to find, but when one prefers the slightly…cleaner atmosphere of a bar, especially in the city, it can be a bit of a struggle.
Here’s a list of venues that a smoke-friendly, whether in the way of gardens or balconies!
Section 8
27-29 Tattersall’s La, Melbourne
0430 291 588
http://www.section8.com.auNever been, nor heard of. But anything is worth a try!
Collins Quarter
86A Collins Street, Melbourne
9650 8500A feature of the three-month-old renovation is a courtyard with a roof that slides open. Housed in the original 1872 building, with its Collins Street entrance, is a brighter, more open dining area.
Enter from the back, off Pink Alley and you hit the Blind Alley bar that leads into the courtyard. Upstairs, looking down on to that space, is RA, a champagne/cocktail bar with louvre windows, modular furniture and a stunning array of drinks.
Fuller Bar
161 Spring Street, Melbourne
9654 6300Situated on the roof of Supper Club, this new open air bar is the hot spot to be this summer.Owner Con Chistopolous has spent $1.2 million for the renovation of this keenly anticipated rooftop and dining space.
Named after Sir Benjamin Fuller, a theatrical entrepreneur from the late 19th and early 20th centuries who owned the Princess Theatre for a short time, Fuller Bar has a bird’s eye view of Parliament House, Parliament Gardens and the Princess Theatre.
Rooftop Bar
Level 7, 252 Swanston Street, Melbourne
9654 5394Above Cookie, a fantabulous restaurant and non-smoking bar, this bar runs Rooftop Cinema during the summer months so it’s out on nights when they have sessions, but otherwise a great venue.
Cho Gao
Melbourne Central, Level 3, 211 Swanston Street, Melbourne
9650 7933
http://www.chogao.com.au/
Three things I know about this place - great view from the balcony, apparently decent service (according to my brother), and it’s patrons tend to get drunk and throw bottlecaps at girls walking along the street below.
The Pond
130-134 Franklin Street roundabout
http://www.findthepond.com.au/
The transformation of a derelict courtyard and laneway has resulted in one of this summer’s hottest watering holes. The Pond has been created using an eclectic variety of recycled materials including garden pots and certified plantation pine furniture, resulting in a coolly inviting garden oasis and rooftop deck. The Pond will ‘dry up’ at the end of summer, so get in quick!
Sarti
6 Russell Place, Melbourne
9639 7822
http://www.sarti.net.auA proper restaurant, all Italian flavours created by co-owner and head chef Ricardo Momesso with a nifty wine list, has expanded to include a revamped terraced balcony.
Madame Brussels
Level 3, 59 Bourke Street, Melbourne
9662 2775
http://www.madamebrussels.com/This is the bar that Alice in Wonderland would have designed after dropping an E - you enter to a totally kitschy cute atmosphere, ivy painted across the ceiling, astroturf on the ground with a paved path leading from the bar to the balcony, and all the furniture a mix of white garden furniture and chaises and couches. If you’re not one of the Pimms chasers, they do a few cocktails by the jug - for two drinkers or four, and sell some cute (though mediocre in taste) cupcakes.
Trunk Bar & Restaurant
275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
9663 7994
Review - The AgeTrunk has just opened in this outstanding city location and shows all the signs of finding a place amongst the city’s most popular after work venues. A much needed addition to the northern end of the city, Trunk’s home was once a synagogue and more recently Silitto’s Italian restaurant. The highlight over summer will be the elegant front herb garden area, but come winter or cool weather the slick internal New York styling will beckon.
Eurotrash Bar
18 Corrs La, Melbourne
9654 4411
http://www.eurotrashbar.com.au/A multi-level venue, upstairs from the bar is the gallery-slash-performance space where the Pop Tart session takes place (a regular Thursday night celebration of female-fronted bands). Up another level is the for-hire only ‘penthouse’ section - perfect for any sort of party. Head out the back door to find a smoker-friendly tiered beer garden watched over by a three storey-high busty ‘nurse’, just one of the murals that go into making Eurotrash so eclectic. Ultimately unpretentious, this is probably a venue to include on your regular hit list.
The Order of Melbourne
Level 2/401 Swanston St Melbourne
9663 6707
http://www.theorder.com.au/A fantastic bar, it’s inconspicuous doorway leads up two flights of stairs to a vast indoor area with plenty of seating. Up another flight of stairs leads to a tiny balcony with a seperate bar so you don’t need to navigate stairs in heels with drinks in hand. Gets a bit noisy, but a great venue for a gathering.
The Workshop
Lvl 1, 413-417 Elizabeth St (Cnr A’Beckett St), Melbourne
9326 4365
http://www.theworkshop.com.au/Popular with students and CBD workers and housed in an old motorcycle workshop with a very small outside balcony/terrace, Workshop blends beer, and hip hop and funk DJs with greasy engine parts to create the perfect mix for inner city pleasure.
Miss Libertine
34 Franklin St, Melbourne
9663 6855
http://www.misslibertine.com.au/The venue has three bars over two levels, a fully equipped recording studio and independant art gallery. Have never been here myself, but I hear it’s not a bad venue at all for the hip suits and students to intermingle after hours.
The Red Hummingbird
Lvl 1, Lvl 1, 246 Russell St, Melbourne
9654 2266
http://www.theredhummingbird.com/
Beautiful Moroccan-themed bar, it looks luxurious in red and boasts a beautiful rooftop balcony decked out with Asian lounges and water features, and is apparently a great place to view the sunset.
The Toff in Town
Curtin House, Lvl 2, 252 Swanston St, Melbourne
9639 8770
http://www.thetoffintown.com/Train carriage-style booths run the length of the main bar with total privacy assured by a few well-drawn blinds. The only interruption in your evening will come at the press of button when you summons the wait staff to deliver more liquid indulgence, or perhaps a small plate of French nibbles from the larder.
Opening in 2008
- The Italian - 101 Collins Street on March 25
- Print-house in A’Beckett Street mid-year.
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A place called Red Spice Road (http://www.redspiceroad.com/) at 27 McKillop St in the city has an outside area out the back where people go out smoking (well I saw some when I went there last night). It is a restaurant but there is an area that is more bar like (a group of us went there for some drinks after dancing).