A friend of mine moved to Melbourne earlier in the week and she asked me “Where are the best places to meet nice guys?” Now her and I have something in common in that we hate nightclubs (where groups huddle for 4 hours before dispersing 3 minutes before the lights go on), so I thought this was a worthy question. Naturally there are old favourites like Frost Bites in South Yarra, and the Elephant & Wheelbarrow in St Kilda which have provided lip smacking fun through the years. Sadly the Depot has closed which always brought a smile to my face, as did the Circuit in North Fitzroy which were turned into apartments. So what’s your opinion folks?
35 Comments
June 21, 2007 at 10:21 am
It used to be the Robert Peel before they banned Straight guys – Discrimination!
June 21, 2007 at 10:22 am
A bar called barry in Collingwood for sure. I think the bouncers check if you are under ninteen and single. Many fun nights there.
June 21, 2007 at 10:24 am
Not really a pub but the Victoria Market on a Saturday morning is where I met my wife. We just started chatting while looking for carrots.
June 21, 2007 at 10:25 am
The nearest pub to a suburban footy ground. Head there at 5.21 on a Saturday.
June 21, 2007 at 10:25 am
I meet my gf at the Carlton Hotel in Bourke st. We were both in the outdoor area.
June 21, 2007 at 10:26 am
Goldfingers?
June 21, 2007 at 10:27 am
Prince Alfreds in Carlton. Meet my wife there after a uni class on a Wednesday.
June 21, 2007 at 10:28 am
I will second the Elephant and Wheelbarrow. The ladies look like Elephants and the guys get carried out in Wheelbarrows
June 21, 2007 at 10:29 am
Any dark tiny bar in the CBD. Where you stand face to face with strangers.
June 21, 2007 at 10:30 am
Met my husband at the Public House in Church St.
June 21, 2007 at 10:43 am
Many of my mates have had great success at the Palace in Camberwell – perhaps not for establishing ‘long term’ friendships, but ’short term’ ones for sure!!!
June 21, 2007 at 10:47 am
PJ O’Briens – Southbank
All kinds of Talent there – But you have try talking to them before they have had too many guiness’s….lol
June 21, 2007 at 10:52 am
Yep I shoulda also said The Palace. Seems to get all the Monash students in.
June 21, 2007 at 11:02 am
The Motel in South Melbourne
June 21, 2007 at 11:03 am
Meet my husband and was proposed to at Rialto Hotel on Collins.
June 21, 2007 at 11:11 am
Frosties for sure… for the same reasons as a bar called barry.
June 21, 2007 at 11:18 am
Ray probably “Goldfingers” wasn’t the answer I was expecting…though thanks for your honesty.
June 21, 2007 at 11:45 am
I met my partner at the Tramway Hotel in North Fitzroy. Although the venue for was prearranged as it was a blind date (see my previous post RE: Facebook) and no disrespect to the ‘Trammys’, cos the people that run it are nice and most of the regulars are tops, but it’s not the kind of place you’d place in your top 5 pick up joints… or top 100. Probably.
Paulie’s Best Bet: If you have a friend that works for a call centre in the CBD, tag along to their Friday night drinks! They’re on most Friday nights and there is loads of young, free-spirited talent (of both kinds) and there is no chance of a drunken, embarrassing and potentially career-limiting mistake of sleeping with your own work colleagues.
June 21, 2007 at 11:59 am
I hear Barcode on King St, is quite good apparently.
June 21, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Paulie! You could be onto something. We may need more info though…
June 21, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Kieran, there is not much more info other than above.
The key to it is to exploit your friendship / relationship with a friend or relative that works in the CBD (venues closer to work = higher chance of more people attending) and works for a company that tends to employ young, dynamic & fun people; which is why I suggested a call centre.
Traditionally call centres have a high turnover of staff (with a penchant to offload a fair chunk of their disposable income on alcohol), which means there are countless ‘farewell’ drinks sessions on Friday nights and of course, the people being farewelled are invariably replaced by other young, dynamic & fun people.
And so is the circle of life…
June 21, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Hmm, I really think your dear friend may reconsider asking you for advice regarding bars in Melbourne that they might encounter a potential long-term partner. You clearly are deeply out of touch with the whole notion of what constitutes ‘classy’ or ‘mature’ if you think that the Elephant and Wheelbarrow or that sad pigpen called Frostbites would cater to anyone other than those pissed, sleazy bastards looking for a quick one up against the wall out in the back alley near the wheelie bins. The only longterm relationship your alledged ‘friend’ is likely to strike up (after an evening wasted in either of the aforementioned armpits) is with the on-call physician at the STD clinic. Get out of the advice business, dickhead.
June 21, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Something tells me Steed didn’t meet anyone at these establishments and is a bitter bitter man.
June 21, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Nice to see a bit of free speech around, though Steel obviously doesnt know that “Where can I meet some nice guys” means “I’ve just moved here, recently single and need some quick lovin”. Well it did in this case.
June 21, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Other classic haunts also include The Exchange on a Friday night, Cheers Hawthorn Tuesday night, Retro Friday nights, gee…the list just goes on and on!! And as previously mentioned, Barry’s, Elephant, Frosty’s, PJ’s are all very good too.
June 22, 2007 at 12:23 am
@Luke:
They won’t kick you out of the Peel for being straight. It’s not a blanket ban and they don’t enforce it unless you’re there to being an asshole to all the gay guys. If you respect the fact that you *are* in a gay venue, you will have no problem. So you can still go pick up all the fag hags you want. Huzzah!
June 22, 2007 at 8:39 am
Steed, you’re a tool. Stick to Devonshire teas @ The Windsor.
June 22, 2007 at 12:05 pm
The Bush Inn Hotel Toorak. Heaps of guys and no girls it’s a shoe in! I’ve met my last 2 long term partners there!
June 22, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Oh dear, Paulie. It must be impossible for you to cope with how cool you are. Hanging around the swinging singles from the call centres that your friends are regularly fired from must be going to your head. Obviously, being the lifeline for the sex that your nerd colleagues can’t procure for themselves must give your delicate ego some much-needed boosting. What it really means though, Paulie, is that you have serious delusions about your ability to discern a good time from a kick in the balls. Are you seriously trying to convince anyone above the age of seventeen that the fun folks who repeatedly interrupt our lives with irritating phonecalls about irrelevant bullshit are going to be even remotely entertaining to have a drink with or (fingers crossed Paulie) have sex with? Please fella, save your lashings of wisdom for your blind dates at the Tramways. The grown-ups need something a little more substantial than the boozy farewell parties you seem to make the sad habit of crashing.
Oh, screw it. No, Paulie. You’re a tool.
June 25, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I would hate to rain on your parade, Steed, but with absolutely no regret, my single days are gone. The lashings of wisdom obviously paid off because the blind date at the Tramways resulted in me meeting the person that I have remained with ever since as well as us recently becoming parents for the first time.
I will though look back over those periods of singledom in my life where I actually went out and had some FUN.
As for your diatribe relating to call centres, you Steed are a moron. I sincerely hope that if and when you need to make a claim on your insurance when an ATM refuses to give back your card or when you find yourself with no electricity, something inside that pea-sized brain of yours clicks and you then realise those people that you speak on the other end of the phone are providing you with a service and are not there to interrupt your (obviously dull) life with irritating phonecalls about irrelevant bullshit.
Here’s an idea, rather than attack people posting their OPINION on this blog (which funnily enough, was what we were all doing) would you care to regale us all with your suggestions of the best “grown up” places to meet a long term partner… perhaps the TAB or a knackery, given your nickname?
June 28, 2007 at 1:28 pm
We’ve had many budding relationships started in our bar. Loads of people meet and stay together. Urban Bar @ http://www.urbancentral.com.au.
July 4, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Steed, Paulie.. I’m a bit late on the uptake I know.. but thank you both for your most entertaining repartee, many chuckles.
However, I happen to be one of these young call centre dynamics, so I therefore feel qualified to confirm exactly how fun and keen for a drink we are. We know all the places that are “in” and due to our location, are in there early enough not to have to queue and we follow happy hours and free nibbles to our hearts’ content. And yes, due to the typically short life span of the call centre employee, we do drink a lot.. out of celebration or sad commiseration at the plight of our heinous management or godawful customers; because, my dear Steed, I work in an information centre where YOU are one of the fun folks that call ME with irrelevant bullshit (we like to call you “bleaters”) because at some point, you’ve decided that I am responsible for an entire organisations’ policies, and you’re damn well going to give me a piece of your mind about it.
Good one.
I’ll pass it on to my supervisor.
And see the rest of you at the pub on Friday!
July 5, 2007 at 11:09 am
HURRAH, Kato!
July 5, 2007 at 11:47 am
if you can’t score at any of the above… the desperate and dateless ball is a expensive one, but definately a guarantee pickup.
July 2, 2009 at 10:16 pm
the lambs go bar – intimate and you know the ladies there like a beer.