Bar Nancy 27/07/11

"Branching out B.E.E.R.S"

Attendess: Cam, Ben, Sarah, Michael, Tom B, Tom H
Price: Average priced which is nice for a cocktail bar.
Location: 61 High St Northcote near Westgarth St.
Distance: 10min tram ride
Obscurity: Nothing is really that obscure with chairs out the front
Ambience: To begin with it was empty except for us but we still felt welcome and comfortable. Good tunes and lighting.
Character: A bit hit and miss, not a particularly interesting building.
Decor: The bar set up is extravagant & beautiful. Some great pieces like wall mirrors and some original artworks. Fireplaces in the back room are brilliant.
Comfort: Some great different options. Sit at the bar or grab a table in the front, a booth around the fire in the back room or a spot outside in the back courtyard. Fine to come here by yourself, with a big group or anything in between.
Patrons: Not really busy enough to make any assumptions.
Staff: Great - friendly, helpful and good for a chat.
Selection: No taps but a nice selection of bottled beers & an extensive wine and cocktail list.
Outdoor: Back area with some tables, a little foliage and nice vibe. Shade cloth for the sunny days. Also some on street seating to soak up a bit of High St atmosphere.
Specials: Selling point is the wine and cocktails but no specials as such.
Amenities: Not great, a bit like a half renovated house toilet and an oddly large room. Hole in the wall and patchy paintwork doesn't help.
Top suggestion: Get a tap beer.
Field notes: Tables are trippy - like two halves that slot together but is actually just one solid top. Open fireplaces are a big plus for the winter months. Some very tasty food options - highly recommended.
Memorable quotes: "Quiet wine bar for yuppies" Tom A (about a minute after arriving)
"Explosive dumplings!" Sarah

Arbitrary Score: 76
Could easily crack the 80s with a few minor adjustments. Definitely will come back another time!
A great local spot with a relaxed atmosphere and great selection of drinks and snacks.

Black Cat 20/07/11

"The Boys B.E.E.R.S"

Attendees: Ben, Cam, Richo, Michael, Eddy, Tom
Price: $8 pint of Montieth's. Good price.
Location: 252 Brunswick St south of Johnston.
Distance: 11 min walk
Obscurity: Not obscure but dark and subdued enough to avoid any non-locals
Ambience: A DJ every night helps create a funky and relaxed atmosphere. Although could  be quieter to improve the LSR (light to sound ratio). Definite couple-y vibe with all the couches.
Character: Very high. Nice textural elements from the bare brick walls and wood pieces behind the bar while a huge wall length mirror opens up the space.
Decor: It's 'happening'. A tiny bit more effort on lighting would go a long way. Indoor potted trees are a cool feature. Diggin the quirky feature wall behind the bar.
Comfort: Very comfortable for small groups however anything over 4 becomes a bit awkward with the layout of the seating. Although snag one of the larger outdoor tables and you're set! The layout of the couches in the space could be finessed a little more but is overall very comfy.
Patrons: Old school Fitzroy. Reminiscent of the Brunswick St of old. Casual, cool and relaxed.
Staff: Engaging, almost sarcastic. Friendly but maybe a bit far? Michael was a little thrown out.
Selection: Only two types of Monteith's on tap. A nice enough staple beer and quite cheap. More variety of bottled beers which are also decently priced.
Outdoor: Has a very different vibe to inside. Another great relaxed space and great for larger groups. Heaters and a planted screen give you some protection from the elements and traffic noise.
Specials: DJs on every night of the week. Open decks for the up & coming deejay.
Amenities: Scummy unisex toilets.
Top suggestion: Rethink / update inside furniture layout to include more variety of spaces and seating options.
Field notes: Discussion of new term "LSR" which has been informally brought up for some time now. Music is great and really helps the atmosphere.
Memorable quotes: "The back wall is trying to play jenga with itself" RW
"Definitely too many trendy moustaches. Check behind the bar!" MLG
"The Perseverance is just like the moth to the fucking flame." BH

Arbitrary score: 78
Great place for a catch up with a friend or two or a relaxed first date. Sink yourself into a comfy couch and enjoy a drink to some funky tunes.

The Kodiak Club 13/07/11

"Whiskey B.E.E.R.S."

Attendees: Cam, Ben, Michael, Jamie

Price: Very expensive. $9 pint in plastic cup.

Location: City side of Johnston St at 272 Brunswick St.

Distance: 12 min walk

Obscurity: If you pull your head out of your arse (which is were it likely is if you're on Brunswick St on a weekend) you'll easily notice it.

Ambiance: Good acoustics, great music choice warm lighting.

Character: Has a ski lodge vibe, nice complementing shades of timber. It is quite unique, definitely feels like a whiskey bar. Different to normal bars and pubs.

Decor: Not overdone, but very interesting pieces that highlight uniqueness. Bar is a shrine to bourbon, great variety of different bottles that are accessed by one of those old-school library ladders on wheels.

Comfort: Different levels to break up the room. Awesome intimate table for small groups, comfortable stools, but the bench cushions are slippery and frustrating to sit on.

Patrons: Quite young. Can definitely still see the weekend Brunswick St crowd coming in.

Staff: Very professional and friendly. It was busy enough, but they are not stressed, know their stuff.

Selection: Only one beer on tap. Have an interesting collection of relatively unheard of bottled beers, both imported and Australian. But this bar is all about the Bourbon. Fantastic selection if that's your thing.

Outdoor: N/A

Amenities: Really nice journey to the toilets. Upstairs area feels like a house, very welcoming. The actual toilets are adequate enough.

Specials: Heard great things about the food menu. Looks like a great function room upstairs.

Top Suggestion: For such a classy place there has to be glass for the tap beer.

Field Notes: Heated debate about what each category means. May need to clarify some of the categories as there is a large portion of cross-over and confusion about what goes where.
Special mention goes to the massive plumber's crack on the table next to us that cracked us up.

Memorable Quotes: "Bartender is a dead-ringer for Simon Pegg!" B.H.

"I got 5 cheeseburgers on the way home from your party last week." MLG

Arbitrary Score: 77
Has a great vibe but is heavily let down by the plastic beer cups, expensive price and lack of selection of tap beers.