On our second full day in Melbourne, a few of us had the fortune of participating in the walking tour led by Lucky. Lucky, who was enthusiastic and informative, was also a bartender!
He made a few recommendations of where to go for drinks and what kind of establishments to look for: speakeasy-style bars tucked away on shady looking alleyways off side-streets hidden upstairs leading to rooftop bars and rooms with cool interiors.
When we reached Chinatown, we walked off to a small alley. Lucky then told us about the Berlin Bar, a speakeasy style bar he considered one of the best in Melbourne for its unique interior and the high quality of its drinks.
Later that night, a few friends and I decided to head to the Berlin Bar to check it out ourselves!
The Berlin Bar was located in a nondescript older building on a side alley just off the main Chinatown corridor. The only sign of there being a bar in the building was the sign saying “Berlin” but even that did not made no mention of any sort of bar. To get into the bar, one has to open the painted-black door and go up a few flight of stairs. Once at the top, there is a door with a small rectangular opening and a green doorbell on the left side. One has to ring the doorbell to be let in and there may be a wait depending on capacity.
Once in, one would be welcomed to the “West Berlin” capitalistic themed room. However, one can also choose to walk pass the central bar and be seated in the “East Berlin” Soviet Union themed room. We went on a Sunday night, so it was not particularly crowded.
I opted for a Mojito, a classic but flavorful choice. Some other drinks on the menu ordered by friends were cocktails named after places, people, and things related to Cold War-era Berlin. The menu book appeared to be that of a spy manual. The cocktail menu itself was a map of East and West Germany.
Overall, I think this has to be one of the most unique bars I have been to. Prices were fair, the environment was really cool, and the drinks were great. Special thank you to Lucky, our tour guide, for highly recommending us this bar.