Melbourne Patron

*This venue is now closed* All I knew of Scholars Wine Bar (480 Victoria Street, North Melbourne) was that it was a wine bar, in North Melbourne, that did food - mainly because I knew its sommelier and one of its chefs, and that their gal pals spent an inordinate amount of time there. I myself had never gotten around to sampling its delights until a dinner there was suggested. Despite the obvious connections resulting in us being very well looked after, I was surprised and impressed by our meal, and would have no reservations in recommending it for dinner parties, intimate dates or cosy catch-ups with friends. It's a gateway for accessible upmarket dining. Walking in, the main bar is to your right, complete with both bar stools and lower, more comfortable seating. Decor is simple and elegant with touches of the antique, clearly in keeping with the 'scholarly' theme: serious, dark, somewhat traditional, always well-presented.  Veer off to the left an...

Walking past the Boatbuilder's Yard  (23 South Wharf Promenade) in the past, I'd always been attracted by the chilled-but-buzzy vibe, timber overload (warm and inviting, don't you think?) and proximity to water (yep, that water thing again). A date gave me the opportunity to try it out on a school night, and I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, the night before, I hadn't slept a wink. Not only was this detrimental to my general social performance, but it also meant I wasn't in a great frame of mind to make blog-style judgements on the bar/pub venue. However, I will do my best in retrospect. Lots of timber I ordered the house bubbles, served up by friendly and relaxed-looking barmen. We sat outside - because that's what you do at a waterside venue - but it was an overcast day and the wind was whipping the awnings around beside us. This didn't detract a lot from the feeling of open-air-water-proximity I love, but after a while it was a bit fray...