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Bar: Canary Club (Closed)
NOTE: Canary Club has now closed, but the review is still there to see what you missed out on.
Hairy Canary has a younger sibling who is more Spanish, larger and funkier. This bar offers up the tastes of going to a tapas bar in Barcelona while in the setting of a sexy Melbourne bar.
Website:
Location:
6 Melbourne place, Melbourne CBD (off Russell St)
Difficulty Finding:
- Pretty easy, once you’ve found the right alley its just at the end.
Summary:
- Type: Cocktail/tapas bar
- Menu: Full menu from 4pm till supper, Tapas
- Music: From DJs to Flamenco depending on the night
- Cover: No Cover
Review:
This place is what the bars in Melbourne are all about. It has a good selection of something to drink, something to nibble on, something to listen to and somewhere to chill and talk. The music is not so loud you have to shout to talk, unlike other bars I have been to. The upstairs seating area creates two very different spaces and this caters for two different types of patrons: Ones that are there with a group of friends to have a few cocktails or ones that might be in for a quicker drink before perhaps moving on. Although while in Canary Club you may be very easily convinced to stay. This shows that they get what it is to be a good bar in Melbourne.
Due to the number of good bars in Melbourne (especially the CBD) often people will be visiting more than one bar in a night. Therefore when you enter Canary Club they want to provide an atmosphere that makes you forget the time and say ‘just one more’ before moving on. I think that they are successful in providing this atmosphere, in that while being a Spanish influenced bar they are not catering to a specific demographic. This means that anyone who enters will feel welcome. Having said that the bar is popular with the after work crowd and won’t see that many Eurotrash types there. Perhaps you might see this as a good thing.
When coming here with a group of friends I often like to sit upstairs in one of the booths as its great for group conversations, its close to their smaller bar and is nice and hidden away from the people going in a out. They often however get booked so if its a busy night maybe you should do the same. The great thing about a bar having a a balcony upstairs that allows you to see down is that it makes the place feel a lot larger and connected. It also means you can check out what is happening down there.
Final Thoughts:
Canary Club is a great tapas/cocktail bar that is very inviting to the thirsty or hungry traveler. Good for the long haul or just a quick layover; however you might decide that laying over your flight in Spain is not so bad and you just might stay awhile longer.
Pro’s:
+ Great menu for late night snacking
+ Very welcoming
+ Good range of music
Con’s:
- May need to book if you’re in a large group
- Crowd is older if that bothers you
- Bar itself oddly placed in room
Score:
Atmosphere: Good
Service: Good
Menu: Excellent
Cost: Good
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Overall: Good
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