One of the newer additions to the Melbourne bar scene, this younger sibling of the bird family has opened its wings and revealed a bar that lures you in with its display of feathers and relaxed atmosphere.

Website:

Emerald Peacock

Location:

Floor 1 233-237 Lonsdale Street Melbourne CBD

Difficulty Finding:

- Easy. Although there is no signage outside the entrance; with its location right on Lonsdale, opposite QV and large double doors make it hard to miss.

Summary:

- Type: Cocktail bar
- Food: Light meals/tapas
- Music: DJ on weekends
- Cover: None

Review:

Entering the scene with an older sibling already in place has its advantages; Emerald Peacock is able to go in with a good idea of what is lacking in other bars, what works, what doesn’t and most importantly what people like to drink. From this they’ve created almost bar that tries to become a jack of all trades with a tapas/dining area, a downstairs lounge area, an upstairs balcony bar and all this overlaid with cocktails. It does well to cover all these things and has luckily found a space where it can hold all these ideas.

For Melbourne bars, Emerald Peacock is quite large and the feeling that you get when you walk up the stairs into the main bar area is like walking into a large hall (this is especially true compared to Red Hummingbird) . This does mean that lots more people can fit in, but on a quieter night it can easily feel empty. Fortunately (or unfortunately) this is definitely not a problem during weekends as its popularity with both after work drinkers and night partyers means that lots of people can have a problem getting in on Friday and Saturday nights.

The bar offers a quality choice of cocktails and beers on tap (Kirin a favourite) with the bartenders having no trouble making favourites that are not on the list. As you emerge from the lounge/dining area downstairs you will find yourself almost in the middle of a very large balcony bar with great views of QV and in summer would be great for a drink in the sun during the evening.

Final Thoughts:

A bar that offers you many different styles of drinking be it tapas to after work drinks to late night cocktails, however if you like a quieter drink then mid week may be your best bet.

Pro’s:
+ Massive balcony
+ Quality cocktails
+ Jack of all trades
Con’s:
- Pretty much door list only Fri/Sat night
- Can feel empty inside easily when quiet  (if that bothers you)

Score:

Atmosphere: Very Good
Service: Very Good
Menu: Good
Cost: Good
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Overall: Very Good