In the wee early hours of the morning, when everything else is closing, The Lounge is still offering up somewhere to keep the night going.

Website:

The Lounge

Location:

243 Swanston Street, Melbourne (CBD)

Difficulty Finding:

- Very easy, situated on Swanston Street directly across from Cookie.

Summary:

- Type: Bar and Cocktail Bar
- Food: Restaurant attached
- Music: DJ, Dance, House
- Cover: Generally Friday and Saturday

Review:

Ok kiddies, come sit round as its story time; the first time I went to The Lounge it was in the wee hours of the morning after a long night and I recall wondering what the whole appeal of the place was apart from it being open past most other places in the city, I mean it wasn’t anything special. In part I think its true, but its not until you experience it during the day and you realise that all in all The Lounge is a pretty solid place that does a good job at sufficing the needs of people that go there no matter when it is.

The venue is split into two parts, downstairs which is a restaurant mostly and becomes a quieter bar later on in the night, the food here is very reasonably priced during the day and the service is pretty good. The food in itself is pretty good as well and is worth having if you are in the area. Upstairs is more of the main area, there’s a bar up there and seating for meals during the day, while later at night the tables are removed to become the dance floor. There is a bit more of a pub menu here but it too is pretty good. Also upstairs there is a balcony to sit out on and catch up with people. Overall its not offering anything overly special, just somewhere to eat, drink, catch up, dance, play pool…pretty much whatever takes your fancy at the time.

Its worth going to even if it isn’t one of the last places open, the staff are all really cool people, the food is nice, the atmosphere is always pretty good and there is generally a good mix of people there to meet and hang out with. Its a pretty hard place to write about really because, well there isn’t anything bad about it, however there isn’t anything particularly outstanding about it either…it simply is what it is.

Final Thoughts:

The Lounge doesn’t try to offer too much and is always pretty reliable in everything it offers. The phrase ‘jack of all trades; master of none’ fits very well here to describe what they offer, although this should not be taken as a bad thing.

Pro’s:
+ Open late
+ Kitchen open late
Con’s:
- Nothing particularly special inside
- Can get smoky inside from attached outdoor smoking area

Score:

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