Russian for “any group of these persons acting together for a common purpose”, Troika is a stylish little Vodka Bar that  doesn’t try too hard to be something…it just is what it is.

Website:

Troika Bar

Location:

106 Lt Lonsdale Street, CBD

Difficulty Finding:

- Medium: although it is on Little Lonsdale, its a little out of the way and its unimposing nature means you can walk right past it. Look for the optometrist sight sheet style logo above the door.

Summary:

- Type: Bar
- Food: Snack
- Music: DJ
- Cover: None

Review:

Although now it might be considered a little out of the way compared to most of the other bars in the city, Troika is one of the original little alley bars in Melbourne and it prides itself on the fact that it has hardly changed since its opening in the late 90s.  This is not to say its dated, merely “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Upon opening the large thick steel door you are greeted with a cosy, dark and red lit interior which works well for those looking to sit back and let the night pass without too much to worry about. The interior itself is very unimposing while being quite stylish and is clear that it is catering for an art and design crowd, even the small details works well, for example the tables having survey subdivision street plans on them to match nearby walls with architectural house designs on them.

The central element inside is the bar and it takes up a fair portion of the space inside, which is an advantage as it makes the interior feel cosy. However it also takes up a large percentage of the interior and when busy the line between cosy and cramped becomes blurred. The menu is a bit of a mix between infused vodkas, cocktails, beers and wines so there is something for everyone. With this in mind though be prepared to find that there is the possibility of  some things listed that are not on offer, and some staff that may come across cold and don’t completely come across as having a handle on what’s on offer. The music is another influencing factor on the bar, one reviewer described the music as being “Consistently interesting and fairly edgy”, which is pretty much on the mark. It is not the standard house or dance music that is played at most places, nor is it overbearing and completely obtuse. It has been carefully selected to reflect the overall ambiance of Troika in that its a venue to sit back and get involved in intellectual discussions, rather than say; go dance.

All of this combined tends to make this a very hard bar to review as it may not suit everyone, nor would I want to be my regular. However there are times when going out needs something else, than another take on what sometimes feels like the same thing. The best thing to do is to go search it out when you are in the mood for something a little different where you might just run into Troika.

Final Thoughts:

Troika has been around and remained busy for the past 10 years with little changes, and while it is not everyone’s cup of tea its worth visiting when the mood suggests.

Pro’s:
+ Offers something different in style, music and service
+ Atmosphere encourages discussing issues well into the night
Con’s:
- Not somewhere to go for a heavy night out on the town
- Out of the way

Score:

Atmosphere: 9
Service: 9
Menu: 9
Cost: 9
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Overall: 9