Melbourne: gettin’ my drink on at Croft Institute
I’m with my friend, Belinda, on Little Bourke Street in the Chinatown area in Melbourne, Australia.
We make a turn off the street, and as I’m being led down a poorly-lit grungy alley with the sight of waste containers to the side, pools of stagnant water on the pavement, and the faint yet distinct smells of rotting food, I can’t help but wonder into what I’ve got myself now.
“Don’t worry,” she said.
“Famous last words,” I groused, only half-kidding.
At the end is a sign, indicating that there’s something here: a place to have a drink, or to come face-to-face with an ugly demise.
There are flasks, beakers, and tubing; old chemistry lab benches like high-school of old. And that’s where we’re going to prop ourselves after we fetch our drinks!
While the Croft Institute might appear like a Dr. Evil science-lab gone mad, in truth the only dangerous thing here are the beautifully delicious drinks.
Located at the end of Croft Alley just off Little Bourke Street in Melbourne’s Chinatown, The Croft Institute closed for good during the 2020-2022 Covid19 pandemic.
Disclosure: No Connection, Unpaid, My Own Opinions. I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to The Croft Institute. Thanks to BR who kindly led me to some of her favourite bars in Melbourne’s CBD. I made the photos on 27 August 2012. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-2Vf.
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7 Responses to “Melbourne: gettin’ my drink on at Croft Institute”
Great photos. Sounds like it was a good night out. Love the beaker shot…not what I would have expected. Will have to check out the Croft Institute.
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Hi, Anita. The way the bar was described in person I was initially skeptical. Sure enough, the bar is in a really cool setting, despite the slight creepy factor. 🙂 The folks there made some excellent cocktails. Definitely, when you’re in Melbourne and in the Chinatown area, please check out this bar! Thanks for reading and for your comment!
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I LOVE the Croft Institute. I lived in Melbourne for four years and it was one of the great finds that made me absolutely love the city.
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Hi, Barbara. I give credit fully to my friend who took me to a number of great bars in Melbourne’s CBD. The Croft Institute was a highlight, but now I look back and wonder why I didn’t make notes or photos of the other great bars! I was always a fan of Melbourne after previous visits, but the bars have only added to the allure. 🙂 Thanks for reading and for your comment!
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This would be so much fun. Certainly makes for a good blog post. If I ever get to Melbourne — I’m there!
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Hi, Cathy. The fact that the bar is nestled in the middle of Melbourne’s Chinatown at the back-end of an alley was enough to make me curious, despite my initial reaction of having to walk down that alley the first time. 😉 As I also wrote to Barbara’s comment, I visited a number of other select bars in the area, all of which were also excellent, but I didn’t take any (mental) notes or make any photographs. It’s just as well, because I really enjoyed visiting the bars with my friend’s recommendations. Thank you for your comment!
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