Discovery Recommends -The Croft Institute

Discovery Recommends: The Croft InstituteLooking for somewhere a little different to spend your Friday night? Finding the ideal spot in Melbourne can be difficult given their most unique bar venues tend to be their most inconspicuous too.

Luckily Discovery Melbourne is here to let you in on a little secret in the form of The Croft Institute. Tucked down a winding Chinatown Alley, this mental-asylum-cum-science-lab themed watering hole is sure to provide the most unusual –and dare we say spooky –drinking experienceyou will have encountered.Locating the bar is just the beginning of the adventure. Hidden away at the end of a dimly-lit graffiti adorned alleyway, you may feel slightly uneasy in the walk up to this hidden gem… Sprawling over three floors, this bar offers all the delights you could want from a night out on the town.

Cluttered with all kinds of glass apparatus and display cabinets, the ground floor plays host to a super cool science themed bar, serving up all kinds of beers, wines and inventive syringe-topped cocktails. For a real experience opt for ‘The Experiment’, which is exactly that –a monthly changing cocktail, created according to the fancy of the mixologist. The drinks are mixed according to your preferences but beware, they’re pretty strong! After more than just a few sit-down after work drinks? The Croft Institute is the perfect place to get your groove on, with the top floor playing host to DJs spinning some tracks every Friday and Saturday.

Styled as an old-school gymnasium complete with a real turf bar (you might even be able to spot some off the staff trimming it), you can cut some shapes on the dance floor or sit back and chill out on the bleachers, pretending you’re really at an American high school. Need to make a trip to the bathroom? You’ll have to head to the eerie waiting room and through the doors marked ‘Male or Female Hygiene’; there you’ll find a room complete with sterile white tiles, stainless steel basin and creepy hospital bed. Don’t visit if you’ve just watched a horror movie! Once you’ve visited you’re sure to want to return –that is, if you can find it!

21 Croft Alley
Melbourne, Vic 3000
www.thecroftinstitute.com.au

Image by Paul Louis Villari

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