Fitzroy's Palookaville is sure to deliver for locals who like their boutique beers served up with live music and performance art in a cosy boho setting.
Opening late in 2006, Palookaville is one of the newer additions to Brunswick Street's proliferation of boho restaurant/bar/performance space hybrids. In a locale renowned for its progressive vibe, Palookaville fits in well with alternative decor that blends cosy pre-loved couches, antique lamps, ragged rugs, birdcage lamps and lush potted plants, conforming to the surrounding bric-a-brac aesthetic.
Locals will feel at home perched by the long stretch of bar which is splashed with a bright mix of paints as if Jackson Pollock was let loose on the decoration. Pool tables and modern artwork define the cavernous beer-barn style space, which offers a great selection of boutique beers. There's Pure Blonde, Beez Neez, Little Creatures Pale Ale, Staropramen and Hoegaarden available on tap and by the bottle, as well as up to 15 Australian wines and the odd old-school cocktail by request.
Live music entertains drinkers free of charge six nights a week, offering local acoustic folk, funk, rock and blues musicians an appreciative audience. Palookaville is also committed to visual and performance art, hosting experimental theatre shows in conjunction with events such as Melbourne's Fringe festival, as well as art exhibitions in the upstairs gallery space, which doubles as a hireable area for private functions.
Maya Linden
