Whether you're after a funky beat, stiff drink or a speed date, this restaurant, wine bar and dance club offers a myriad of possibilities seven days straight.
Situated in St Kilda's bustling entertainment strip on Acland Street, Veludo offers perfect perches for fine drinking, dining and people-watching.
Featuring a chic bar with a wine-intensive drinks menu and restaurant service of an international standard, Veludo is one hip hangout. The unique fold-out windows open up the bar to a view of relaxed kerbside seating and the street, which is permanently abuzz in warmer months.
Inside, an open fire framed with raw blue stone, cosy couches and classy traditional table settings evoke a more formal atmosphere. A separate upstairs bar with dance floor and DJ decks plays host to mixed-tempo lounge sounds during the week. Things get turned up a notch come Friday when resident MC act Dirty Laundry bust out live house/hip-hop fusions to get the dance floor grooving. The live music mayhem continues on Saturday when residents Jacket Off, the latest electronic outfit to come out of Melbourne, saturate the venue with modern funk, jazz and house beats.
Veludo's textured walls are adorned with modern paintings of local landscapes, honouring landmarks such as Luna Park and St Kilda beach. The bar also doubles as a speed-dating venue, complete with cocktails and canapes for fast-tracking those singles tired of just perusing the passing parade.
Maya Linden