Double Happiness Bar

Okay, I really want to give this place five stars because they are totally brilliant in their cocktail designs and creation. And I also really loved the communist China motif of the place.
But… The first cocktail I ordered was absolutely no good. It was the single tequila offering on the menu and, being from Texas, I had to give it a try. What a disappointment. My friends were sitting close to me, sipping on delicious looking and smelling cocktails while I tried my best to suck down what was undeniably a *gasp* BAD cocktail.
I gave it up, though, and ordered a new drink… the night was saved. Little Communist Red Chinese men rained down from the ceiling and danced in delight in the light of a double rainbow as I sipped on a rumy and cinnamony concoction that delighted all my senses.
So five stars… minus one star for a bad cocktail and a bartender who didn’t care.

The décor in here is so fun, and the fireplace was toasty and warm perfect for winter. The cocktails we had (can’t recall the name) were lychee ginger mixes and they were great! Love the small size of this place

I was a regular here a decade ago, enjoying the Mr. Fu as a grad student at MBS. This hidden gem of the CBD still haunts my dreams. Mr. Fu we need you in Washington DC please…

This is a great little discovery in the CBD. Through a nondescript door you lead up the stairs first coming to the bar, and for a small area draws a big crowd.
For the best way to experience what Double Happiness has to offer head to the top floor to the lounge/​restaurant area. Here you can escape the noise from the bar, and despite the small area the use of space, lighting and partitions creates an intimate setting. The oriental theme to the room adds character and almost makes you believe you’re no longer in Melbourne.
The service is excellent, attentive without being intrusive. The cocktails are the draw card here, all unique with a few ingredients that we couldn’t recognise and needed help from the knowledgable staff. If you’re stuck for choices I recommend the one named after Bourke St.

I know this place is a cocktail bar first, but I’m coming back for the food! I came here with a large group to celebrate my friend’s Masters graduation, and she had ordered a few platters of small hors d’oeuvres — the best hors d’oeuvres I’ve ever had! It goes without saying, most of these did not last long. Unfortunately I can’t remember all the bites that came out, but I shall do my best. First there were cassava and lotus root chips with a little heat added to them. Then came out little bites of ceviche heaven. There were dumplings as well, but the taste did not manage to wow our tastebuds. There were a few more other bites that were simply divine (i went for seconds with these ones and the crevice) but I can’t remember what they were.
The drinks were varied and many. I was introduced to the alcoholic take on bubble cup (complete with a fat straw to stab through the plastic top) and was an instant fan of the delicate flavours. Some of the guys ordered near litre bottles of beer and shared it around with spare glasses.
I would definitely suggest to go here to my friends so I can sample more of their foods and their extensive cocktail list.

This little bar is hidden in one of the lane ways off Bourke street towards the Parliament. The décor is a salute to communist propaganda and warm Asian colors. And in winter the open fire adds coziness.
Without a doubt my favorite bar in Melbourne! The staff is very friendly and they can make an awesome cocktail, always with a smile on their faces no matter how busy it gets.

I’ve been here on a handful of occasions and luckily not when they’ve been super-​busy as I’ve always managed to score a spot at the bar to have a chat with the cheerful and knowledgeable bar tenders.
A cute little pocket bar that is a great place to stop for a cocktail before or after hitting up one of the many great restaurants in the area.

Had some time up my sleeve after work so after reading some Unilocal!reviews I decided on visiting this bar. Located in Liverpool street, just off the top end of Bourke, its a cute/​quirky lane way bar. I liked it!
A nice cocktail list and really friendly bar staff and also patrons. Its the kind of bar I would take my best friend to so we could catch up on the latest gossip as it is quite cosy inside.
I had a ‘Money God’ cocktail which was Gin based (of course!) it was topped with bubbly coconut foaming cream, quite the surprise but it worked well and gave me a great start to the night. Yes, I would love to show my friends Double Happiness Bar, liked it very much.

I love a good cocktail one doesn’t they are so much better than a ‘hentail’ hehe
Was here after having WAY too many dumpling and need something a little boozy.
The staff are friendly and helpful but I would go on a weeknight if you want a little more time talking about their cocktail as they do get very busy on the weekend.
Yet still they are always happy to help especially if you take interest in liquor.
No matter how busy and under pump these guys are they are always happy.
My favorite cocktail here was the Politburo — Cognac Ginger liqueur dry vermouth & orange
Yum
Will be back soon…

Managed to come here one night when we were the only people there — so sort of lovely when you’re with a big group. Excellent décor and pretty chilled staff.
Interesting selection of drinks, we had some of the samplers which was good. Lychee thing and espresso martini were standouts.

Double Happiness fits squarely within the definition of a Melbourne alleyway hideout, but puts its own unique spin on it with its ambience & charm :)

I do so love a good cocktail — and Double Happiness makes them! Very friendly staff, a cosy location, and a generally comfortable atmosphere.
Whilst I’m sure they can make you a mojito, I love their local specialities — Mr. Foo (chilli vodka, coriander, limes) was a huge hit last night, and my wife loved the May the 4^th — some of the ingredients may be unfamiliar, but that actually was a reason why I chose a drink or two here. I have NO idea what was in it, I think I recognised the word «apple» but that was about it. Tasted great, fun experience, all good.
As others have commented, the venue is not vast. The courtyard (such as it is) gets packed with smokers (ick) and the bar area really can’t take too many people either, which means that as the bodies pile in, the noise level goes up fast. Plus, sometimes the staff tend to keep the music up a few decibels too high, so chatting with friends can become a bit of a shouting match.
Most people seem to treat this as a «stop by en route to dinner» location, and that’s probably about right. Our first visit was en route to Ginger Boy, and last night was actually as a night cap after a visit somewhere else first.
Fun place, fun drinks, and worth a visit!

They play music off an iPod here, which is some crazy make or break shit. Some nights it’s just normal background music that you barely notice. Last time I was there though, the bar staff were playing Jurassic 5 the whole night. I was so overcome by the power of positive hip hop that I almost started doing the worm. No more J5 please Double Happiness! You are my favourite place to booze, don’t let Charlie 2na ruin our beautiful relationship.

Double Happiness Bar, tucked inside in the inner Melbourne. A-​hit-​and-​miss place, but when you find it — it’s a gem. In other words — a hidden gem.
Awesome, yet, awkward decorations of Asian influenced art posted on the walls. Seriously, I feel as if I’m in communist China because of the red walls and glittering yellow. As you sit on the stools with the table — you feel like you’re in China. The experience is themed around your take on China in a Melbourne Bar — what else can a girl ask for? Drinking in China, but in Melbourne. 5 stars!
SERVICE: the Batista/​Bartender and the servers are pretty cool. They had great recommendations, and if you ask for it. 5 stars for their insanely fantastic service!
DRINKS: Here’s what we got:
(1) Mocha: Every girl needs a shot of espresso before they start the night, right? Yup, that’s what I did. But, there was something interesting and I wasn’t expecting it. I felt like there was a shot of alcohol in my cup of mocha, but hell, I drunk it — it was like a freebie! 5 stars!
(2) COCKTAILS: although Melbourne already has great places to get cocktails, but the drinks here are beyond awesome; yet, I only wish they had a bigger menu of selection. FYI — I can’t remember what these drinks are called, but I’m trying my best to remember. Here’s what I got for Cocktails:
(i) Lychee and spice drink: lychee vodka with siracha sauce. There were some fruits of lychee and the best part was the spice! It gets you, so good! 5 stars!
(ii) Lychee and mint drink: lychee vodka with mint and ginger. 4 stars.
(iii) Lychee martini: stronger than the other drinks, but an absolutely perfect balance — not sweet, nor was it too liquory. 4 stars
And as you guys can tell, I’m a LYCHEE LOVER! And WILL COME BACK and try more!
**OVERALL: A cheaper way to be in stylish communist China — Double Happiness Bar, a fantastic place for cocktails with the girls.

When my friend suggested we head to Double Happiness for our 10am meeting I was filled with both excitement and trepidation. I love a good cocktail and you won’t have to twist my arm very far to convince me to have one, but really, at 10am? I’m not sure I’m brave enough to venture into the world of spirits at that hour.
Turns out, Double Happiness does coffee (and delicious Little Bertha cakes) during the day, and what a pleasant spot it is to sit for an hour chatting about the world.

Double Happiness is one of the first laneway bars I experienced in Melbourne. It was one of those hard to find places that I could never find it again. Well I’ve found it on a few occasions — you can’t miss the bright red door and red Chinese symbol.
Double Happiness is also Doppio Happiness by day and has a sister venue above, New Gold Mountain. Inside, you’ll find a Chinese themed bar with reds and golds and comfortable couches and not so comfortable tiny stools. Chinese paintings and posters adorn the white walls.
What makes this place fantastic are the cocktails. The cocktail benchmark? A martini. Simple as that. How did they fare? Well… I wanted a simple gin martini, stirred, not shaken with olives. I liked that the olives weren’t oily — I’ve been to places where the olives are old or have too much oil on them and a bit of the oil turns into an oily substance that floats around your martini. This didn’t happen here.
If you’re not a fan of martinis, they have some great in-​house recipes that are Asian inspired. Everyone seems to love the he Great Leap Forward, which has lychee vodka, mint, lime and ginger. I actually really like their plain lychee martini.
The bartenders are also quite professional. Considering how much you pay for cocktails, it’s nice to have good service.

Double Happiness is an oldie but a goodie.
They do a mean martini here, but it’s the kind of venue where no one will sneer at you for drinking draft all night, making it an all around crowd-​pleasing bar.
Weekdays are always pretty cruisey, but it can get hectic on a Friday or Saturday night and you may struggle to find room to relax, particularly in the courtyard that gets packed full of smokers.
As mentioned, there’s no sign so you need to look for the bike. I’m guessing there is at least one person a night who stumbles in to Double Happiness instead of Lily Black, or vice versa, so just check which laneway you’re on first!

Melbourne loves its hard to find locations. This one is so hard to find that once you actually get there you still won’t be sure you’ve made it.
Look for the bicycle.
This bar, the ones above it, and the ever popular Lily Black’s are all run by the same company (Spirit Fingers) and so you can imagine the crossover appeal. That is, you can image how much they are completely the same. Look for the bicycle if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
But hey, it’s nice, it does a good coffee, and it’s open during the day. Just don’t expect a sign.

Double Happiness is a great small venue located in a very sneaky laneway off China Town.
A few work colleagues and I ventured here after work and were pleasantly surprised by the décor and the hilarious bartenders. The guys there actually asked me if they could take a photo of me because i looked like their cousin and so he snapped away giggling. Out of this I enjoyed some amazing cocktails (we tried nearly every one) and enjoyed the dimly lit space that allowed my work colleagues and I to chat and catch up on the office gossip.
A great place to start off the night but after a while when the venue fills up it, the cosy-​ness of it all can make you want to move on to a larger space.

Double Happiness is a small cocktail bar hidden in a laneway off Chinatown, decked out with Chinese Communist propaganda artwork, vibrant décor and a cosy open fire. They specialise in variations on Martinis, including a killer Espresso Martini. As delicious as these are, have more than one or two and you’ll be lying awake all night watching the room spin.
Double Happiness also has two other bars in the two floors above it: Doppio Happiness and New Gold Mountain, which are both equally charismatic and slightly more plush. Make a night of it and check out all three!
Open seven days.