Gogo Bar

The cocktails are great! Recommend the tuk tuk
Pretty loud and staff seem to be slightly ignorant, otherwise great tunes and a nice venue.

Happenin’ little place that is open late.
They found us a seat on a busy Tuesday night (5 people, no reservations). It had a tiny table, and since we were ordering dinner, they gave us additional seats to place the food on.
The food was all right — sadly, no standouts for me. The chicken wings but good, but not something I’d crave for… the salmon was also good, but I found a little too rich/​sweet. There was a dish which was supposedly one of the bestsellers (I can’t remember what it was, it was some kind of veggie dish) but I just thought it was all right. We had a curry, again all right. The roti was OK, it was a little too thick but not bad.
Honestly, I’d rate the food a 3 — the friendly and fast service would be a 5, but I still wouldn’t be enough to bump up the score for me.

Go Go seems to be an inbetween time in the meantime meeting destination. It also conjurers up memories of early 90’s car insurance ad’s for the gogomobile; G-​O, G-​O! Regardless of cultural references, It’s Asian inspired or perhaps themed beverages is it’s identity. Which kinda imbues a seasonal thing. The cocktails sorta work better in warm weather, and, seem to be on the feminine side. Which is fine. I can usually find one or two things I like, but, I tend to order well tested favourites here.
Go go is the venue one goes to meet when decide to go elsewhere, and sometimes to meet because you know it will be open. The beer list is affordable, there’s nothing too fancy, and they stock some tallboys or «longnecks» if you wish to speak in the local parlance. Otherwise, it has all you’d come to expect from any decent bar in Melbourne. It tends to sit in the middle ground of the bar scene, think of it as an aggregate way of judging Melbourne’s bars; a median. Some fancy things, but not over the top, and nor is it too basic or standard.

Great place to pop into for a drink after a loooong day of exploring Melbourne.
I had the citrus infused plum wine, served on ice. Was disappointed in size of serving, since my hubs’ glass of sauvignon blanc was much more generous. Buuuuut, I’m a lightweight, so I had enough anyway. Haha.
Grab a seat in the corner lounge area on the plush couch and enjoy the funky vibe and music. You can even order small bites to nosh on while waiting for a table upstairs.

I think I paid more for the ice than the cocktail but holy cow was the cocktail good. I got a couple of the specialty cocktails, one with chai-​infused vodka that was incredible. Another with passionfruit that was equally as good. Great for pre-​dinner drinks or small eats. Worth the price.

Great cocktails, but a little too pretentious for me. Its a bar for gods sake.

This is going to be one of those «if you like this sort of thing, this is probably something you’d love» reviews — and, in the interest of full disclosure, my first visit to Gogo was for a private event, which had a HUGE number of people attending, so, keep that in mind as you read.
My wife and I are always on the hunt for a great cocktail, so, when I received an invitation to a private event to be held at Gogo, we were really looking forward to the visit. Something new, have a cocktail, mingle, see how it goes.
The venue is beneath Chin Chin, and the best way to get there is to go down the lane way and enter that way — I don’t even know if there’s a way of getting there from street level and Chin Chin.
Once through the door you enter into a reasonably sized space with several tall tables in the middle, semi-​circular seating areas to the right, and towards the back a bit more seating on a sofa-​style area.
The bar itself is on the left and seems to have a reasonable selection of the usual spirits you’d expect.
Ok, so, what did we like? Well, I wanted a cocktail that wasn’t on the list that the event was providing, and the bartender was happy to have a go making it. It wasn’t something he was familiar with, but, that’s okay, he was adventurous enough to try, and I respect that.
The cocktail that I did try which was «on the menu» for the event was a gin-​based drink which they call the Far East Side. It was actually quite nice, and I really wanted to try another (as well as other drinks) BUT, the venue was so packed that there was simply no way for the staff to keep up. The only drinks I saw wandering by were beers, and it was so crowded that there were two trays of drinks spilled/​broken in the first hour of the event — so trying to wander over to the bar to grab something just wasn’t going to happen.
So, yep, points for that cocktail, and would love to have tried another, but, just wasn’t on the cards.
My wife started with a glass of bubbles (meh) and then asked for one of her favourites, the El Guapo, to be made — that’s where I chatted with the bartender.
They didn’t have all the right ingredients, and, he’d never heard of the drink before, but he had a go and it was actually okay. It was sweeter than my wife would prefer, but, kudos for him having a go. Price was $ 20, which was a bit steep, but they used good spirits and he did ask my permission first… so all good there.
If you’ve read this far you’re seeing mostly positive comments, so, why only the two stars?
Acoustics and logistics.
It was painfully loud in Gogo, music playing, lots of people, and this was only at around 1900. It would be impossible to have a conversation in there when busy without shouting. I don’t like to shout, so, anywhere which is especially loud doesn’t work for me.
It also got very, very, very warm in the basement location. So much so that after only hanging around for about 40 minutes, and unable to find a second drink, we attempted to make a bee-​line for the door and get out into the fresh air.
But, as I say, logistics — I think that when the place is quiet and empty, it may be lovely, but, when packed, it’s very difficult to get from one end of the bar to the other.
We managed, and it did look like the staff was doing their best to keep up — but it wasn’t the sort of venue and experience we are most drawn to.

The food is 5 star but the service and ambience is 3 or perhaps less. Is it cool? Absolutely. No doubt, but the place is fairly loud making it difficult to figure out whether you’re there to hear music or have dinner with friends. For us, it was 2 booths celebrating a friend. It was the wrong pace for that.
The food was delicious. Really, really good. However, the service was pretty average. One guy was really trying but it was like we were a nuisance to others. Twice I had to order drinks two time before I got them.
For a quiet dinner, go somewhere else. It’s good food, but Melbourne’s not short on that. You enjoy food less without a proper drink.

A lot of people come to this bar to wait, but if this is purgatory I’m in no hurry to enter heaven.
The service is amazing it makes for a great night watching professional ply their trade. Yes it’s load but hey it’s a bar.
If you look at my photos you will see the quality of the drinks they serve. I will come back even if it’s not to go to chin chin’s

Great cocktails and share plates! If you like chilli the popcorn and roti bread with peanut sauce packs a punch!
We put our name down for chin chin so decided to go get drinks down at Gogo and wait. That was bout 6.50, bout 9pm after we had nibbles we still didn’t receive a call for chin chin!

I’ve seen you for a long time GoGo bar, you’ve enticed me with your neon signs and the fact that you live just under Chin Chin…
Rumour has it that you have a secret slide from the Chin Chin kitchen, much like McDonalds Drive Thru on Victoria Parade… but MUCH COOLER. I have confirmed this rumour first hand, it is true and the food will not disappoint. The staff are friendly, the bartenders are professional and extremely helpful.
I love the neon back well and the great wall art, but something I will remember… If i sit at the bar for 30 minutes, the table and chairs behind me will certainly be full and the chances of me calling other people to experience GoGo bar with me are slim… unless they like standing.
As Hugh M said you don’t provide GoGo dancers, but I don’t mind… This is not New York!
So if you are trolling down Flinders Lane and all the restaurants are telling you to wait 2 – 3 hours, head into GoGo bar for your Apéritif and entrees.

It is the perfect addition to Chin Chin and a great way to help the punters stay happy while they wait up to 2 hours for a table.
Walking into this basement bar reminds me of bars in London (Just smaller) as you walk in from the alley you feel the buzz of this venue. You know that you are here for a good time. Everyone is happy and everyone is here to have fun. no business meetings no first date just laughter and banter.
Now you don’t have to just have a drink down in this cozy basement bar while you wait for you table at Chin Chin. You can stay here have a drink and a bite to eat.
I love popping here for a Negroni or Martini or even a cheeky Champagne. It can start your night with a buzz.
If you have a group of people you can take over a booth and enjoy a bottle of wine.
The bar tenders are knowledgeable and helpful and don’t worry they will ensure you get your drink.
remember this is not for the faint hearted if you don’t like noise or crowds or you are going on a first date this is not for you… but if you love the buzz you get when you are in the middle of it all it’s such a fun and exciting venue.

Pros:
1. Food is tasty (as it’s from Chin Chin), and decently priced for what it is
Cons:
1. RIDICULOUSLY LOUD. I have never before noticed music volume in a negative way, but both times I have been here it’s been so loud that you need to shout to someone who’s within kissing distance. Both times I have been here with some people I didn’t know, so that was awkward.
2. Distinct lack of vibe. The place has so much potential — with its sunken location and alleyway position, it could do so well with a speak-​easy theme or something to give the place a bit more personality. Instead I get the feeling that bar staff and crowd alike are purely waiting it out for their dinner upstairs. Even if that is the case, it doesn’t have to feel that way.
I’ll probably go back only if someone in my crew really wants to; hopefully next time I’ll be able to say things are a bit different. If not, sign language is a handy skill to learn anyway…

SO LOUD!
This place is so obnoxiously loud that it’s impossible to enjoy anyone’s company. Pair that with disinterested staff and crowds. Food is good because it’s from Chin Chin upstairs. So while the sliders and roti were highly enjoyable, I just couldn’t relax in the atmosphere.
But hey, if you found yourself on a hot date with someone who was prettier to look at than listen to, this spot would be perfect!

What happens when one of the hottest restaurants of 2011 opens a sibling downstairs? You end up with Go Go.
Can’t get a spot upstairs at Chin Chin? After pre or post dinner dinner cocktails? Just feel like some snacks whilst you drink a bottle of champagne? The kids at Go Go will hook you up.
There’s a dark clubby New York feel to this basement bar — the booths seem popular, but I’m always a fan of the large communal table for easier viewing of the action behind the bar. Yes I’m one of «those» people who like to watch.
The drinks menu is divided by «seasons» — a reflection on the way in which Melbourne changes its mind about the weather at least three times a day. While overall very clever, beware that on the busiest nights (Friday and Saturday) you’ll only be able to order from a smaller truncated drinks and food list.
The small snacks menu is perfect for pre dinner grazing, or even a full dinner itself. Whilst Chin Chin’s menu is predominantly Thai/​Viet influenced, I like that there’s occasionally Indonesian flavours. Downstairs, the menu continues this trend, alongside several other Asian-​influenced dishes.
Spiced nuts and ikan bilis (pretty bang on with the hint of kaffir lime) are perfect bar nibbles. The martabak (in both meat and vege varieties) come with pickles on the side and the slider (a chunk of tofu along with some spicy slaw and mayo stuffed in to a sweet steamed bun) has even the carnivores rolling their eyes in delight.