Strange Wolf

In the never-​ending quest for the best burger, I didn’t find strange wolf all that’s it’s cracked up to be. The burgers are good, but not amazing (though they do have TWO veggie options!). If you’re lucky enough to score a table (as we weren’t), then you’re set to eat, but if you get stuck on one of the benches in the middle of the bar then try very very carefully not to spill burger juice down your top as bench tops are super high and awkward to eat on and don’t supply any spillage protection.
Other than the burgers, the beer selection is awesome and the jugs of cocktails are delicious! Strange Wolf is super cool, which also means super noisy, so it isn’t a great double date place (as I was on), but it could be a great single date place as the noise level means you need to lean in close to have a convo. Just be mindful of any burger juice stains you may have accumulated, as they’re sure to be extra noticeable in the black light.

The unsung hero of the pitiful Melbourne burger scene. Go here for lunch and get a burger, you won’t regret it. Definitely the best burger I’ve had in Melbourne.
It’s a bit of an odd format for a business lunch, since it’s a club at night, and as a result has you sitting in weird club furniture, but it’s worth it. The service is salty at best but that just adds to their legitimacy of a claim to the burger throne.

Ok I’ll admit, I actually quite fancy you Strange wolf.
Though despite the fact that i have not seen anything strange
here, hey this is me we’re talking about, I should be the strange in a bar
like this! Nor have I seen or come across any wolves in my visit.
But who cares, when this bar has a cool name of strange wolf.
I know you like to play the hard to get game, and have to be hidden
not only down a lane way, but some stairs too, but hey, if that’s your
game I’m willing to play it.
You also seem to be very hipster, what with your blocky pick uppy chairs
and all. But’s that’s okay too, I lean towards hipster things. Bloody good
music you have playing though, This much I do enjoy. You have the habit
however of closing pretty early, which kinda sucks, but oh well.
Hmmmm yes Rebecca A, Totes agree with your London underground feel
thing. It’s actually quite a good bar to stumble across in the late night
Melbourne bar adventures themed outing. Smaller bar, challenged for
seating, seems to be a bit of a dude’s bar, lots of sausage so to speak.
Still the space is nice and a lot better than those crappy, dingy stinky
cheap pubs. Oh look, someone mentioned food! I really should stop
visiting bars to drink and start visiting bars to eat. Wait, what? Oh I can
visit these bars to do both! Look out young childrens, I’m coming your way.

The old and tacky Trader bar has been replaced by the sleekness of Strange Wolf… cool bar and good food.

Super cool bar that you have to walk over before you enter. If you can ignore the unstyled stylish peeps hanging around the bar like a Northcote hipster to a vintage *anything* then you will love it. Its dark, which is good lets face it, and it has an underground London feel. Excellent place to take someone on a first date — they will think that you are totes coolio with your finger on the whatsitcalled. but maybe hard to look beguiling wolfing down the burgers *BEST IN THE CITY*

I used to walk by Strange Wolf a lot (there’s the stage exit from a theatre I used to do shows at), and I always wondered whether or not I should enter. Let’s not lie, from the outside it looks a bit sketch.
HOWEVER, as I recently discovered, the inside space is lovely and much more spacious that I would have ever guessed.
They’re known for their burgers, and I’m sure they’re great but what I got was a little odd. Based on the (somewhat unenthusiastic) recommendation of the guy behind the bar, I ordered their special which was a pumpkin burger thing.
Yes, thing because whilst the fries were great and my friend got a normal burger looking thing, I instead had a lump of pumpkin deep fried in between two slides of white bread.
Disappointed to say at the least, but still willing to try it out again.

If you can look past all the crucifix shaped bars and tables (that are very uncomfortable to sit around), not a bad little space for a drink.

Another well-​hidden bar has opened its inconspicuous doors in the Parliament /​Paris end of the CBD.
Strange Wolf is a new space set in a once dingy basement meets industrial warehouse at the top end of Collins Street. Think bare walls, exposed electrical cables and all that distressed grunge that is hip right now.
We just hopped in for a quick beverage, but will be back for food and more drinks at a later date. First impressions: good selection of Aussie and international beers, bubbles, wine and good-​value cocktails. Good air-​conditioning so head down on a sweltering day to cool off — although there is minimal natural light so it might feel a bit like you are in a dungeon. Albeit a dungeon with funky lounge music and booze on tap. Big enough standing and seating spaces to accommodate large groups, which is perfect for post-​Christmas parties.
One gripe, which might seem a but strange, but go see for yourself. The actual bar is very wide (about two metres) making it very hard to communicate your order and even harder for the shorter bar staff and customers to serve and receive drinks without slopping some of the liquid over the side. I fear someone has failed to think the logistics through.

I took some friends here tonight after a few recommendations from friends and coworkers.
Strange Wolf is located in a small alleyway behind 71 Collins Street (the NAB building), once you find the doorway into the venue some stairs will lead down into the near new, Strange Wolf. Your eyes will meet a light up ‘Strange Wolf’ sign on the way down and the place still has a new carpet smell.
The venue is basement levelled and really quite awesome. When we arrived there was some kind of heavy screamo playing so it killed the mood for a little while but some easier listening music came on later.
We ordered ciders and sat in the very dimly lit (like seriously dim, i do not recommend drinking excessively in here because you will go home with a troll and have to coyote ugly yourself the next day).
The venue is one of the coolest spaces i’ve seen in a while and will be my go-​to place for the coming months!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Strange Wolf is the perfect example of a bar put together not on the basis of a person’s life-​long dream but rather everything that’s hip and cool now, shoved into a subterranean lounge.
And so now I list my complaints:
1. Only one beer on tap. Seriously? You’re a bar — don’t forget what you are.
2. Limited seating… are you a bar or a club?
3. Lose the ‘tude
4. Your cocktails are gross.
Okay so now we all know how I feel about this place and I’m sorry for being a little grumpy. I just hope the Melburnian public don’t fall for the false cool.

Strange Wolf is the new bar from the owners of the Grace Darling. Located in a dark basement, the bar has much more of clubby vibe than the Grace. It’s got a really slick atmosphere, and has been decked out with some really interesting décor and pared back, minimalist interior design. For some reason the vibe reminds me a bit of the old Honky Tonks (if that means anything to you) — but more shpik and with a more «grown up» feel to it.
There is only one beer currently available on tap — not cheap at $ 7 a glass. Also, the music on the night that I was there was all over the shop. I guess it was just whatever was on the bar staff’s ipod, but it definitely detracted from the mood of the place as it yo-yo’d from club bangers, to grunge, to dated indie.
All in all though, this is a really welcome addition to the slightly stale-​feeling bars of the CBD. And during summer it’s sure to be a super popular party spot.