The Carlton Hotel

Great place to have a beer but food is expensive. Parma was $ 26 and was small and burnt.

You know those places where you just always have a good night. The Carlton club is that place for me. From my first experience on the rooftop consuming a few too many cocktail jugs to discovering they do food & trying out a sensational steak for $ 14 on Tuesday night’s, always always a good time.
The décor in this place is on point, from the big giraffe, the cosy booths, funky rooftop & a nice balcony area. I think the layout of the main bar is well done & allows for plenty of serving room & you never have to wait overly long for a drink.
They occasionally do table service, I am not sure if this is throughout the whole night as they get busier or just during quite time but I find this a nice little touch as it’s pay as you go which takes the hassle out of going to the bar or dealing with the dreadful split bill scenario.
All in all a winner in my opinion.

Nicely set up inside. Can get super noisy. Has different themed nights. The rooftop is quite nice and has a great view.

So i went to this place last night, withdraw money from Atm. Atm gave me a only half $ 50 bill, then i asked the bar manager about it and asked what i am supposed to do with that. She kept saying it is impossible to get ripped money from Atm basically calling me a liar, like i saw a hallucination or something. After that of course she went to the bouncers and told them to kick me out. She came with me downstairs and called me a smart ass too. I had a drink upstairs which I hadn’t touched
They should approach these kind of situations in a more positive way instead of having an attitude like «oh we can do anything we want»
Fail

I love the vibe of the Carlton. I was here a couple of nights ago for a friends birthday and couldn’t help feel that my group was impacting poorly on the class. I was deso for the night and a couple of my friends were being their typical loud and boisterous selves. Kinda felt were were annoying the demographic a little.
Anyway, very nice atmosphere is what I am saying. Decent food and decent drinks. I must go to place in the CBD. Also, the outdoor bar is great.

Like most big CBD bars & pubs, you have to really choose when to time your visit to The Carlton Hotel.
Most weeknights and Sat/​Sunday early arvo I love the place. It’s not packed, has attentive bar-​staff, and you can start on the roof-​top until the sun goes down and Melbourne Spring chill hits and then nestle into a velvet red booth back downstairs, taking in the quirky and over-​the-​top décor with music at a level that isn’t obnoxious and allows chatting with ease.
Friday nights though I stay away as it can be packed with knock-​off work-​drink douchbaggery crowd that can get rowdy pretty quickly, and Saturday nights you get the drunken idiots that stream into and take over most big city venues and (subsequently) you get the aggressive security guards that make everyone feel unwanted and bar-​staff which can turn a little short, no doubt a direct result from dealing with said idiots.
But as I said, that’s not really a critique of The Carlton as much as it is our city weekend binge drinking culture. All other times I find the place kooky & charming.

A Contiki reunion with Melbourne residents here– such a funky place. They had several levels with different clubs and bars as you walked up the stairs. We went straight up to the top with it’s rooftop bare. Unfortunately it started to rain lightly so we moved the party indoors but it was not a loss– as it was a very cool space. Ordered vodka lemon lime and bitters and our friend did the jokes-​abound Minimum chips Melbourne craft beer.
Sensed a jungle sort of theme with a giant elephant head coming out from one side of the room. Both sides were bordered by several fake rock walls that created a barrier around the several couch seatings available. Fake greenery hung up around the trimming of the ceiling and neat hanging lamps. Interesting choice of purple walls with pink leopard print– very unique!
Had a good night– would say check it out

I came here on a windy afternoon before heading to the theatre, it had been a while between drinks for me and the carlton and what a change since I was there last time! The same stuffed animal theming still remains which i kinda like however they could do a little bit to brighten up the interior. What surprised me the most was the food. Long gone are the staple pub food items (they are still on the menu) however have been over taken by a selection of quality small plates and sharing plates. We arrived expecting to have a bowl of chips and maybe share a pizza (or similar pub grub dish) but instead were greeted with pulled duck steamed buns, pumpkin and goats cheese pies and some of the best spring rolls i have ever had! My company also agreed it was fantastic food especially for a pub style venue. The drinks list i think has changed a little as well but don’t quote me on that. We sat on the balcony which had a chilled vibe that sunday afternoon with a few small groups meeting for a sunday bevy. The balcony is great as although there wasnt much sun about, the balcony was covered in it and the palm trees that surround the balcony protected us from the nasty wind of the day.
Overall a nice little oasis in the CBD away from the hustle and bustle and perfect for an afternoon drink as well as a nighttime night cap.

The Carlton Hotel is a quirky space for those wanting to look hipster quirky indie cool but don’t actually want to leave the CBD. Which I totally understand as The Carlton is just around the corner from dumpling heaven-​China Town. Or maybe it’s just for those people who aspire to be different but are happy being the same?
Yup we were brave enough to fight the crowds and stumble into here on a chilling Melbourne Saturday eve to celebrate a friends birthday. Have to admit being rather disappointed that we couldn’t reserve an area for the 10 of us. Despite happily offering to meet ridiculous conditions. Was blatantly told that no reservations. Oh so very Melbourne of you. Only to discover once inside that yes you can reserve areas. We were fortunate enough to watch staff members put up signs to inform you that certain booths/​tables were reserved.
The drinks menu here is fairly basic and fairly Melb-​hispter wana be. Good selection of beer, wine, cider and flavored vodkas. The staff are a little lacking on the speed skill side of things. Cocktails took up to 20mins to arrive. Despite the fancy vodka list many weren’t available. My CreamySoda vodka concoction tasted more like vanilla coke watered down with tears from small children. After 10 we barely bothered trying to buy drinks as it really did take a considerable amount of time.
On the upside it was entertaining to watch a group of young males display signs of aggression (which one can only assume was other a spilled diet cola or a broken nail) in front of the bar. More entertaining was watching the security guards watch the fisty cuffs and the scantily clad young ladies trying to avoid being thrown into the brawl.
³⁄₅ stars for the décor. I won’t spoil it for you, go and meet the girrafe yourself.

Rooftop bar is fantastic in summer, a real inner city oasis! The Carlton gets busy on a Friday and Saturday night, but drink prices are definitely fair and the bar staff have always been friendly and accommodating to my unusual cocktail requests!
I’m not a big fan of crowds, I’d recommend The Carlton for a midweek drink, you’ll really be able to appreciate the great décor inside that way. Suggest having a meal or snacks there too, the food was seriously. Bonus points for the taxidermied animals and artifacts, love it!

What a pity this place is so far up it’s own backside. It’s gorgeous, the stylisation is absolutely incredible (although I’ve been told the animal artefacts are real, which is eerie.)
Snooty bar staff and a pretentious attitude. Bulky security guards with bad attitudes too. Overpriced and hoity toity. Ugh. We’re in Melbourne, some sort of service should be expected… shouldn’t it? Personally, I don’t like being looked up and down when I enter a venue and a smile never goes astray from a friendly bartender. Heck, you might even get a tip.
No thanks. Unless of course there’s nowhere else to go. One star for the elephant head — but only if it’s fake.

A great venue for after work drinks, especially during the warmer months when the balcony packs out quick smart. Get in early if you want a booth inside.
The bar area itself packs out quickly too which does make it annoying to get a drink. Nice for a couple of drinks, but may send you broke if you spent too long here.

Two weeks in Australia=completely fucking awesome. First up for my merry band of travelers was Sydney, which had some great spots too (ingredients for other reviews). Upon arriving in Melbourne though we more quickly acclimated and assessed our surroundings. Somehow, whether by local recommendation or other, we ended up at The Carlton. And by «ended up», I mean we went twice nightly almost each night of our stay. The staff was so killer and down for our version of yankee fun. Each night we attended we brought a growing crowd of folks and it was absolutely bonkers each night. I have hundreds of photos from our stay, and they’re mostly from The Carlton.
yeah.

Don’t you love it when you’ve visited a place upwards of
a year and a half ago and been there several times but decide
to write the review much later?
I did actually end up here as of a few days ago. Luckily they have Amaro Montenegro.
Friend; «What are you drinking?»
Me; «Montenegro on ice.»
Friend: Man, you gotta find a new drink“
Me; «Okay, double Montenegro neat with lemonade
Friend: Hugh, that doesn’t count.»
Still on this occasion via a number of twists and turns I think I experienced every
corner, level, setting, bar and room of this venue, But I’m determined that’s
there’s still some yet undiscovered secret rooms and even entire floors. Much
like a movie in which there is secret gold hidden. I’ve also been here to eat, very
fleetingly, and on more occasions then there are stairs at the Carlton, to drink.
On the busy Friday and Saturday nights, of which Melbourne is so in rapture of,
it is extremely common to find hub-​bub, commotion and inappropriate large groups
of people mincing about outside the entrance. It is also common for this place to
be screamingly busy to the point of over kill. All in all you’ll find some nice things
to drink, the outdoor areas are great and it works if you keep moving about. The
rooftop is great as well. (Why can’t you be more European and be busy all the
nights?)
For first timers all the odd décor and random objects they have managed to shove
into every possible corner nook and cranny may be a little alarming. I don’t even
notice this now. You will get a workout from using the stairs all the time, just be
mindful of the other patrons on the stairs. Chose your night wisely depending on what you want to become of it.

I have to admit that my Carlton ventures have not gone beyond The Carlton itself, but there is such a rich variety of bars squeezed into the CBD that I don’t think I need to.
The times I have ended up at The Carlton, it has started with being sized up by the door staff then onto a fairly expensive drinks menu, continuing on to admire the menagerie of taxidermied zoo animals, then onto noticing I can’t hear what anyone is saying over the excessively blaring music and hoping we get to visit at least one more place for a decent cocktail before the night is over.
I always walk out of The Carlton thinking I should rethink my venue choices — although I’m not often there by choice.

Was here last night for a friend’s 30^th… well to be clear, I was at the Hasti Bala on the 3^rd floor and spent a little time at The Palmz which seems to be the rooftop deck… Then stopped in at The Carlton on my way out just to have a touristy nosey and to take some photos…
Absolutely loved the décor… They really have done a great job… and the animal/​jungle theme is carried out through the while place. We had Hasti Bala to ourselves for most of the evening so not sure what it’s like normally, The Palmz seemed to be heaving with a variety of clientele and The Carlton was quite busy with what looked like quite a preppy crowd.
Music was good, tho quite loud… not the place to go for a catch up with friends! Def worth a visit for the novelty factor if nothing else!

Dear The Carlton:
INSTALL A DAMN ELEVATOR PLEASE!
Sincerely yours,
Clarissa
—
No but seriously, install an elevator.
I like The Carlton.
~ Beautiful rooftop scenery.
~ Great-​looking venue.
~ Constantly busy.
~ Always a great place to meet new people.
CONS:
~ Drink prices are expensive.
~ There is no elevator.

Great location. I like the balcony area — accommodates smokers (both part time & full time!) and nice trees! Cool interior with its stage next to the bar for a band whenever, lights are a bit dim but that, along with the couch-​tables set in the corner, will suit those seeking some privacy.
It got a lot busier after 9pm but you wouldn’t really expect otherwise on a warm Summer Saturday night in Melbourne.

Let’s talk about The Palmz.
It’s separate to the rest of the Carlton, and up quite a few stairs so watch out ladies, heels aren’t fun.
I went on a muggy Sunday afternoon. Climbed the steps to the top, and then went DOWN again to get to the rooftop bar. Rooftop? Down to a rooftop? Not really on the top, then, eh? The Palmz outside room bar is squished in between lots of other tall buildings. There’s shade to keep out the rain and the sun, nothing to deal with the wind (but, let’s face it, there’s not really going to be any).
The décor suits a muggy day, it’s dressed up quite like an island resort. Pity about the view. And the staff, who looked incredibly unhappy to be there. And the cider, which tasted like beer. Not in a yum way, either, but in an «I forgot to clean the taps» kind of way.

Considered to have completely bizarre interior and an exciting rooftop, the Carlton Club has never really given me the buzz that it probably should. However I still enjoy a bevvie or three at this Bourke St pub.
The Carlton Club is the place we send our international celebrities when they touch down in Melbourne (Lady Gaga had a night out here), and the high priced drinks don’t suggest any different. Even a pot of Carlton Draught is a little pricey — but when you look around at the vast amounts of taxidermy on the walls and the very pretty bar staff, it’s not hard to see where your cash is going.
This is a perfect bar for after work drinks (especially considering it’s location) but is notoriously hard to get into on a Saturday night. Boys, if you are wearing anything with a visible label you’ve got absolutely no chance. A friend of mine was turned away for wearing Converse sneakers…