Kelvin Bar

This probably won’t matter to most; Kelvin bar has one of the most spacious bar areas ever. Usually the other side of the bar (the serving area) is rather cramped and limited in space. As far as the venue goes, there is a mixture of bar and couch and table seating. The bonuses of Kelvin are a great drinks list, not one but two fireplaces, a courtyard out back and a sometimes quieter atmosphere. This being said, it can get loud and noisy rather quickly.
The cocktail list is from the 80’s, well most of it, think various crème de menthe, cream, blue curaco, and cocao liqueur based many things. The crowd is eclectic; a few totes boges, some older genteel types, the older «nothing fancy» Vb drinker, a few alternative people, and of course the dressed to the nine, dressed to impress suit types, though not corporate suits. They may even be existence of scrubbers, but I haven’t encountered that as yet. All in a good mixture of anything you could want drinks wise, it does have something for everybody as well as crowd pleases. Come here for a whiskey or several, a gin, or anything else in the dimly lit surrounds.

A Northcote institution. Great cocktails, strong wine list and devoted, charismatic staff.
The Long Island Ice Tea is a great choice, or the Mojito, but I always fall back on an Old Fashioned. Unpretentious & comfortable. Each time I visit it’s like catching up with an old mate I haven’t seen in ages.

Love Kelvin. Been coming here for several years, most recently two weeks ago. It’s dark and atmospheric. The drinks are always good but not cheap. If you get bored you can play a board game. I like it and will return very soon.

I miss you, Kelvin.
Truly. Madly. Deeply.
The cocktails are delicious and the beers are ice-​cold. Have a chat with the bartenders — they will always be more than happy to introduce you to something new.
Bellissimo.

Who doesn’t love pairing Boggle with cocktails and imported beer? Kelvin Bar in Northcote is one bloody cool place. The room is dim, the drinks are many and the orange scooter parked out front is the best indicator that the door will be open.
The crowd here is very cool. No douche bags tend to frequent it and this is a massive plus. While monopoly and scrabble aren’t the average patrons idea of a wicked night out, they have me exceptionally satisfied. Besides, incorporating bets and shots into these games is one way to encourage even the most unenthusiastic friend into an extreme word finding Boggle-​off.
The vibe in here is the reason I keep coming back and the comfy chairs, great service and good company do nothing to change my mind. Awesome place.

I absolutely adore Kelvin. I’ve sat here before, in the middle of a Melbourne storm, looking out on High St and sipping on a whiskey sour. That’s the first thing to love about Kelvin — they’ve got a good cocktail list.
I’ve been here with well-​to-​do lawyer friends, shouting rounds of Carlton Draught in exchange for different types of single malt. Which brings me nicely to the second thing to love about Kelvin — they’ve got an amazing Scotch list.
I’ve been here with friends and left and come back about three times. First time I couldn’t be bothered waiting for a tram, second time I’d missed the last tram, third time is really just an exaggeration. And that’s another thing I like about Kelvin — it’s near public transport
Heck, I’ve even sat there planning murder with a total stranger. (What can I say? I’m in my grandfather’s will, and I’ve only spoken three or four sentences to him…) And, yes, another point in its favour. It’s a stranger-​friendly bar.

The other day I was reading something written by a debonair worldly young man and he was telling how his favourite pastime was to go to his local bar and read a book (probably poetry or some such).
Well I am not one to head to a bar alone. In fact I don’t go to cinemas, cafes, bar, restaurants or parks on my own. Ever. But the other day I thought I’d give it a go in order to boost my self image of being an intelligent, young, trend setting, bourgeois; and so I decided to head to Kelvins alone, book in hand. And you know what — I kind of enjoyed it.
The warm fireplace, comfy sofas and dim lighting all added to my sense of self affirmation. I spent an extra long time perusing the extensive three page list of single malt whiskies. I even took a look at the cocktail menu pausing extra long on the $ 260 Sazerac cocktail containing a shot and a half of Louis VII cognac (worth $ 140 per shot) as if I was thinking of giving it a go. Eventually I decided upon an Organic Red wine from Spain and settled down to my book and pretended to read whilst basking in the glow of my own awesomeness.
By my third sip I was feeling pretty good about myself. That is, right until the moment I did a thing that I am very prone to do — raising the glass to my lips I somehow misconstrued where it was in relation to the glass and tipped the wine down my chin. It was at this point that I realised two very important things.
One that I was not awesome — it was merely that Kelvins bar was awesome and I was merely feeling the effects of being in its presence. Two, that in fact, Kelvins, while being a great place to settle down alone with a book in hand, is really quite an enjoyable place to go with friends.
They have a delectable selection of old-​school board games. My advice is go there with a few friends and enjoy an afternoon or evening there playing games you thought were left in the memory of childhood.

Wow. What a bar! What amazing bartenders! What a location! And what? There’s no douchebag customers ruining your good time?! Well, this must be a bar from heaven. Oh wait, it’s just Kelvin’s in Northcote (or Westgarth, if you will.)
This has been a favourite of mine for a number of years. It’s perfectly made cocktails, gorgeous background music and funky atmosphere has kept me coming back.
It’s true, you can play Scrabble, Monopoly or even Connect 4 (my personal favourite) while sipping on a cocktail or knocking back an imported beer. It may sound geeky, but Connect 4 has never been more fun.
Even though it is right on High street opposite the Westgarth cinema, Kelvin’s is only ever full of decent, respectful human beings which I daresay has something to do with the suburb. So you’re in luck if you like your drinks cool and your crowd cooler.
Check it out quick before the bogans find out about it!

Its name might say ‘Working man’s club’ but Kelvin Bar — or Kelvin’s as the locals have it — is more like Mad Men, but with Boggle in lieu of secretaries and a soundtrack of Fat Freddy’s Drop instead of Roy Orbison. A heady and seemingly irresistible combination to the retro obsessed, the unathletic but competitive, and, erm, New Zealand music fans. I.e. me.
If, like me, the only reason you hunger after an iPhone is for the endless possibilities of the Scrabble app, you’ll love Kelvins. The décor is faithfully early seventies, the wine list refreshingly organic, and the cocktails pretty damn good. But what really makes this place special is the veritable smörgåsbord of board games on offer.
Not only is gaming of the board variety accepted at Kelvins, it’s positively encouraged. And with Kelvin’s offering games numbering Yahtzee, Monopoly, Guess Who and more, you can easily while away the hours over a bottle of organic wine and a tryst with a board game in this unassuming and under-​celebrated but really quite awesome Westgarth haunt.