NORMALLY I go to a bar to chillax and UNWIND.
However, this Nick & Nora’s visit was Part 3 of a “Walking Whisky Tour” around Melbourne, so I was on a little ADVENTURE!
It was the LAST stop on the tour of whisky bars (sooo… several whiskies in).
Entrance tip: ignore the Collins Street address!
Head down Benson Walk, and FIND the fancy door marked “Cocktails & Champagne,” then go inside and up the stairs.
I arrived just after a group of giggling ladies and patiently waited by the “Wait to Be Seated” sign.
Once the hostess realised I wasn’t part of their group, I explained I was on the Walking Whisky Tour — she showed me to the BAR.
My favourite spot!
The best part of this tour? Each venue has a set menu — a snack, a whisky, and a cocktail — so no decisions required.
I already knew what was coming:
Ceviche crackers with corn salsa, a nip of Glenlivet, and a BLAZED cocktail
The cocktail was a whole show in itself —
the hostess set alcohol alight and BLAZED this beverage right next to me!
Pouring a stream of blue flame from jug to jug — it was fantastic.
She explained what tempered glass was (“so it doesn’t shatter from the heat”), then warned me, “Don’t sniff the burning alcohol — don’t want you to lose any more brain cells!”
OK!
the final drink tasted like apple pie, I yummed it up
The ceviche wasn’t quite dinner, so I gave the bartender a nod — “one pork taco, please.” I watched her punch it into the system, only for the hostess to check the screen and walk straight over to ask if I wanted more food.
I said, “I just ordered a taco.” Fairly sure she had seen that.
Suddenly, I felt watched.
It wasn’t the kind of vibe where you’d relax and stay for another round.
The food was quick, the drink was creative, but the energy was a little stiff — not the warm, “let your hair down” kind of bar I usually enjoy.
Once my taco was done, I went to pay. Cue more awkwardness — as the hostess struggled to process the whisky tour voucher.
“Did other venues have trouble with this?” she asked. Nope.
A few back-and-forth trips to the till, some small talk to fill the silence, and finally she returned my change. By then, the energy had well and truly fizzled.
I smiled, said thanks, and was out of there.
Was it a pretty bar? Absolutely.
Was the food good? Yes.
Would I go back? Probably not.
But hey — maybe you will love it.
