MAX MOOSE Melbourne Review:

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Fridays

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Barrumba
Barrumba
Main St, Mornington
Lots of talent. Hotties every where. Bar girls are friendly and fast and the
beer is cold. What more could a bloke ask for.
Grumpa, Narre warren, Fri May 28 21:45:24 2004
no smolking, stella on tap, good birds, footy on tv, nice layout
Michael, frankston, Thu Apr 29 03:14:00 2004
Casual atmosphere but still lots of fun
Kaeleen, Frankston, Tue May 20 07:13:23 2003
Mark Zylstra is no longer DJing here. He has moved onto Daiseys (25.6.02).
April 12, 2002
There are a few gems hidden away around Victoria; places that offer something just a little bit different. Barrumba is one of those. It is a lounge bar/restaurant with a little bit more. You see, on Fridays, you can go there after work, grab a bite to eat, take a seat, down some spirits or wines as the night goes by, and maybe even get up for a dance. It is not a dark place, and it is no-smoking inside (but there is an outdoor area for smokers).

The crowd really changes as the night goes by. Early on it is those who have come in for a meal after work. As the night goes by the crowd becomes a little younger, as it moves from late 20s and mid 30s to mid 20s and early 30s. You also get a few early 20s waiting for Red to get busy. Most of the crowd is local, although I knew quite a few people from around the South East. It is a pretty friendly crowd, and they dress up quite well. I don't know if there is a dress code, but decent dress jeans and a shirt are the go.

Most people arrive fairly early. There is a crowd there for dinner at 7pm, and a slightly larger crowd there for the party at 9 or 10. It peaks about 11pm or 11.30. At that time, the venue is pretty full. It is not overcrowded, but it does take a while to walk a lap of the venue.

Barrumba really has two rooms. You enter into the main room / dining room. At the front are plenty of tables to sit and eat around. The bar is very bulky (1/3 of the floor), and runs right down the middle of the room, with a bar at each end, and a kitchen in the middle. Along the sides is comfy bench seating and more tables. At the far end is a dancefloor, a stage for an accoustic band, and the steps to the second room. There are TVs throughout, perfect for watching the footy. The room is very bright by club standards, and the walls are very white.

The second room is very much a lounge. It is upstairs with a view of the rest of the venue. There are couches everywhere, and it is very comfy, with enough privacy to be an escape from your friends. It is very cruisy.

DJ Mark Zylstra provides the noise. Though it is largely pre-programmed, Mark plays easy tunes early, then runs through some more commercial picks with plenty of party favourites. Later on he picks it up a little. In the meanwhile, an accoustic band plays some rock favourites, but not too loud.

Drink prices are pretty friendly. You could imagine a place targeted at a more sophisticated market charging more for drinks, but the prices are normal or better. The covercharge is fairly gentle too.

Barrumba is a very different experience. It has some of the average nightclub elements, but only a few. It is far more of a sophisticated lounge bar, where you can chill out with some cool people. It is also amazing the difference banning smoking makes to a venue. That alone provided a lot of class to the venue. If you are sick of the normal nightclub / lounge bar experience, go and take a look at Barrumba.

Ben Clissold

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