CITY

James Squire Hotel (Docklands)

www.jamessquire.net.au

Why?: Pie & pot for $15 all day

Watermark Hotel

www.watermarkdocklands.com.au

Why? Huge projector screens & plasmas throughout the venue, Outdoor beer garden by the water, FREE drinks from 1st bounce until 1st goal, Happy Hour from 1:00pm until 2:00pm, FREE Footy food at half time, Post match entertainment.

Young and Jacksons

www.youngandjacksons.com.au

Why? $16 AFL Big Breakfast includes scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo, tomato, hash browns & mushrooms. Served with an orange juice.

Mrs Parmas

www.mrsparmas.com.au

Why? Grand Ridge Beers on tap at Happy Hour prices

Bridie O'Reilly's

www.bridieoreillys.com.au

Why? $15 for breakfast & pint/wine.

NORTH

Rainbow Hotel

www.therainbow.com.au

Why? Have two big screens and offering free hot snacks at half time. Jimi Hocking and his Blues machine will be heating things up after the match.

Sentido Funf

www.sentidofunf.com.au

Why? Free pots from the first bounce to the first goal & free party pies all game.

Old Bar

www.theoldbar.com.au

Why? $12 jugs of Carlton Draught until 6PM and BBq

British Crown Hotel

www.britishcrown.com.au

Why? $3 pizzas.

Standard Hotel

www.thestandardhotel.com.au

Why? TVs in every direction you look, projector on the stage, TVs outside. Pies at half time.

John Curtin Hotel

www.johncurtinhotel.com

Why?2 big screens free bbq, a halftime hand-ball comp, sweeps, AND half-time entertainment.

Provincial Hotel

www.provincialhotel.com.au

Why? $35 for gourmet bbq and drink.

Workers Club

theworkersclub.com.au

Why? $10 gourmet Pie + Pint

Dan O'Connell

www.thedan.com.au

Why? Big Screen and Half time entertainment will include the famous longest kick competition hosted by wrestling superstar James "The Beast" Jackson.

SOUTH

Limerick Arms

www.limerickhotel.com.au

Why? Big Screen $25 per head exclusive seating upstairs with a complimentary drink on arrival and platters throughout the game (bookings essential).

Hotel Nest

www.hotelnest.com.au

Why? Free BBQ from 11- 12.30.

Exchange Hotel

www.theexchangehotel.net.au

Why? Drink on arrival and a barbecue for $45.

Golden Gate Hotel

www.goldengatehotel.com.au

Why? 13 jugs of Boag's Draught and $5 pizzas.

Katuk

www.katuk.com.au

Why? $10 Jugs, $5 wine and sparkling, $2.50 pies, $1 snags OPEN BAR TIL FIRST GOAL KICKED

EAST

The Vic Bar

www.thevicbar.com.au

Why? Free BBQ and Drink specials all day.

Royston Hotel

roystonhotel.com.au

Why? $15 Jugs of selected craft beer.

Maeve Fox

www.guns4hire.com.au/maevefox

Why? $10 Jugs, $5 wine and sparkling, $2.50 pies, $1 snags

Most Melbournians wouldn't know it but backpacker bars rule. They have cheap specials, are full every night of the week and are frequented by open minded Scandinavians. Here are some of the best. 

Urban Central

Little known by locals, the Urban Central is a bar on the ground floor of the Urban Central Hostel near the Casino. It has super specials and people from around the world are always there, looking for a chat....and more. 

/venues/melbourne/urban-central/

Bev and Micks (Victoria Hotel)

We don't mind it when an old school pub morphs into an active hostel, because pubs should be full of life and merriment…and why wouldn't they with these specials. Take a peek and check out the wooden bar.

/venues/melbourne/victoria-hotel-(bev-and-micks)/

College Lawn Hotel

Very nice backstreet pub which has a very tasty beer garden for those summer days. Backpacker accommodation upstairs gives the place a bit of added life. 

/venues/melbourne/college-lawn-hotel/

Public Bar

Backpacker haven (dorm rooms are upstairs) and the Monday night specials have taken on iconic proportions. 

/venues/melbourne/public-bar-hotel/

It's a bit of a trend these days, that instead of going to a pub and having to fork out $4+ plus for a pot of beer, people are heading to cheap Asian restaurants because they sell stubbies for a good price (around $3-$3.50). Not including BYO, where are some of these restaurants?

A while back, a friend of mine who had just moved to Melbourne asked

"Where are the best places to meet nice guys?"

Now her and I have something in common in that we hate nightclubs (where groups huddle for 4 hours before dispersing 3 minutes before the lights go on in a state of panic), so I thought this was a worthy question. 

Naturally there are old short term partner favourites like Frost Bites in South Yarra (now closed), and the Elephant & Wheelbarrow in St Kilda which have provided lip smacking fun (for backpackers and Neighbours cast members alike) through the years, but we want to hear about places where long term relationships often start.  

So what's your opinion folks?

We tend to focus on CBD and inner suburban pubs on this site, but I'm sure there are gems out there in the sticks such as Diamond Creek, Springvale and god forbid…...Frankston. What are Melbourne's best outer suburban pubs?

It might surprise those that think our website is for pissheads, but we also cater to the morbidly obese. Infact, around 40% of all our listings incorporate food. Below are the best food specials each day of the week. 

Monday - Builders Arms (Fitzroy) - Half Price Bar Food

Tuesday - The Spot (Brunswick) - Pay what the clock says

Wednesday - Blue Moon Bar (City) - Mexican Fiesta. No dish over $8

Thursday - Terminus (Richmond) - $8 Steaks

Friday - Hawthorn Hotel - 2 4 1 Main Meals

Saturday - British Crown Hotel (Collingwood) - 12pm-11pm, 2-4-1 meals for AFL, NRL, Super 15's & A-league events. 

Sunday - Vic Bar (Abbotsford) - 3pm to late - Free BBQ and cheap jugs. 

There are times in our lives when we simply couldn't be bothered leaving the house and kickin it, especially in winter.  Yet there are certain films that are so powerful that staying at home just isn't an option after viewing them. They are...

SWINGERS (1996)

How Vince Vaughn missed out on getting an Oscar nomination for this classic is beyond me. A couple of struggling LA actor types hit the bars around town in search of love, lust and pancakes. It might be the fact that a very ugly Jon Favreau ends up with Heather Graham, that makes us think that there are Grahams out there for all of us, and in turn gets us off the couch so fast.

Best Line: This party is dead anyway (shouting over crowd).

A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY (1998)

What is love? Baby don't hurt me. Don't hurt me… no more. It was panned by the critics and hardly anyone saw it in the cinemas, but seeing Will Ferrell (before he was famous) and Chris Katten trying to get into nightclubs, struck a chord with all those who used to wait in nightclub lines for hours only to be told that it was "members night". The film ends with them getting into a hip new club and becoming managers.

Best Line: And I was like…... Emilio!!!!

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Undoubtedly if you are watching this, there is a pretty good chance you are stoned. Might as well get out of the house and get some fresh pub air.

Best Line: When single shines the triple sun/What was sundered and undone/Shall be whole, the two made one/By gelfling hand or else by none. 

Piranha 3D (2010)

This film is just so crap, that getting out of the house is compulsory. Who would have thought the Jerry O'Connell could make a bad film?

Best Line: When it says "The End"

Kebab joints can be a very personal thing. Some of us still feel uneasy about those electric shaver things for lord's sake. As late teens, we frequent caravans, dodgy vendors, and even petrol stations in which to get one. But as we age, our taste becomes more refined, so that if we wake up with a kebab in a pocket after a late night, chances are it will be a quality one. Here are our top 5. 

Amasya Kebab House, 134 Nicholson St, Footscray.
Simple, cheap, tasty and off the radar for those not out west. On some occasions we have even caught a taxi here. A favourite with the Turkish community.

Lamb on Spit, 245 Malvern Rd, South Yarra.
Most can't remember being here. Deserves to have more sober patrons such is the quality of the beast. The best time is the late afternoon when they put up the meat.

Hasir Kebabs, 285 Smith St, Fitzroy.
Their shish kebabs are a little bit pricey, but are certainly worth it. Has the occasional day time specials which we like. Needs a TV on premises however. 

Lambs on Brunswick, 314 Brunswick St, Fitzroy.
People are either a Souva King fan or a Lambs fan. We are the latter. On those special nights we ask them to wrap a lamb pizza (a pizza with lamb shavings) around the kebab meat. Bliss. 

Stalactites, 177 Lonsdale St, City.
Our pick of the city places, as the quality is usually high and the 24 hour opening hours are forever handy. 

We know this list is very subjective so let us know your favourite!

1. Geelong (Coopers) Very rarely will it disappoint. 

2. Collingwood (Fosters) Powerhouse beer that nobody drinks except the employees.

3. Carlton (Fat Yak) Improving but is still owned by Fosters.

4. Hawthorn (Boags) Is more liked by Tasmanians these days.  

5. West Coast Eagles (Grolsch)  Premium Brand but tossers like to drink them.

6. Sydney (Tooheys New) Tried to take over Victoria a few years ago but reverted back to NSW, where it belongs. 

7. Fremantle (Feral Beer) Taste great in WA but hard to find in Melbourne.  

8. Essendon  (Crown Lager) Fancy packaging but oh so ordinary beer.

Picture from http://www.flickr.com/photos/seanfrom/

9. Melbourne (Homebrew) Never know what you are going to get. Chunky poison or sweet brew.

10. Richmond (Carlton Draught) Might be ok for a while, but you're never really impressed.

11. North Melbourne (VB) Cheap, sturdy but ultimately disappointing. 

12. St Kilda (Hahn Light) Soft option.  

13. Western Bulldogs (Melbourne Bitter) Often the cheapest slab at the bottleshop but is good all round value.

14. Adelaide Crows (Guinness) Respected and rich but its rare to have more than 1 or 2 at a time. 

15. Brisbane Lions (Carlton Cold) Used to be big but now just sits in the fridge.

16. Port Adelaide (Geelong Bitter) Hard to get pissed from and causes messy grog bogs.

17. Gold Coast (Corona with lemon wedge) Can't yet be taken seriously but a guilty pleasure for some. 

Dan O'Connell

The renovation has taken the edge of this place a bit, but with great specials (look at thursdays) and the compulsury poetry readings, we like it alot. 8/10

The Corkman Irish Pub, 160 Leister St, Carlton.

Hidden backstreet pub, known mainly to the Melbourne Uni students that fail nearby. If you're after a little nook that won't be overrun by crowds, this is the ticket. 8/10

The Quiet Man Pub, 271 Racecourse Rd, Flemington.

A saviour for those that live in the West, this well managed pub certainly has a bit of craic to it. 7/10

The Clifton Hill Hotel, 89 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill.

Doesn't advertise it much, but the Clifton is the home away from home to many Irish expats who love their Gaelic football. Add a good spacious interior, Irish bands and good location, you'll find that the Clifton punches above its weight. 7/10

Limerick Hotel, 364 Clarendon St, South Melbourne.

A local favourite which hasn't gone down the "South of the Yarra - Sydney's newest district" just yet. Easily the best option in the area and has the runs on the board with cracking past St Patties. 6/10

Bridie O'Reillys, 62 Little Collins St, CBD.

Cosy CBD laneway pub that attracts the suits within a 200 metres radius. 6.5/10

Bridie O'Reillys, 463 Chapell St, South Yarra.

Seems kinda wrong that an Irish bar would be on Chapel St, but Bridie's has been an unpretentious oasis for all those that can't starch their collars enough or wear Paris Hilton sunglasses. 6/10

Bridie O'Reillys, 29 Sydney Rd, Brunswick.

Arguably the best of all the Bridies, this one offers a great outdoor area and a reputation for getting the younger brigade in - 7/10

PJ O'Briens, Southbank.

Despite the homogenised Southbank location, this dark shopping centre type pub actually creates a great atmosphere where sobriety is frowned upon. 7.5/10

Pugg Mahones, 106 Hardware St, CBD.

The pick of the CBD pubs, with cracking specials. 8/10

Irish Times, 427 Little Collins St, CBD.

If I did better at school and got a higher TER I might be one of those smartly dressed workers that come here and buy pints with $100 dollar notes. 6.5/10

Pugg Mahones, 175 Elgin St, Carlton.

Popular place that has a comfy booths downstairs but ample room to party upstairs. Good food too. Attracts the younger student crowd that like to party and swap spit on Thursdays. 8/10

Drunken Poet, 65 Peel Street West Melbourne.

We saved the best to last. While it doesn't have any drink specials, the free music is enough to warrant a visit. It also resembles an actual irish pub the most. 9/10