mates. Bar & Bottleshop — Restaurant in Melbourne

😢 Not the experience I was expecting or wanted. Booked the long table in advance and for a group of friends (up to 15) for a beer. Table not reserved on arrival. Told I could sit anywhere and chose the round tables which seat 4-5 each. Went to grab a beer and came back and one of the tables were already allocated. I organise this gathering every week showcasing local watering holes. A group booking of 15 ppl is probably worth $400+ and given we do this every week could be much more every year. A bad experience leaves me thinking that the ppl operating the bar on this day don’t care for the lifetime value and experience of patrons. Overall very disappointing and l can’t see myself recommending Mates Beer to my friends. That’s a shame because it’s very easy to make a good first...

Whoohoo ! WHAT a bloody good venue ! And with a truly outstanding range of grog ( I go into bars and survey the shelves behind the jump to spot liquors I don't know ; here I struggled to find anything I DID know , testifying to Mates' commitment to an extraordinary breadth of stock and readiness to support emerging distillers ) . Child-friendly , canine-friendly , literally every man and his dog was in there along with the kiddies . Established and owned by a delightful young couple , I haven't enjoyed a neighbourhood hospitality venue so much in years . They are also to be commended for a new ( to me , anyway ) approach where one can browse their very large range of craft beers and either purchase and take home said frothies or pay " corkage " to enjoy the brew...

Still on cloud nine after hosting an event upstairs at mates, it was the BEST function space I've come across in such a long time! The most gorgeous long bar in the centre, flanked by comfy booth seating and some groups of long tables and bar stools. Bathrooms. Cute outside access sort of balcony area. Open and spacious, great vibe! Fantastic service and would absolutely host more events there in future.

Can't rate these guys high enough! Thanks Mark and...