Yah Yah's — Restaurant in Melbourne

A popular night club on smith street, well known for it’s weekly Thursgay queer club nights.

Upon arrival, my group & I were shuffled through by security guards who rudely demanded to check our ids and bags. They use an iPad to scan your face to ensure it matches your ID. While this is a great system to prevent underage people from going in, the way they went about it with disregard left us feeling uneasy entering the space. We felt like cattle being rushed into the abattoir!

When arriving into the club, there is a downstairs space with spaces to sit, a cloak rack by the door, and a dance floor; typically with a DJ or performance happening. There is also an upstairs section which also has ample seating throughout, and another stage for more performances. I’ve attended some performances here and have had great nights!

However, the upstairs area has a strong stench of body odour and goodness knows what else. Even when it’s almost empty at the start of the evening. It made me feel very nauseous, and I only had 2 drinks. The bathrooms were 10x worse, not to mention the exorbitantly long wait to get into the restroom. Getting upstairs and downstairs is impossible because the restrooms are in the middle of the stairs and everyone is waiting to use the restrooms on the stairs! I highly recommend going into sircuit or mollies next door to use the restroom as they have free entry and not as long of a line. Not to mention the stench isn’t nearly as bad, considering it’s also a night club.

It’s worth also mentioning this venue does not accept cash.

Overall my experience at this venue was average at best, and left a lot more to be desired. Thursgay at Yah Yah’s is overhyped and there are only two motivators for attending this venue: performers and queer community. I will go if a performer I like is going, and i will reluctantly go if my friends are going. But some nights i am completely put off by what I mentioned above and I often leave as a result because it’s not worth enduring.

I think they should refit/replan the venue, and arrange the layout better. Seriously consider pulling apart the upstairs/bathroom area and reconstructing it. Because with a stench that bad bleach can...

We queued up for 25 mins..

I couldn’t believe the people in the queue..

Granted , I’m 30 years old and it was a little young for me..

A record 14 people shoved in the line infront of us!!!! 14!!!!!!

One of the guys in front of us took off to finish his bottle of vodka up the alley way then came back..

4 of said people pushing in returned with a McDonald’s

The 2 girls behind us were sinking a bottle of wine out of a brown paper bag!!!!!

I’ve never seen anything like it.

Two bouncers were pacing the area, and their vibes were awful, they looked aggressive and angry.

Ironic that they were “policing” the area but missed all this lunacy taking place.

Now, my brother and sister were visiting from overseas and leaving the next day.. so we waited.

We had dinner at drag bingo before hand and 2 drinks each.

My 26 year old brother, who is very VERY sensible , misheard the bouncer with the dreadlocks who asked him to move forward (he’d been here just over a week and hadn’t quite grasped the accent)

So..

With EVERYTHING else going on in this absolutely insane queue, he very rudely asked my brother to step aside...

WHAAAAAT

I’ve never been more stunned in my life.

He then told my sister and I to move on.. I said I wanted to wait for my brother..

He then ushered us out of the line as well.

I’ve never been treated like this in my 5 years in Melbourne.

Absolutely ridiculous.

I asked him if he could come talk to us and he said “go away I’m busy”

Meanwhile he let a guy who he had previously asked to step aside, back in, holding on to an empty Mc Donald’s cup and clearly completely incapacitated...

I’ve read your reviews of the bouncers and they do not bode very well.

You need to retrain your staff.

To say I’m shocked and disgusted is a complete understatement.

This was me showing my brother and sister what Melbourne was all about but it couldn’t have been more opposite to Melbourne’s values and ethics.

Shame on that bouncer.

I messaged the club directly and was told I’d get a response! Of course, I didn’t get a reply so here...

My recent visit to Yah Yah's nightclub left me with mixed feelings and a sense of discomfort. While the venue had potential for a fun night out, several concerning incidents made me question the professionalism of the establishment. Unwelcoming Atmosphere: Upon arriving at Yah Yah's, I noticed an air of unwelcoming vibes. The staff at the entrance seemed disinterested and even rude when checking IDs and admitting guests Outdated and Neglected Décor: The nightclub's interior looked like it hadn't seen an update in years. The worn-out furniture and dim lighting gave the impression of a neglected space. A little investment in modernizing the décor could do wonders for the overall experience. Unprofessional General Manager: The most troubling aspect of the night was witnessing the general manager's behavior. It was clear that they had personal issues with someone who was not allowed in the venue due to a past love interest. Instead of handling the situation discreetly and professionally, the general manager openly expressed a desire to fight the individual, creating an uncomfortable and unsafe atmosphere for everyone present. Concerns About Safety: Witnessing the general manager's aggression raised serious safety concerns. It's unacceptable for a manager to openly express violent intentions, creating an environment that feels tense and unpredictable. In conclusion, Yah Yah's nightclub left a lot to be desired. The unwelcoming atmosphere, outdated décor, lack of crowd control, unprofessional behavior from the general manager, inconsistent music quality, slow and overpriced service, and safety concerns all contributed to a disappointing experience. Unless the management takes immediate steps to address these issues and cultivate a safer and more welcoming environment, I cannot recommend Yah Yah's as a go-to nightlife spot. Inconsistent Music Quality: While some parts of the night had decent music choices, there were long stretches when the DJ seemed disinterested in...