Ask Melbourne Darling: Bachelorette Party / Hens Night Ideas for Melbourne CBD

Hi Melbourne Darling,

A few friends and I (aged late 20′s early 30′s) want to organise a fun filled hens night for our work friend who is getting married in October. We’d like a fun girl’s night out, but want to keep it classy. We’d like to start in the CBD for dinner and then head out for drinks and dancing (the bride to be likes RnB). Any recommendations will be really appreciated! Also any suggestions of what we can do to make the night a memorable one will be great.

I think there some great options you can choose from in the CBD for a fun (but classy) girl’s night out on the town for your friend’s Hens Night.
Wherever you choose to go for dinner, because there will be a group of you, I strongly suggest you choose a restaurant where you can book a table in advance, as a lot of popular restaurants in the city usually have a no booking policy, so I haven’t suggested many of these, as unless your group is extremely patient, you will not want to spend the majority of your night lining up for dinner!
I’ll  provide suggestions for three places, restaurants, cocktail bars and clubs. I think going to different venues is an exciting change of scenery and hopping from one venue to another becomes a bit of an adventure in itself to make it an exciting night! But don’t worry, I’ve tried to keep the places fairly close to each other so they are as stiletto friendly as possible!
Please note I have provided links to the Urban Spoon website entries for all restaurants and bar locations, as I find you get a more honest judgment of the venues through the reviews and votes on Urban Spoon, as I’ve been to most of the places noted, I haven’t yet written a review on my own blog about them all yet! All Urbanspoon entries also have links to the venue’s official website.
Here are my suggestions:
Restaurants:
A wide range of different cuisines, depending on the preferred tastes of your friends, please note that calling at least a week before hand to secure a booking is ALWAYS advised…
(Popular Asian eatery)
(Thai food, similar to Chin Chin, also do great cocktails)
(Mexican food, festive atmosphere, similar to Mamasita but take bookings)
(Asian fusion cuisine, again, similar to Chin Chin, delicious cocktails!)
Cheaper options:
(great Japanese sushi train venue, small intimate space, you may be seated on a bar setting ie. not facing eachother as a group, so if you don’t mind that its a great, fun place with delicious food!)
(Authentic modern Italian and pizza restaurant)
Gingerboy. Image Via.

Gingerboy. Image Via.

Cocktail Bars:
I like to suggest girly cocktail bars for Hen’s nights, because a girly night out is what Hen’s Nights should be all about!
All gorgeous venues, and full of yummy cocktails! The Emerald Peacock is notorious for being strict on entry so it’s always good to have a back up option, just in case!

Madame Brussels. Image Via.

Clubs:
Younger crowd (18-28)
Modern Rnb and Hip Hop Music
Live Jazz / Soul band playing before 11pm
Guestlist recommended ($10 entry charge before 10pm, $15 after 10pm)
Contact Nathan on 0431 237 553 for all your guestlist needs or group packages at Club YoYo.
Older crowd (25-35)
Mix of dance music
Guestlist recommended
Cover charge (generally $15)
Older crowd (25-35)
Very pretty and elegant venue (used to be a bank!)
RnB music and Top 40
Guestlist recommended
Cover charge ($15-$20)

Silk Road. Image Via.

That being said, I’ve some of these options together a couple of suggested itineraries to help you plan out your night:
1.
Restaurant: Sakura Kaiten Sushi or Gingerboy
Then
Cocktail Bar: Lily Blacks or Madame Brussels
Then
Club: Spice Market

 

2.

Restaurant: +39 Pizzeria , Red Spice Road, Cookie or Touche Hombre

Then

Cocktail Bar: The Emerald Peacock or Seamstress

Then

Club: Key Club

 

Here is a link to a Google maps I created to help you see how close each place is to one another and help you plan your night.
Place the below link in your browser to access it:
In addition to that,  I think a good combination of delicious food, exotic, girly cocktails and lots of dancing will be a perfect Bachelorette Party / Hens Night for the modern cosmopolitan woman! There are always little things you can do as a group if you want to make the night a little more fun. For example, your group could all wear a matching accessory ie. a playful beaded necklace or bracelet. It doesn’t even have to be a typical flashy, borderline tawdry piece, it could all just be the same cute but inexpensive cocktail ring or wearing the same flower in your hair or flower crowns (visit Colette, or Lovisa for some cheap and chic pieces) for a nice alternative to a hot pink flashing sashes or tiaras. Alternatively, if you did want to incorporate small games into the night, it could be as simple as getting the bride-to-be and or/ guests to try an exotic food item or making the bride-to-be hold the cocktail menu and closing her eyes, she must order and drink the first cocktail her finger lands on!
Hope these suggestions assist and inspire you in planning your fun and memorable night!
Love,
Melbourne Darling xo

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Add to favorites
  • Email

Proud Mary – Dining Review

Proud Mary keep on burning!

Porridge at Proud Mary

Porridge at Proud Mary

 

I was happily impressed with my visit to Proud Mary as I was a bit weary given the high level of hype which for some places can set high expectations but under deliver. However, I can confidently say that it was not the case here.

 

I will admit the first time I attempted to dine here I didn’t even end up setting foot inside. Driving towards Proud Mary on a late Sunday morning, the bustling group of people pouring out of the doors waiting to be seated did not agree with my overly eager and hungry stomach. So treat that as a lesson to anyone else planning to go at a busy time, or at any time for that matter, this is a very busy place (similar to hustle and bustle of Manchester Press) so prepare to wait especially if you plan to dine here on a weekend or at brunch.

 

Latte at Proud Mary

Latte at Proud Mary

When I did return it was a Friday morning, it was still full but we only waited a couple of minutes to be seated and the employees that served us and who we spoke to were very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. The coffee was absolutely wonderful, very smooth. Proud Mary is not only a cafe but a coffee roasting company too and in my experience,  buying a coffee at a café that uses Proud Mary coffee is usually a tell-tale sign that you’re in good hands. That being said, if you feel like being a little adventurous with  your coffee then I suggest not sticking to their standard coffee blend but trying one of their single origin coffee blends, or their blend of the day. I tried their blend of the day which on my visit was the Honeysuckle blend, described as ‘big buttery body, sweet caramels and a crisp red apple acidity’ and it was amazing! I also got to try their cold drip coffee, and for a coffee lover, watching the barista carefully prepare the cold drip coffee was like watching a scientist concoct a winning formula. When I used to think of cold drip coffee, I would immediately think of the uninviting filter coffee served in dodgy diners in American movies. If you make the same association then make sure you do try a cold drip coffee from a quality coffee roaster like Proud Mary and I guarantee you will change your mind set.

 

The wait for food was honestly a little longer than expected but once the large serving of ricotta hotcakes arrived it was definitely worth the extra wait and the extra hungry appetite that ensued as the portion sizes were very generous. The hot cakes were equally as fluffy as they were delicious so what happened next was a very rare occurrence for me. Despite the hotcakes tasting absolutely delicious, I struggled to finish my meal because I was getting so full! Not complaining about though, I just wish I invited another friend to help me finish eating it! The Potato Hash was an interesting and delightful take on a big breakfast and the banana and toffee porridge was delicious, very filling and sweet without being sickly. The café interior had an industrial and funky design, reminiscent of what you would find in the meat packing district of New York, complete with old school Hip Hop music playing in the background which the staff were clearly enjoying as the the barista danced while making the coffees! Well you know what, their awesome coffee makes me want to dance too! So far my visits here have been really enjoyable and I can do recommend this place to coffee lovers and those with big appetites!

Potato Hash at Proud Mary

Potato Hash at Proud Mary

Ricotta Hotcakes at Proud Mary

Ricotta Hotcakes at Proud Mary

 

Proud Mary on Urbanspoon

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Add to favorites
  • Email