NOW EXPERIENCING:Morris House
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Morris House

Saturday: 11:30 AM – 1:00 AM
120 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone
(03) 8563 0080
Website
morrishouse.com.au
Instagram
@morrishousemelbourne

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 03 Oct 2023

By
Michael Harden

From basement comedy club to pumping rooftop bar, Morris House offers four levels of well-designed, well-considered good times set around crowd-pleasing menus of food and drinks.

bar at morris house
Why you goMelbourne’s bar scene was built on small eccentric spaces tucked into unlikely corners. If you’re after the polar opposite of that scenario, Morris House delivers in spades. A $4 million refurbishment of the former European Bier Café on Exhibition Street has seen the 1920s building get a sharp new coat of white paint on the outside and interiors that range from a New York-style comedy club in the basement to a vast, all-weather Mediterranean beach club-esque rooftop bar with two dark-hued clubby levels for eating, drinking and occasional vibing to live music in between. Part of the Australian Venue Co group, which has more than 200 establishments across the country (including the equally sizeable Garden State Hotel in Flinders Lane), it’s no surprise that Morris House can handle the big numbers. Crowd-pleasing menus of food (steaks, parmas, oysters) and drinks, with 15 beers on tap, add to the “something for everybody” approach, making this a particularly wise venue choice when you’re out with a group with varying tastes but who all want to cut loose a little.
Why you stayEach of the four levels has a distinct personality so it’s possible to experience a night of venue-hopping under the one roof. Those wanting to party should head straight for the rooftop where there’s space for 180 fellow revellers, with heaters and a retractable roof for inclement weather, a list of cute (sometimes flower-garnished) cocktails and a playlist (provided by DJs on weekends) as fun and frivolous as the signature pink-and-white Frozen Iced Vovo Margarita. The basement comedy club is all about Seinfeld-style intimacy, with a brick-wall backdrop to the stage and closely set seating, while English-style pub is the vibe in both the table-service dining room on the ground floor and in the first-floor bar. There, the leather booths, live-jazz nights and a treetop-level outdoor terrace overlooking Exhibition Street may have you hanging around longer than you intended.
morris house melbourne
Morris house drinks menu
What drink to orderTo keep things simple – a good idea in a venue this size – the Morris House drinks menu is the same over all four levels. It’s a solid list, offering variety without overthinking it. The wines lean Australian, but there’s a good showing from France, Italy and Spain as well, with nearly everything available by the glass (large or small). There’s also a good range of mostly big-name beers – from Guinness to Furphy – but pay attention to the agave cocktail list. It showcases tequila and mezcal in both classic combinations like the Tommy’s Margarita alongside house specials such as the Thirsty Hearts Club, which has mezcal and Cointreau mixing it up with green juice, lime and a dash of chilli sauce.
What to pair it withThe Morris House food menu is available on every level aside from the comedy club, and it’s a box-ticking list of greatest pub hits that runs the gamut from chicken-liver parfait and garlic prawns to chicken parma, a choice of steaks and, an essential for the pork fans in the audience, a superb crumbed pork rib-eye accompanied by fried capers, parmesan and excellent coleslaw.
Food and drinks at morris house
Ambience at morris house
Regular’s tipMorris House has a kids’ menu that keeps them happy and smiling via Neapolitan pasta, a cheeseburger, fish and chips and, the standard for harried parents everywhere, chicken nuggets.
Who to takeIt can be exceedingly difficult in Melbourne’s CBD to find a place to accommodate groups, especially at a time in human history when every group will have people with specific needs, dietary and otherwise. Morris House’s food menu has dishes (annotated for ease of use) that cater to vegans, vegetarians and the gluten and dairy intolerant. Add spaces that can simultaneously cater to comedy, jazz and dance-pop fans, and you’ve found a crowd-pleasing winner.
Sponsor logo
In partnership with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival
Authour image
Michael HardenAfter 25 years writing about wine and food, Michael Harden is getting the hang of it.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryGood for groupsAfter work drinksRestaurantRooftopMelbourne – CBDVego Food OptionsPubMelbourneMeal and a bevFamily affairParty vibesBarNon-alc OptionsCasual catch-up
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