Beneath the opulent Melbourne Wine Room is the George Basement. And it may well be your kind of bar – in that it’s any kind of bar you want it to be, catering like a champion multi-tasker to the many faces of St Kilda's drinking crowd. On a Tuesday, it’s a quiet spot for locals to cogitate over a few Asahi beers on tap, while on the weekends it's DJs and standing room only.
Head bartender Misty Hoeta leads the crew here and is currently devising a set list of classic and custom 'tails for the bar, but in the meantime, hit her up for her own creation of a Ploughman's Lunch. Based on a classic 'flip', it's a unlikely combination of coffee infused beer, 23-year aged rum, Calvados, sugar and egg. It's a mind bender, but the addition of heated beer actually unites the strange bedfellows, resulting in a surprisingly satiny brew. Kind of like the egg-nog's dark and brooding cousin.
It’s not a bad looker of a joint – all exposed brickwork, red-velvet banquettes, nude murals and a small stage for live entertainment. Head in on a Wednesday, when the soul singer belts out heart ache classics, or if you're more into quiffs and riffs, try Thursday for Rockabilly tunes. If that's not your bag, just come back another day. It’s sure to be a whole new place.