Review of Softbelly Bar

By Jessica Barlow

Soft Belly Bar on Little Bourke Street in Melbourne is pretty much a long lounge room with a bar attached– yup, it’s that comfy. It is open from 4pm to 1am Monday to Saturday and is home to comedic greats every Thursday night.

That’s right folks, this is not just a bar but a venue that regularly hosts live comedy gigs and has two function rooms available with no hire charge. The function rooms are where all the comedy and music gigs happen and unlike entry to the bar, these have a door fee - often around $12. The main function room is directly behind the lounge area and while it is quite shabby in design and bizarrely has three air conditioners, it’s not a bad space. It works really well for comedy nights and is commonly hired for 21st birthdays and bachelor nights.

The main bar is quite small and runs along the right hand side of the lounge. It can get pretty busy and it is during these times that the staff put jugs of water and glasses out for self-service. It’s a really nice touch. Drink prices can vary occasionally but generally they have a happy hour between five and seven pm and beers, spirits and wines are around $5 a glass. After this they pop back up to $7. Cocktails are more expensive.

The most attractive part about the Belly is the design. It is a skinny rectangular room with a vintage retro feel. There is a mish mash of Victorian winged chairs, long Italian couches and groovy lamps and mirrors. Towards the back of the room the couches get a little older but it just means the springs are lower and they can hug you just that little bit more.

There are antique pictures on the wall that are set off nicely by the assortment of unique light fittings. Despite the large number of these, there isn’t much light in the place and it is always pretty dim. This - coupled with the dark crimson walls - creates a moody, brooding feel that is perfect for after work drinks or for pretending you are a character in the English comedy Black Books.

This isn’t a place I would come to if I you love to dance as the music is more background noise than the main attraction. I love this about Softbelly as it’s hard to find a nightspot conducive to good conversations. Early on in the night you can pull up a barstool and chat to the bartenders but later on, particularly if there is a comedy show on in the function room, you won’t even be able to see the stools. The place gets super crowded so if you get there early make sure to nab yourself a seat.

There is always something exciting happening at Soft Belly and on the rare occasions that it is a quiet night there, it’s a great place to relax. I highly recommend checking it out.

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