What to Expect @ Nevermind Bar

By Max Haywood

Through a nondescript door, near the corner of Burwood and Glenferrie Roads, is the grungy gem aptly named ‘Nevermind’. From the moment you walk in, you feel instantly embraced by the neighbourly atmosphere which is both comfortable and unpretentious.

The scruffy staff make you feel welcome with a humble selection of bar staples (bottled and on-tap) and old -favourite videos play silently on a retro TV perched above the bar which makes you feel at home. Actually, Kurt Cobain would probably feel right at home too in the converted -garage themed layout, with decor inclusive of exposed brick walls and moody red lamps – evocative of early 90s Seattle.

Prices are standard (jugs of Boag’s are about $16), and there isn’t a cover charge, so it’s a good option if you’re looking for a cheapish night out. It’s also somewhat less blokey than a pub and less dancey than a club so it attracts a conversational crowd of Swinburne students and young professionals. Because of Nevermind’s laid-back and friendly character, having some snack foods at the bar wouldn’t go astray for those who’ve just returned from a long day of work or lectures.

Once you’ve got a drink, there are plush, much loved couches upstairs which are as accommodating as the staff and offer low-key relaxation to patrons. If you prefer your drinks outside, there’s also an enchanting deck that’s been thoughtfully fitted out with patio-heaters for those cold Melbourne nights. The indie-flavoured music casts a chilled-out vibe over the bar, softly infusing grunge with hipster styles.

Nevermind is seldom packed (probably because of its Hawthorn locale) though on Tuesdays and Saturdays the establishment does get quite lively. The best time to go for a chilled-out drink is earlier on (around 9 – 9.30pm) as the downstairs pool tables will be empty and service at the bar will be prompt. Sunday to Thursday the doors close at around 1am (unless it’s particularly busy), but on Friday and Saturday nights they close later.

Unlike many similarly cool and low-key venues in Melbourne, one of Nevermind’s biggest draw cards is its easily accessible location. A few doors down from the corner of Burwood and Glenferrie Roads the bar is only a short walk from Glenferrie Train Station and the closest tram stop (stop 73, tram 16).

Frankly, there should be more laid-back and unpretentious places like Nevermind in the Eastern Suburbs, but considering that it’s such a rarity, let’s be thankful that we do have a neighbourhood bar like Nevermind.




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A 2nd Look @ Nevermind Bar

By Sophie Lane

Monotonous tones of mish mash Lady Gaga are bleeding your ears dry, as the tenth stupid skank for the night stiletto stabs your right foot. A creepy guy who looks no older than 16 is making ‘let me lose my virginity to you’ eyes at you, and the smell of smoke is making a vomit induced trip to the toilet seem like your only escape. You’re sick of the same old places, and don’t fit in with the fluoro Frannies of your youth. How does that make you feel? Never mind, leave all thoughts of metro misguidance behind. A few streets down from the chaos of nightclub crucifixion, lies a small, charming bar where the only monotonous tones to be heard are coming from the cute checkered Charlie offering to buy you a drink at the bar. Welcome to Nevermind.

A small entrance surrounded by quaint concrete boutique stores welcomes an almost non existent line of early twenty something’s inside. A check of the ID, and no entry fee means you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank with your second entry fee for the night (your first being a waste in a club located somewhere down Glenferrie Road).

Once inside, hundreds of bright eyed beer drinkers swallow the small amount of room offered by the venue. A flight of stairs provides relief and a sudden release of the tight grip held on your asthma puffer. After climbing the first flight of stairs you’ll find three more to follow. This four level bar provides house-party nostalgia, with mis-matched sofa’s, tables and lamps helping along the way.

The bar located on ground floor swarming with newcomers to this little known Hawthorn dime, can be off putting in claiming the first Corona of the night. Never mind, take the stairs and find a second (less crowded) bar waiting to provide you with a frothy hit to the lips (and not the 16 year old creepo kind).

Drink prices are average and below for a Melbourne bar, the beauty being that while Hawthorn does qualify as inner Melbourne, it also makes the cut as an Eastern Suburb, meaning spikes in drink prices are not really warranted, nor accepted.

A small outside area provides tables and chairs lined up across a pine decking. Smokers puff into the night’s sky. Instead of a ‘smokers room’, like many other club venues across Melbourne offer, Nevermind provides a balcony. Even if you’re not a smoker, this outside area is perfect for a hot summer’s night. What’s better, due to the fresh air surrounds cigarette induced dry reaching is few and far between for health conscious hotties.

As you make your way up the rickety stairs for the tenth time that night you receive a text message from your fluoro loving ladies two streets down. A sudden realisation overcomes you. You never did tell those friends where you were headed to those many hours ago. Never mind, you’re having the time of your life.




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What to Expect @ Nevermind Bar

By Jessica Hoadley

“Where are you going tonight?” Your friend asks you as you head out the door.”Nevermind!” You reply, to their indignant face. Perhaps they’d understand you better if you just called it ‘The Nev’.

The Nevermind is a laid-back, four-level bar in the Glenferrie/Hawthorn area of Melbourne. In comparison to the nearby pubs and clubs it’s practically a house party (and we all know they’re the best nights!). Shabby couches are scattered around the rooms, mismatched lamps glow in the corners, and the staff control the iPod playlist. Of course, if you’re a local, it’s just like a house party because on any given night you’ll bump into primary school friends, high-school crushes, and people you worked with in your first part-time job.

The street-level floor is long and narrow with a bar running the whole way down it. Descend a couple of steps to a ‘garage-y’ area with some pool tables. Upstairs are more couches and a beer garden, and even further up is the rooftop level which is only open on certain nights. There’s a second bar up here. This sounds like heaps of space, but each area is quite small and most nights it’s busy, so grab a couch as soon as you spot one.

You don’t come to The Nevermind for dancing. Tuesdays are the busiest night with the youngest crowd, so make sure you get here before 1 AM when the nearby Glenferrie and Hawthorn pubs close and the 18 year-olds descend on the Nev. Other nights include trivia and table-tennis competitions, and the occasional dress-up theme party.

A jug of beer will set you back $12, house wine is $5, and if you’ve got cash to burn try the Hong Island Iced Bull concoction. Just try and remember its name after a couple.

Most boys will be in skinny jeans and a t-shirt; girls in anything from jeans to dresses, heels or flats. There’s never an entry-fee but often a line, and you’ll be kicked out at 1 AM on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 3 AM every other day. To complete your true eastern suburbs experience, just follow the crowds to Glenferrie Maccas.

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