New Gold Mountain
Editorial
Like all the best bars in Melbourne, New Gold Mountain is hidden away from sight. A plain wooden door with the number 21 above it is all the signage you'll get. Venture inside - up the empty stairwell straight out of some bad horror movie - and you'll find yourself in a technicolour dream. Spread over two levels, this bar features some of the most striking decor and interior design you're likely to come across. The first floor is comprised of a small room with a blue/grey colour scheme. There are large circular booths at each end and a scattering of small tables in the centre. A fireplace and various old trinkets adorn the walls while the stark colour scheme is highlighted with eerie red shadows from antique lamps.
Level two is just as impressive. It features a soviet-red colour scheme, origami-inspired light fittings and a number of small, portioned-off sections for private functions. Depending on the room you've been ushered into, seating consists of cushions, Victorian furniture or large booths.
What makes all this even more impressive is that it's hidden away behind a nondescript doorway in a forgettable alleyway. But that's kinda the point. This is a small, exclusive bar for those in the know. That said, the atmosphere is refreshingly friendly and unpretentious. The wine and spirits list is huge and bar staff will happily recommend something to suite your taste and budget. Conveniently, all drinks can be ordered in various sizes; everything from a standard 30ml shot to 250, 500 and 700ml sizes.
The cocktail menu is the same over both levels and has been narrowed down to 10 basic choices; five sour drinks and five cocktails. Of course, the bar staff can make you just about any drink you desire should the cocktail list not do it for you, or you suddenly find yourself with an unexplained craving for little umbrellas in a hollowed out coconut shell. Put simply, this is one of Melbourne's finest establishments. Visually, there aren't many bars around that can compete with New Gold Mountain and its design concepts, and the drinks and service are world-class. It's well worth the back-alley trek through Chinatown.
Mikolai, May 2008
User Feedback
Nikki
March 14, 2007
This bar is a visual treat. Every floor changes in colour & design dramatically. The cocktail list is ok. Not the best I have seen but the decor makes up for it.
Gary
August 18, 2008
Took a group there for pre-dinner drinks. They were very impressed. Fabulous decor and ambience. Will definately return.
Kristina
November 25, 2008
I love this place. The staff know their cocktails. Everybody I have taken there has been well impressed!
Jehnavi
March 27, 2010
New Gold Mountain oozes quality, with rich verdant decor and a bar stocked to the rafters with top-shelf tipples. Take a global tasting tour, starting perhaps with a Suntory 12-year-old scotch from Japan, venturing on to a Booker's seven-year-old bourbon from the USA, or perhaps meandering towards the best G&T you'll ever try - made with Citadelle gin from France. http://www.travelfront.com/exploring-melbourne-as-a-backpacker/
Measim
April 25, 2011
This bar has lost it's sheen. I hadn't been there in a couple of years and decided to drop in last Friday. The place was dead the decor was looking tired and worn. We went upstairs to the top bar. We were greeted by a waitress behind a shabby torn red rope asking if we had a reservation. She led us to a table in the empty bar. We were really disappointed with the service and overpriced drinks. This sort of faux exclusivity was a bit pathetic. In the end we only stayed for one drink then headed downstairs to double happiness for a much warmer atmosphere and friendlier service.
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