The Evelyn Hotel

Great place to come and have a bevvy with friends — there is a pool table you could pass out on, a stage to get up and dance on like Mick Jagger and a bottle-​O that delivers wine to you in a cooler.
Either sit inside, out the front like a Fitzvegas hipster or see a local band in the band room. Down to earth place where everyone and anyone is accepted — a Fitzroy gem!

A dark and dirty pub that has become a Melbourne live music institution. With a great selection of beers on tap, and a fantastic wine selection thanks to the attached bottle shop, this place will easily handle all of your needs. Also, they let you bring food from other venues, which is definitely a bonus when you grab a snack from Lord of the Fries and want to munch down.

Everyone probably knows someone like this:
A short, fat, bald man with bad teeth, but who dresses well, keeps his teeth, clothes, hair and body clean, speaks well and has good social skills. By doing so, he does about as well as he can with what he has got.
Or someone like this:
A footballer who has no talent whatsoever, but has worked particularly hard at his footy and trained hard and made a career for himself in the AFL or NRL. He will never be a superstar but it is a credit to him that he has been able to play top level football.
The Evelyn Hotel is the pub equivalent of these sorts of people.
It does the absolute best it can with what it has got.
The pub is run by a lovely Italian family, headed by an elderly woman with a little maltese terrier dog. They hang out in the pub during the day and make the place very pleasant to be around. The tables out the front allow people to hang out on sunny afternoons having a beer or a coffee (although the chairs are very uncomfortable) and the side bar’s windows open wide thus turning into doors which airs the place out nicely. There is a pool table and the staff are particularly friendly and nice people.
The problem with this place is the actual building itself. Im not 100% sure what it is, but it is just a really uncomfortable place — its not set out well. The ceilings are way too high, making it feel anything but cozy, the couches, while comfy, are just too comfy in that you just sink into them and they are not at the right height for their tables. There is not adequate room around the pool table to play all the shots and the sun shines in right on the large tv screen blocking out the picture!!! The bar is far too small and the bandroom is dark and uninviting. The fact that there is no carpet on the floors, while hygenic and easy to clean also makes the pub feel less homely and more uncomfortable.
I dont know what the solution to these issues is because they are generally structural issues which cant be changed easily.
But what I do like is that the pub seems to work around these issues and controls what it can control without worrying about what it cant control. What it lacks in structure and cosmetics, it more than makes up for in friendlieness and hospitality.
It is the complete polar opposite of Bar Open — which is a great venue with unfriendly people (see my Bar Open review for what I mean). Bar Open got 2 stars, but Im giving the Evelyn 3 stars — despite not having the best building, this place proves that old fashioned friendlieness, positivity and respect can still go a long way even in a suburb as fickle and pretentious as Fitzroy!

The Evelyn is a good live music venue with lots of charm. It’s mostly full of the university crowds and you’ll see a friend’s new band or perhaps an older more established one.
Conveniently located right in the middle of Brunswick Street, when you leave here drunk there’s plenty of places nearby to buy a kebab in the middle of the night; very important information for the drunken warm-​meat appreciator.
I have some fond Uni memories here; there’s a good vibe and the staff are really nice.
Sure, it’s not the flashiest venue but the bar is easy to access, it’s easy to see the band on the stage and there’s a beer garden out the front for the smokers/​warm nights.
Because there’s two rooms it also means you can get to the front bar and play a game of pool without having to see a band if you don’t want to.

This corner pub with its stripped back exterior has been overlooking the action on Brunswick Street as the Evelyn Hotel since 1872, and the building dates back to 1857. I’m thinking it’s seen a lot of action.
Well known around the traps as a live music venue, it also hosts a street side beer garden, a corner bottle shop (with a surprising decent, yet small collection of vino) and a side bar with big screen and pool table.
The vibe in the band room can depend solely on the band that is playing and the Evelyn isn’t shy about mixing it up, they support an eclectic range of musicians. The side bar and beer garden can be a great place for a social drink. The fun and banter flow well into the night, all nights of the week. If the weather is warm, then this place gets chockas.
The staff can be on a merry go round of employment; I think I’ve seen almost as many staff as punters over the years. Some are good, some are extremely pretentious.

If you’re looking for a great vibe and some live music in Fitzroy, the Evelyn Hotel is your spot!
You can hang with the bands before they go on, because they’re all hanging out at the bar. Nobody is fussed. It’s just what music should be; enjoyed by us all, and unpretentious!
I love this spot, there’s ample room to dance in front of the stage, if you feel so inclined, and it’s just a great space with couches and seats and standing room and the bar knows how to take care of you and keep the drinks a flowin’.

As a Muso, the Evelyn is always a good place to play at.
The front bar spills out on to the street, where punters have a great vantage point of the charms of Brunswick Streets passing traffic. Better than any TV show. If the weather is in your favour, this is a great spot to either have a few whilst deciding on where to head for dinner, or to get a couple of drinks in before the band starts.
The band room is quite large, and hosts bands of all styles 7 nights a week. Residencies take place early in the week, and with the size of the room and good sound system, The Evelyn has made a name for itself amongst bands as a good place to launch an album.
I’ve played here numerous times, and have enjoyed the sound, the staff and even the tiny, tiny band room out back where you can share a sneaky cigarette before jumping onstage.
The Evelyn also has an attached bottle shop where you can grab a few take aways for after the show at competitive prices.

The Evelyn Hotel is an institution in Fitzroy. With live music every night, cheap drinks, and a great outside area, how could it not be?
The Evelyn Hotel, which features local bands with a cheap cover charge ($ 5-​$ 15 depending on the band), is busy all weekend. The music ranges from folk to rap attracting all types of individuals — you’ll find music there for your taste or you’ll end up experiencing music you may not have otherwise listened to. I was there for a graduation meet up and the band was a Melbourne metal band. Not my cup of tea, but for $ 5, I didn’t feel like I’d wasted my money.
On the other side of the stage is a side bar with a pool table and couches. It’s quieter for those who want to have a conversation. My favourite part about the Evelyn is the bottle shop. If you’re tired of being in public, grab a longneck or bottle of wine and take it away.

Brunswick Street is a cultural behemoth in itself. Located in Fitzroy (not Brunswick, go figure), it has more pubs, bars and places of interested per capita than many other places. The Evelyn Hotel is one such place of interest. Divided into three parts — part bottle shop, part bar, part music venue — the place really does cater to all drinking enjoyment needs. Bands play most nights of the week, if not music than panel discussions for fringe festivals and the like, with good couches for enjoying while seated or enough dance floor to really get your groove on. Separated from this by the bar itself is the more enclosed intimate side of the bar. Pool table and more such glorious couches await ye, good for pre dinner drinks or spending the night. Outside seating is also available on the warmer nights, around the corner a little to keep away from the noisy traffic. The bottle shop is open every day till late, so if you’re in the mood to take it home ye can do so.

The Evelyn is one of the birth-​places of live music in Melbourne, and remains a rocking venue for up-​and-​coming bands, dj’s and comedians to this day.
Every single night of the week the Evelyn will have a live show on, varying from rock to rap — so no matter what your musical flavour is, these guys have got it covered.
The beer is served cheap and cold, with $ 10 jugs available on Monday’s and Tuesday’s — a great way to start the week! But if you’re after food, you’ll have to get a burger from across the street. This is a no-​mucking-​about PUB only, no food is available.
The Ev is open from midday every day of the week, and the constant relaxed atmosphere makes this a pretty great place just to chill out.

Great venue, a 3-​for-​1 with a bottle shop, a bar and a music room with live music every night. You can even buy your wine from the bottle shop and drink it in the bar, with no extra corkage fee, a rare occurrence in Melbourne. Friendly staff and owners, and great location.