Elite Event: Aperitivo Hour

Merry Christmas Unilocal Melbourne Squad!
You are a great bunch of people. It was great to see old, not so old and new all mingling at such a great intimate venue. Thanks to Doc Martin, the owners and staff who were so keen to look after us and so their passion.
I wish all the success to Doc Martin, I will be back… with friends in tow.

I felt it was only right to finish my ‘Yelp 100 Challenge’ with the final Elite event of the year.
Mel pulled out all the stops once again (even though she had been sick all week!) to deliver another fabulous event.
It was great to get back to basics with a smaller crowd and sample some amazing food and drinks. I’m not a huge fan of the classic negroni but these boys do them with a twist which I love. So much so I’m heading there later to sample some more. And let’s face it, I will probably devour some of those cheesy croquets too… AMAZING.
Thanks for a great year fellow Elites — let’s do it all again next year!

Dr Martins is a charming little bar fronting the Collins Quarter establishment. Unassuming yet classic décor, knowledgable and friendly bar staff who clearly enjoy their jobs. What a perfect location for a Unilocal Elite Christmas event!
The smaller guest list and cosy location made this event feel initiate. I really enjoyed meeting and making friends with other Unilocal Elite Squad members.
Dr Martins put on some very classy and delicious cocktails, the food was Devine and I was very impressed that the owners were on hand to have a chat with everyone.
I already have plans to re visit both Dr Matin’s and Collins Quarter.
It’s always nice to see Mel’s happy face at events. Very impressed that she knows my name even though I’m relatively new to Unilocal.
The Christmas goodie bag was really thoughtful.
Mel, bravo for a brilliant job of organising this event! Thank you

Doc Martins was the perfect venue for a classic cocktail sampling. The clean lines and contrasting black and white décor are meant to evoke a Parisian café. And certainly, with cocktails featuring vermouths, bitters, and amaros, Doc Martins seems like a throw back to a by-​gone era. Elite Unilocalers sampled a whisky and vermouth concoction called an Old Hickory and a classic twist on a Negroni. Both were balanced and exceptionally well-​made. These bartenders really know their way around a cocktail. Nibbles made their way around the crowd as well, and the croquettes, bruschetta, and mushroom arancini were the perfect compliment. The best part was getting to chat with the owner and manager and hear more about their inspiration for Doc Martins. How cool is Unilocal for giving us this behind-​the-​scenes experience? Pretty darn cool! Thanks to Mel and the crew at Doc Martins for a great evening. I can’t wait to bring The Man here for a proper martini.

December is always a crazy busy month, so it was lovely to catch up with the Unilocal Elite Melb crew for some impressive cocktails to end the year. Greeted on arrival with a range of wines to choose from, the bartenders then worked the magic and dazzled with talented cocktails. The snacks were all delicious and definitely a reason to return. I was lucky enough to try the oysters, bruschetta, mushroom and truffle arancini balls and of course, the croquettes! It’s hard to pick a highlight but the croquettes won me over.
Thanks to Mel and the Unilocal Melbourne team for another fun year with great events, new places to return to and friendly faces!

A peculiar way to end the events listings and year at Unilocal but not necessarily a bad one. First off, very impressive surroundings, décor and fit-​out. But it was an odd bunch that attended: a lot of very fresh faces, some bloggers, some off duty workers and more. The drinks on offer were very good; wines and vermouth based cocktails and as always aiming to please they did. Amzing croquettes and arancini went round, as we talked to the owners and got schooled in vermouth history. A good show by all those who attended, although some of the memorables were not there, and even a guest spot by Emma C. Sometimes the best way to end the year is a informal low-​key gathering, and that was exactly what was provided. Great work, and I look forward to returning to doc martins, café from the outside, but true bar inside.

What a great way to end a year of amazing elite events. The staff where clearly passionate about creating the perfect cocktail. And theses bad boys weren’t you average (on every cocktail list in Melbourne), they were creative and damn good.
The food in offer was also top nosh (pun intended). My personal fav being the mushroom arancini.
The owner clearly loves his venue, and rightly so. With the new addition of Doc Martins to the existing Collins Quarter and the amazing court yard, he has created a much sought after Collins st frontage and able to have a few tables street side.
An amazing night, with great people. Thanks Dic Martin’s (I will be back), Unilocal and of course Mel.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Just what the doctor ordered– A great evening out with a friendly group of people, coupled with some pretty special drink to start off the Silly Season.
The guest list included a wonderful variety of people. Some of the classic Elite members, a few well known regulars and the ever fresh newbies too. A pleasant surprise was having the owners of the venue mingle and enjoy a drink or two with us. It certainly made the night enjoyable and educational, as they happily explained the history of the space.
The staff here are exceptionally welcoming and accommodating to all silly requests. Upon arrival a glass of NZ chardonnay found its way into my hands and was a hit all night long. The bar tenders whisked up two delightful cocktails. As someone who isn’t heavily into vermouth/​gin styled drinks I was really happy to find a cocktail that was enjoyable to my tastebuds.
The sneaky snacks that where doing the rounds are worth coming back for. The croquettes were the perfect fat finger size with a crisp outer edge. I could’ve easily eaten all the croquettes with no regrets.
A great evening, with a lucky dip check-​in prize. A huge shout out to Mel and the team at Unilocal for throwing some amazing events this year.

Oh wow! This was definitely the way to end the year!
great little bar, great friends, great food, great drinks!!! it was the perfect way to end the year!
The staff were perfect, almost mind reading in their ability to sense when drinks needed to be refilled, or nibbles where needed. The Bartender’s two perfect vermouth based cocktails were refreshingly different and will have me trying a few more next year!
Mel, you have done it once again! I hope to be able to do it all again next year!

Casual drinks, well more like fantastic signature cocktails, were an awesome way to celebrate the end of the year. Doc Martin’s is a pretty special venue too. An old doctors’ rooms resurrected — into a bar. This venue extends the iconic Collins Quarter mix of bars street side. I love the original signage, ambient lighting and NYC subway esq wall tiles.
The NZ Sauvi B was a treat, as were the croquettes, oysters and bite size bruschetta. Lovely staff and a real Melbournian buzz made for a destination I can’t wait to bring some friends along too. Well done Mel B! What a fantastic Elite end to this year of the Unilocal