The Kelvin Club

If ever I’ve walked into a place and feel like I needed a monocle, it’s this one.
Well, not just a monocle. Tweed trousers and a hunting rifle and a smoking jacket and a brass sextant and a spyglass and a walrus mustache and some kind of historically significant achievement.
I didn’t know clubs like this still existed, but I’m sure glad they do, and I wish we had something equivalent in Sydney. It’s like walking back in time to a place when men were gentlemen and women were glamorous and everything was simple and Gatsby-​like without any of the muck afflicting the world today and you can sit by a roaring fire with a snifter of brandy and discuss Jonothan Worthley-Smythe’s latest New Zealand expedition.
If the hipsters ever find this place its all over.

I attended as part of the Unilocal Winter Soirée and I have to say, I had never heard of the Kelvin Club before (although I suppose that’s partly intended). As someone who believes that there is no excuse for wearing jeans to the theatre, I was absolutely delighted to find out that clubs like this actually still exist (and of course doubly pleased to find that they accept both men and women, as of course should be the case in this day and age). A wonderful blend of history and modern sensibilities, offering a bar, lounge, a delightful fireplace and pleasantly old fashioned fittings. I would certainly be taking advantage of such a membership if I lived in a smaller apartment in the city and wanted the leisure of a lounge, needed to hold private business meetings, or similar, it will definitely be in my mind into the future.

Don’t you just love the hidden bars and restaurants of Melbourne? Down cobbled lanes and behind unmarked doors, these kinds of places make our city special. The Kelvin Club can be put in the same «hidden» category, as most people don’t know that it exists.
Right in the centre of the city and down a little lane called Melbourne Place, The Kelvin Club has been hosting very-​proper gatherings for 150 years now. A private members club, you can only get in here when invited by a member or if you buy tickets to one of their public events or concerts.
As a member I get access to great networking and tasting events, can bring three guests in for drinks, a game of billiards or a meal. On Wednesday they have a $ 15 steak dinner which is exceptional value and a relaxed way to catch up with friends in an environment that feels like a second-​home.
My favourite part? The old fashioned house rules that state one must be dressed appropriately to access certain areas of the club and that if you answer your phone in the public bar, you have to buy a round of drinks for all! LOVE IT.