e-fifty-five

First came here back around 2007 when they had computers under the staircase. Hasn’t changed too much, big collection of craftbeers, friendly staff. Decent place to chill.

A great little hangout for couples or groups. Nice lounge seating and a place to have a chat. Just stayed for drinks but the pizzas looked good and cheap! Should check it out if you’re in the area.

Friendly staff, let me in before opening and started up the coffee machine for me :) Recommend as a good little chill spot for coffee catch ups or grabbing a beer.

This bar defines Melbourne for me. Little door to a spiral stair case that leads to a awesome little bar filled with heads of awesome couchs!!!

It turns out that this little bar is now fifteen years old. I remember coming here years ago, back when you could still smoke in bars, to have a couple of drinks after a hard night dancing. My friend told me that it was one of those bars that you visit to wind down with a beer or two before going to bed. With the exception of the smoke filled room, and the addition of some more furniture, this bar has changed very little. In fact it is so well known that if you mention it, people will go ‘yeah, I know E Fifty-​Five, great little bar’. The last time I went there (and I probably should go more often because it has such a relaxed, laid back atmosphere) they even gave me a free cocktail, most likely because they were celebrating their fifteenth birthday. I suspect bars’ birthdays last substantially longer than hours (even though I did have a two day party once).

I really like this place as it gave an awesome vibe during my brief visit.
We headed here at the request of a friend of mine after watching a game at the ‘G. All I knew of the place was that it was an apparent kiwi bar.
There were probably close to twenty of us in the bar, that was at the time quite quiet. We just lounged around for a couple of hours. I wasn’t drinking but still appreciated the variety of beer that was up for grabs. I always enjoy a place that serves some decent craft beer.
The best part of this bar was the music. They were playing a kinda of mix between funk, drum & bass and deep house. Whatever it was, I liked it. I got a bit of a case of the head bopping over at our table.
Lastly, the place has one of those arcade machines that doubles up as table. I was rocking the space invaders for quite a while except the fact that I couldn’t pass the first round.
Oh well, great bar. Will definitely be back.

Quirky bar with comfy mismatched couches and artwork on the walls that is all for sale. Definitely a great place to hang out and drink and talk. And cheap drinks and food is always good :)

Looking at this place from outside you could believe it was a middle of the road bar. After walking down the stairs, you notice the the student vibe (comfy sofas, op shop style décor), but more importantly they have a great selection of craft beers from all over the world (most are bottled, but some are on tap). Drinks are no overly expensive ($ 18 jugs), with food also available ($ 7 pizza). Internet is also available. Good, but has the potential to be better — still okay for casual drinks.

E Fifty-​Five has that backpacker kinda vibe to it, and recently
celebrated it’s 14^th birthday. They are currently offering quite a good
beer selection, including liberty ale, anchor steam, and Red seal.
In the past few times I’ve been here there has been some very good sets
played by a great DJ. She’s awesome. Staff here are pretty cool and just
get on with the job. E55 is a hang-​out spot for sure.

e-​fifty-​five is hidden down a staircase on the southern end of Elizabeth St. They are not usually super-​busy but the draft beer will go down a treat after a long day at work. Just busy enough to make the atmosphere exactly what you would expect from a trendy basement-​bar in inner-​city Melbourne.
Old couches and a number of tables scatter the place which makes it good to sit down with a few friends and have a bit of a chat as well.
Their pizzas are also good value for money if you’re after a quick bite while sinking a pint or two.

We stumbled upon this place on a Tuesday afternoon while touring the city. Love the feel of this funky basement bar. And it has an internet café (?!?). So comfortable and bartenders are friendly enough. We chatted it up with a local who apparently used to work there and now just hangs out there during the day sometimes. Would have loved to come back here at night but didn’t get a chance, unfortunately. The bathrooms are kinda sketchy…

Show me the person that hasn’t wanted to set up a bar in their basement and stuff it full of their friends and everything they love in the world and I’ll show you a damn dirty liar.
Turns out that someone else has already set up my basement bar. And they did it in Melbourne. Without my knowledge. And made it better than I ever could have. How dare they. HOW DARE THEY.
E Fifty-​five has mismatched Vinnies couches, $ 6 pizzas (SIX. BUCKS.) with flavours like Nacho and Spicy Pumpkin, a tray of chili sauces including Liquid Smoke («Where there’s smoke, there’s flavour») and board games.
I love it. Everything about it. No: I want to make sweet love *to* it. Over and over again. Then one more time for good measure. I’m not even sorry if that sounds creepy.

The great thing about this place is it’s hidden within the city. Busy enough that you usually wait for a drink but cosy enough that you can get a couch space without too much issue.
The other great thing about this little place is that it’s a bit of a backpackers /​student bar which means — REASONABLY PRICED DRINKS. HURRAH!
They do cheap pizzas and have internet in the corner which adds to the cheap appeal.
One thing I’d warn about, use the bathrooms elsewhere. Reminds me of a scene from trainspotting. You’re welcome for the image.
In summary, venture down the stairs and enjoy.

I love this place. Every aspect of it screams ‘cool’, without trying to cram the feeling down your throat. Drinks are reasonably priced and the music is loud enough to drown out other conversations but not your own.

E55 is the place I used to take visiting friends to show them how much better Melbourne is than Canberra. We’d go downstairs, look at the lights make patterns on the walls, talk about life while some ambient techno played in the background.
Ahh, good times.

Perhaps not the most creative name (E Fifty-​Five, 55 Elizabeth Street), it is definitely a creative space with works from local artists adorning the walls. A bar/​internet café with djs spinning until 3am, E Fifty-​Five has something to offer everyone.
I was introduced to this place by a friend who liked to use their internet whilst having a beer and cheap pizza ($ 7 nacho pizza with corn chips, salsa, guacamole, cheese, and jalapeño) and who happened to be displaying his artwork there. Although I’m not a fan of venues without windows (the lack of natural lighting scares me — I don’t want to become deficient in Vitamin D!), E Fifty-​Five is acceptable with their comfortable sofas, great music, and cool staff.
Come in for a beer and $ 7 pizza or if you’re a local artist wanting to show your stuff, contact E Fifty-​Five. Each month a new local artist is showcased. That could be your weird robot painting that is bleeding through his eyes on the wall.

If you live in Melbourne, have never been to New Zealand and want to know what Aotearoa — and its own idiosyncratic brand of bar — is like, go to E Fiftyfive on Elizabeth Street just near Flinders.
A hugely popular little bar with love-​worn sofas, some excellent DJs, cool staff, an underground den-​like insouciance and a hedonistic in a slightly student union-​y way vibe, E Fiftyfive is one of my favourite Melbourne bars.
Ok, this place attracts some slightly kooky patrons — the guy who swore blind that he was Louis XIV of France was a particular highlight — but this only endows E Fiftyfive with even more charm.
The perfect place for after work drinks on a Friday, E Fiftyfive is one of those bars where hours pass in mere moments and you’re sure to have a good — if hangover inducing — time. Simply a great Melbourne bar.

I would probably say that this is my favourite bar to go to in Melbourne (so far). My friends introduced this spot to me and if at first glance I had to describe it in one word, it would have to be… eclectic. The walls are lined with artwork of strange animals (gorillas with tattoos, worms with tophats, that sort of deal) but it all makes for a really interesting atmosphere!
Service: Great! The staff is very friendly and the security man up front was absolutely hilarious. My friend and I were supposed to meet up with another friend of ours and he joked that he already kicked him out for being too drunk. BS of course, but now he recognises us and always manages to make a bit of conversation. Great guy.
Drinks: Reasonable prices and a wide selection. I’m a fan of their Pear Cider, a giant bottle of delicious cider for a great deal! Ohhh boy.
Atmosphere: Like I said, very eclectic and strange. But you’ll always meet someone awesome. There’s always travelers going in and out of this establishment and I’ve met people from all over Australia and other parts of the world too.
Overall, I honestly cannot say anything bad about E Fifty-​Five. Put this spot on your alcohol to-​do list!

Don’t make the mistake of walking past E Fifty Five and patronizing one of the peepshows across the road or the backpacker bar next door. It can be hard to miss and can have unwelcoming security men on the door at times. But don’t be put off — it is actually easy to find (the ‘E’ stands for Elizabeth Street and the ‘Fifty Five’ is the street number) and it only takes a little persistence to persuade any over-​reactive doormen to realize that the door they are manning leads to a dingy basement filled with old mangy couches, weird art and bar/​internet café.
In fact this is what makes E Fifty Five a great place to meet and hang out with friends or to go at the end of the night when your feet are sore and you are sick of wearing your long pointy leather shoes your mum told you would get you all the girls. This place is relaxed, easygoing and usually has some good tunes being played by a resident DJ. They do a great Mojito at $ 9 too!