FAD Gallery

«We’re at a gallery» said my friend on iPhone after a big day. In Chinatown at 10 PM? Luckily Unilocal knew he was talking about Fad.
The music was proudly 90s and the mood was upbeat. It felt appropriate to drink VB by the can.
There’s also a gallery upstairs. There were only a few pieces showing but I found what was there intriguing. It was a fun place to wander around unsupervised.

The music here is awesome. Great decore, nice staff. The art on the walls is for sale and if you like it, it would be worth checking out the gallery upstairs.
Drinks are cheap (not the best bubbles I’ve ever tasted) but it’s a fun place with a cool vibe. And it’s in a cobblestone lane way off Little Bourke which only adds to its cool and means your perfectly place for lots of dinner choices.
If your one of those smoker people there’s ever an outdoor court yard specially for you.
Oh, and if your a bit shy you should know that the toilets are outside through the courtyard.
If you like dancing this place can go off (in a great way).
Did I mention the comfy lounge chairs and couches?

Over the past few years I have spent a bit of time at FAD gallery and generally enjoyed it.
Cheap drinks, cost atmosphere and good customer service stand out.
The music can also be pretty interesting too.
I did however have a bad night on a Saturday a while ago where they had let too many people in and the place was boiling and packed, too unbearable that we all decided to leave. I know that it can be ‘happening’ to have a big packed crowd in a bar but it gets to the point where it is counter-​productive and not enjoyable for patrons. This was one of those times.
I will prob go back to FAD just perhaps more avoid the typical busy Saturday night or late night friday crowd.

My favourite place to chill out in Melbourne. The crowd are laid back and friendly. The ambiance is perfect for a non fussy evening. Great art always changing. Great food. Love this place.

Great little bar as long as music doesn’t get too loud. Head across the road to Ants Bistro for a winning meal.

Easily my favourite place for a boogie on a Friday night, the play list hasn’t changed for years but the house party vibe is a definite winner… a shame that it closes at 1pm sharp.

A cool place to end the night. Lay back in one of the couches, soak in the red dim lights and sip on one of their nicely made drinks. People always seem to be super nice here which just adds to an already awesome night.

I came to FAD tonight after a dinner and have to say i really enjoyed it. I met up with some newly acquainted friends and we boogied the night away.
The DJ was super friendly and played anything we requested (I even requested California Love — Tupac and it was played). There seemed to be a big old-​school theme to the night and the likes of Pat Benatar and Diana Ross.
The venue wasn’t that large, but enough to accommodate to our large group. We sipped on vodka cranberries and shots.
Corrs Lane is usually packed and lots of fun, FAD Gallery is a place to visit if you like old-​school beats, a boogie and some friendly peeps.
The only thing that confused me about FAD was the toilets, i don’t really know which one is male or female and the basin to wash your hands is actually in the middle of the outdoor area, so strange.

Fad Gallery used to be a really awesome venue, with interesting art in the gallery section and a good vibe in the bar. Now for some reason, the crowd seems like the waisted spill-​over from Eurotrash next door. It’s packed full of really young, drunk uni students dancing to top-​40. The combination of the music, the crowd and the memory of what it once was, make Fad Gallery a bit of a dud in my opinion.

Corrs Lane is a seriously nocturnal laneway offering some of the better late night venues.
FAD bar/​gallery has a grungy «northside» vibe to it courtesy of the mis-​match retro furniture and exposed concrete floor. Definitely no slick dress code here, which is part of the reason I enjoy this bar.
Its a large venue and when its quiet it can feel a little sparse, on the flip side when its busy all I want is a group to leave so I can steal their chairs. The last time I was here the live music started kinda early and was really LOUD. Killed the mood a bit and felt a little forced. I think thats my only reservation for this bar, the relaxed art vibe it try’s to convey is not organic.
But really, this bar is fine for a chilled afternoon beer or after work drinks and the revolving wall art is a nice visual element.