The Den

This is not the first time we have come to The Den and it won’t be the last. It’s a dark, moody bar that’s perfect for groups to have a conversation before going dancing or a great place for a night cap at then end of your night. They have an extensive bar and is one of the few places that know how to make a Trinidad Sour (old cocktail made with bitters).
There is a DJ that mixes on Thursday– Sunday mixing tunes old school… He uses a mixer and listens to the music to do a fantastic transition from one song to the next. He has a huge collection so he may do a remix of Susan Vega and then go into Kenye.
Since it’s in the Crown, it will be expensive so don’t expect a good deal, but if you’re out with friends and would like a non-​crowded bar not in the CBD with a mellow atmosphere then this is your place. It does get busy during the weekends but you usually find a nice chair to sit in.

A bottle of little creatures bright ale is $ 11. Make your own choice if that is worth it.

The den; serving your late night secret drinking spot.
More so that the place itself is secret and not that one’s drinking
habits are secret.
It’s small and intimate and the look and feel of the place is really cool
I’d actually quite like to have a secret basement room similar to this
in my place. But I want a lot of things. The look is a few things;
I like to maintain to the study theme, but it also has other elements too.
Drinks are good, cocktails, and spirits mainly, a selection of very good
whisk (e)y’s they even had a beer I’ve not tried which is an achievement
in itself. This would be a good sibling venue to the moat and I can just
imagine attached to a science book store or Academic outlet.
Styling and presentation wins out here.

My wife and I were here for a private function, so I can’t comment on what it is like on a regular evening. However, I really loved this small lounge. Hidden in the basement of the Atlantic restaurant at Crown, the Den has been set up as a modern piano lounge with fantastic atmosphere and a great spirits menu. The function we were at had great cocktail food as well.

Being in a malleable mood, I also wanted to experience what The Den had on offer after seeing it advertised so often by woman that possesses a head that resembles a fish (literally) in the venue’s advertising.
The service in the Oyster Bar is just as professional as what you will find in the restaurant and is consistent with what I described in a previous post when I visited the restaurant which was surprising. I was expecting the service not to be as professional since you are in the bar area but that was not the case. After observing another table consume a seafood platter, I was both jealous and frothing at the mouth as it looked substantial and beautiful. My overwhelming desire for oysters did take a hold in the end though. What I did find curious is that you must order three of the same type of oyster where in the restaurant I believe you are only constrained to having to order two from the same region.
Not being content to rest on my laurels, I wanted to explore what was on offer at the bottom of the staircase. I paid the bill and with the epicurean emo in tow, we stumbled down the stairs like thieves in the night into The Den.
I had never seen a photo of the bar and I did have a preconceived notion of what it would be like since we were in Crown Tower of all places. What I found was completely opposite to what I expected. The Den is set up like a stately study, a place that you would find in a mansion in Toorak or the set of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. It was a pity that I did not spot Nicole Kidman sipping a wine in the corner as the table was occupied by hipsters sharing a glass of Coca Cola as they waited for their table to be made available in the upstairs restaurant sadly.
The barman proved to be quite knowledgeable and very amusing. He recanted tall tales as he poured glasses of 666 vodka. It was not only comfortable but convenient to do our duty by holding up our end of the bar whilst relaxing in a place that defied expectations.
There are hundreds of places that you can drink in the area. You can not compare and contrast the quality of the product as that remains constant, but it is easy to segregate different levels of service. Like with the Oyster Bar and the restaurant upstairs, the service in The Den, remains constantly professional, efficient and amusing when required. Besides The Waiting Room, I can not think of a place that affords the customer this type of service in Crown or the general area for that matter.
Like with the restaurant and the Oyster Bar, quality and service comes at a price, but if you are looking for a relaxed time out and away from the madness of the casino, The Den can not be beat. I am looking forward to returning on a Thursday or Friday night to hear the piano being played. It just seems like the right thing to do.

The Den is a cool and classy cocktail bar hidden in the basement of The Atlantic restaurant. Access to the bar is through a front door on the waterfront promenade, or through the restaurant just downstairs from the oyster bar, which gives it a feel of being a very sophisticated and modern speak-​easy, and a very private atmosphere.
The bar serves everything, but specialises in both hand picked whiskies, and cocktails that take inspiration from around the world. My favourite was the Southerners Julep. which is Bourbon, fig, mint, maple syrup and powdered sugar. Sounds weird but for me, it worked!
This is a great place for a few drinks in a sophisticated environment, that still has a fun vibe. Perfect for something a little different from the average Melbourne upscale bar.