BEHIND DAMASK

Damask Bar:

347 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC

(03) 9417 4578 or www.damaskbar.com.au

Melbourne’s Brunswick Street is well-known for its Bohemian hideaways… and now there’s the first-floor Damask Bar — a hideaway, sure, but definitely a cut above in the style department. The air is good at Damask, so good, in fact, management has opened a serviced courtyard area for long boozy nights of the Summer solstice. The Damask interior is full of olive green leather booths and club-style tub chairs for groups to commandeer and make their own.

There’s an informal bar area with high-bench and stool seating for mingling and with a bunch of gilded mirrors, textured wallpaper and walls painted in rich, warm hues, Damask has an inviting atmosphere. Damask (which sits atop the Fitz) represents a different direction for the strip, defined by its live music venues, cosy eateries and grungy clubs, but the spirit of the communal culture remains.