Transport Hotel and Cocktail Lounge Review

Review By Courtney-Therese Ashworth

There is nothing intimate about Transport bar, especially on a Friday night. Just like the rest of Federation Square, where the popular haunt is situated, Transport is all hard lines, and hard surfaces, an expansive den of glass, steel and concrete in industrial shades of grey. But the only thing cold about the bar, is the drinks.

A favourite with locals, Transport is situated opposite the iconic Flinders Street Station in the heart of Melbourne and boasts a spectacular view of Southbank and the Yarra River as impatient trams zip past and busking musicians play all night long. The clientele varies greatly here, suits, tourists, or casual drop ins – it’s mainly Friday and Saturday nights that sees a younger crowd fill Transport’s walls.

But for all Transport’s minimalist charms, it’s not the bar you get all dressed up for to party the night away. Instead, it’s really the place where you wait for your friends to arrive, before you decide your next move.

Which is exactly how I found myself jumping off the train and walking over to where my friends were waiting for me one Friday night. Wearing skinny jeans, a black singlet and killer heels I slipped past the bouncers and set about navigating my way through artistic slabs of cement to find my boisterous friends, half empty glasses of beer strewn over our tiny table. After shifting around so other patrons could squeeze into picnic table style seating around us, my girlfriends and I sauntered over to the bar, ordering spirits that left our purses much lighter than anticipated. We waited patiently for the girl behind the bar to stop flirting with her co worker to pour our drinks, when a hand crept over my shoulder, and a breathy voice whispered in my ear, ‘your shoes are amazing!’ His stubble grazing my jaw as I spun around, I smiled brilliantly at my thirty-something admirer before taking my Bacardi and Coke back to our table, thinking if I wanted another I might need to find my new friend later on.

If he hadn’t moved on yet.

So after getting our male friends to buy us reasonably priced beer, [Transport has an impressive list with over one hundred brews from around the world on offer, but most of the people I saw were drinking rather basic labels] we decided to dance to the early noughties pop being played by the DJ in the corner, where the majority of the girls were singing Nelly’s ‘Hot in Herre’ whilst shaking their hips to the beat, and the men stood around the floor and watched, occasionally jumping up and slipping an arm around a twirling waist, or getting shut down with a giggle or a scathing look.

Needing a break, I left my friends behind [girls on the dancefloor, the boys in an all encompassing conversation with two Jagermeister promo girls] and headed for the Ladies as fast as my killer heels could take me. After conquering the impossibly long staircase and in need of another drink, I spotted God’s gift to women, mounted on the wall just waiting for the chance to make my night perfect. A ghd hair straightener, waiting for me like a long lost lover, and now with perfect hair, I went looking for my new friend, life perfect once again.

All in all, Transport Bar is a modern, cool place to drink and chill out with friends. In warmer weather, it’s one of the places to be for a cold beer on a hot summer’s day. The scenery is gorgeous, it’s easy to find and the staff are friendly. Transport Bar is worth a look.

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