The Alibi Room

LOCATION
Making its mark on Brunswick Street midway between the Valley and New Farm.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
An embedded local in Brunswick Street, Alibi Room boasts startling red walls and a floor littered with timber tables, bar stools and cabinets full of an eclectic mismatch of classic toys, retro band clutter and more modest shoddy ornaments and junk. This place brims with a unique character that gives off a comfy all-welcome feel, while serving a full array of patrons (from mums with prams to young Goths, the affluent New Farm crowd and arty music creatures). The “trucker’s breakfast” is burly and bold with more protein, carbs and sides than most can handle (but worthy of a wholehearted sleeves-rolled-up attempt anyway). A lip-smacking variety of tapas keep the hounds happy, as do the streetwise salads served by the super friendly, heavily pierced and tattooed, staff.

The bar does its dash most nights of the week with impressive drink and food highlights – the $2 tacos on Tuesday mean you’ll have to fight for a little elbow room. A recovery pizza covered in chips and gravy (clinically proven to fix even the strongest of hangovers) has made its debut on the new menu in the company of cheer-up foods like toasties and monster tasty burgers. A function room fit out in 50’s tiki style (with classic cane piecemeal furniture teamed together with tropical fabric, shelves of grandma’s shells and South Pacific plastic Hula girl dollies) gets a bashing a few nights a week, catered with mixed or vegetarian platters and pizzas and well-rehearsed drink selections.

Katharine Chapman