Get set to enter the House of Correction as it opens this week in Melbourne.
House of Correction may seem like an odd name for a bar, referring to a historical term for “an institution where vagrants and minor offenders were confined and set to work”.
The Melbourne bar is located in the Denyers building in Swanston Street, the same building as Goldilocks Rooftop Bar. The venue was formerly Shaft Cinemas and early renovations revealed remnants of the previous tenant such as pornographic silhouettes beneath peeling paint. The building dates back to 1889 and had a chequered history. Oddly, it was once occupied by a medical supply store that provided human skeletons, next door to a local Chinese firecracker business.
The design of the venue gives a nod to the darker side and colourful history of the space which will be revealed when it opens to the public on Thursday 9 February 2017.
House of Correction is headed by David Smillie (formerly of Eau De Vie Sydney). With an extensive back bar, the drinks menu undergoes a four week rotation with a selection of mixed drinks, a sizeable collection of bottled and tap beer and a modest wine list. Add a curated food offering from Mr Kwok and House of Correction is set to keep Melbourne in line till the early hours.
House of Correction opens 7 days a week from 4pm to 3am.
House of Correction Melbourne
Address: Level 4, 264 Swanston Street Melbourne, VIC
Hours: 4pm – 3am, 7 days
Photo Credit: Supplied
