Review Habitat Lounge - Fitzroy

Amazing cocktails, great service, good food. Me and my partner were on holiday doing a bar crawl and we stumbled across this place, the energetic personable bar tender made us feel at home. When we tasted our first cocktails we fell in love. After those the bartender treated us to some cocktails off there upcoming menu and those blew us away.

Was empty in a Saturday night so we were skeptical. Arrived. Ordered drink. Bartender seemed scattered and unsure of the menu. Ordered food and drinks for 6 people. Waited 20 mins for food to arrive and the staff came out to tell us that the kitchen is broken. 20 MINUTES. Then they refunded our food but I would have thought the wait warranted complimentary drinks. Absolutely appalling customer service. Espresso martini was the best I've had in Melb though. Give them that.

Had my 18th here. Absolutely not impressed. They didnt go with my catering choices, didnt play my playlist that i requested (even though i asked twice- they said "they'll get back to me") and they added the fairy lights (decoration) 30 MINUTES before the party ended when it should be added before the party started. Not only did they not abide my custom catering that we (the manager and I) went through a week before the party, but the timing of the food were untimely. (They started to bring in more pizzas when people were leaving) My parents were pissed off that they wasted hard worked money on this place. Other than ruining my 18th, the staff were very nice people. If you dont want to stress on your special day, dont make it here.

The bar tender Chris is absolutely fantastic! Drinks are amazing and the vibe is great, highly recommended!

Not bad, was quiet when we went in, which was good for the mood we were in. The smoked old fashioned was awesome.

Brilliant service. Awesome venue. Always a great night out.

Upstairs can be hired for a private party

Signature cocktail was mreh.

Had my 18th here. Absolutely not impressed. They didnt go with my catering choices, didnt play my playlist that i requested (even though i asked twice- they said "they'll get back to me") and they added the fairy lights (decoration) 30 MINUTES before the party ended when it should be added before the party started. Not only did they not abide my custom catering that we (the manager and I) went through a week before the party, but the timing of the food were untimely. (They started to bring in more pizzas when people were leaving) My parents were pissed off that they wasted hard worked money on this place. Other than ruining my 18th, the venue was nice. it's such a shame that such a nice venue was ruined by the service. If you dont want to stress on your special day, dont make it here.<br/>btw, gave it an extra .5 because the bartender, Chris was loved by my peeps.

Terrible experience. <br/>Ordered a $46 bottle of New Zealand pinto Grigio and was served an $8 bottle of yellow tail with no explanation. Staff were rude when I pointed it out. Wine was changed but not to the bottle we ordered & still not offer of a refund. Staff were not accomodating & the quality of their beverages was terrible. You do not get what you order. I would not return here.

Classy, grown ups lounge serves great tapas style food too.<br/><br/>Very different than other lounges/bars along the strip.<br/>Dimly lit, candle lit, Rustic, yet set up with class, the front room is a very enjoyable bar/lounge, intimate, lots of soft timber elements, leather (look?), etc.  <br/><br/>They serves great food, more on the Tapas style and drinks, alcoholic kinds; beers, wines, Cocktails, etc.<br/>Although they are selling Pizza, off-course Rustic style, this place is for grown ups only.<br/><br/>Courtyard at the back is great, especially if you want to carry on conversation and more than just two people or private function.<br/><br/>Excellent staff members, especially the NZ waitress is just super pleasant, she is great, accommodating, making the right suggestions as we have some teenagers with us.<br/><br/>The only annoying thing, smokers who can't keep their smokes to themselves and intrudes our air space while we are enjoying our meals.

Had a wonderful light meal with a friend of mine, manager was really hospitiable and waitress incredibly attentive without intrusion. Funky little place with class. Sweet potato chips definitely hit the spot! Thanks heaps, see you soon!

What a delightful place. When I visited the bathroom found out that they have a beautiful outdoor area at the back. Quick service (no queueing for ages at the bar to get a drink) Good ambience, nice decor. This was a good find!! Only complaint my NZ Sauv Blanc was room temperature. They took the bottle out of the fridge, though. Must have been a popular choice, I suspect, the cold ones must have been consumed.

My partner and I went to Habitat Lounge Friday, two weeks ago. We arrived just after 5 pm and the service was quick and efficient. The cocktails here are creative and lovely. After we had finished our curly fries and shared pizza (both yummy, Groupon deal) we then had the happy hour cocktail of the night which was a Espresso Martini. Yummy!! It's not the first time and it wont be the last (been here with my son and group of 4 with similar atmosphere). Staff lovely. The young kiwi waiter is a bonus to the business. Nothing was too much trouble for her.<br/>Rob and Deb

Reasonable venue with a great and sizeable courtyard out the back. Can be very quiet at times. Good selection of drinks, although cocktail quality can be quite variable. Not really a fan of the food.

Came her for drinks and a bite to eat. Can not fault the cocktail list Espresso Martini and Lemon Meringue the standouts. Marinated olives and good selection of pizzas and share plates. Good night out.

Great cocktails and sharing platters (though a bit pricey). Mulled wine was delicious! Most of all, staff were friendly and accommodating. :)

The most incredible list of cocktails. The staff were so helpful and recommended a few based on my flavour request. The venue is beautifully decorated and has a great sized beer garden - I cant wait to try it out in summer. <br/><br/>There was a few of us in my group and we all tried different food options including Pizza, tapas options and the cheese board - we were all really impressed. Decent size portions and beautiful flavours. Thanks Habitat Lounge - See you again soon.

My friends and I went here for pre-dinner drinks last night .. ordered dirty martinis straightaway. Bar tender came back to us and said.. no green olives, can we use purple ones? Okaaay, never had that before, let's have those purple olives on the side and just do a lemon twist on the martini. And then we thought, how are they going to make them dirty if they don't have the brine?? We went back to the bar to cancel, but they said it's okay because someone is already getting green olives. Yay! So we waited... and the martinis finally arrive! We all lifted our glasses, had a sip and spewed it out! They were OILY and tasted of garlic! And then we realised, they used green MARINATED olives and used the oily marinade to make them dirty! YUCK!! Sent them back again and just ordered something that didn't need making. <br/><br/>This is a bar that offers cocktail masterclasses, but couldn't even make a classic martini! EPIC FAIL! I would rate this place a zero if I could!

Whisky tasting. I read the previous reviews, my review is that I liked it. Real. Not manufactured. Heart felt. Relaxing fun. Food was great. If you like perfection, script style stuff then this isn't for you. It's not perfect but it is real. It's not performance perfected. It's a cool night out. Why not appreciate a new club without expecting to be treated like a king? Just enjoy. It's smith street not chapel st. Go Smith! Keep it real!

Walked past this restaurant a few days ago; looked in the window & swear to God, a dog in the kitchen.. A blue heeler, I think. A dog in the kitchen! Avoid!

Probably the most amateur bar I've been too. Went for whiskey tasting class which advertised numerous whiskeys and food for 2 hrs. Ended up starting half hour late and finishing half hour early. Got a total of four sips of whiskey, the portions given almost evaporated before they reached us. Got one cracker with cheese on it for food...oh a a skewer with a slither of chorizo on it. With so many other bars in the area I strongly advise avoiding this one. Biggest waste of money in a long time!!

Did not enjoy at all. First, it is the most difficult place I have found to make a reservation, a mobile number that diverts to another mobile number...<br/><br/>When we arrived, they had no details of our booking, we ordered and 45 minutes later out drinks came out, 20 minutes later our food followed. There was no more than 12 people in there.<br/><br/>Pizza was bland and tasteless...

Need some "different" Whisky. Went here for a whisky tasting and had fun, albeit slightly squashed in. Nibbles were fine and our whisky guide tried hard. Chocolate pizza is gold. You need to have a more structured approach to your tasting. I.e. by region etc and explain a little more. I know my scotch but even I felt it was light on details. Our host was a great guy and told some good stories, some of which were true :-) Also have a dedicated whisky menu split by region, country etc. Get one stereotypical whisky from each region and have the tasters taste the difference. Have a script and a map don't wing it. You'll have fun here and the cocktails are good as are the craft beers for after the tasting.

Best cocktails we have ever had !. Me and my partner came here last Saturday night and we both loved how funky & fun the venue was with great service and amazingly tasty cocktails. The pizza and curly fries were really outstanding so credit to the chef on that as he/she did amazing job putting it all together with the perfect combination of flavors.<br/>The music really keeps the vibe of the place alive and makes you want to stay for as long as you can as it really is fitting on the venues style.<br/>We will be back here again and well done on everything.

"Cocktails and comfort food". This place is not what you'd expect on Smith Street! The cocktail selection is huge and the Espresso Martini is one of the best I've had in Melbourne. Hands down. This is my new spot!

Awesome Cocktails....Great Atmosphere....Amazing Staff!. Love this place! Great fit out and atmosphere....plus these lovely bunch of guys know how to make amazing cocktails! The Caramel Margarita is a must! <br/>Highly Recommend this place!

Really cool outdoor courtyard, great service and music!

My partner enjoyed his cocktail (sweet Pete) and said it tasted exactly as it sounded. I didn't enjoy mine - it was called Hurricane. Very liquids and bland. The barmaid said she would come back to see what we think. But she didn'tq. I wouldn't return.

Tip to owner. Your 'chef' is serving store bought product. Guacamole & pesto.<br/>Tip for 'chef': it's cheaper & not very difficult (if you are a chef or accomplished cook) to make either of these items with skill, knowledge, internet & a good food processor.

???. Unfortunately, the food, service & beverages did not match the lovely décor.

Superb cocktails, friendly service and I love the outdoor courtyard out the back.

Absolutely adored this charming bar - swoon-worthy cocktails - and when I felt like a mocktail after a while, the lovely obliging bartender came up with the most INCREDIBLE one with the subtle taste of almonds, maraschino cherries, fresh orange and pineapple - what bliss! The tapas was of high quality and excellent taste. Husband and I will be back, including for the awesome music!! Thanks for a great evening :-))

When a place accepts a booking for 15 people days before and then cancels it when people are arriving on the day, it's not the best feeling for a friend for her birthday drinks. This is what Habitat did. They gave the reservation to someone else and said that they lost my mate's number and couldn't let her know. So it's when an attendee arrived at the door 5 minutes before the reservation and was turned away, nothing was done by Habitat: the least they could have done was to keep the reservation or find another place to accommodate the group. Terrible! Thanks to Southpaw for fixing Habitat's f*ck up.

What­ever your thoughts on return­ing to Smith Street out­side, Habi­tat is worth check­ing out. With its moody light­ing, low booths, cock­tails, cool vibes, warm ambi­ence and sto­ries about moths, it’s a lounge for hav­ing a sophis­ti­cated good time. A date night? A sophis­ti­cated night of perus­ing the cock­tail list instead of guz­zling beer out of jugs? Maybs. Most probs. In any case, the cock­tails are superb, and it’s cold outside.