Review Robot Bar - Melbourne

By Andy

I've been here a few times and the bar is really cool, it's a shame the owner has no people skills. He was extremely rude to me and my friends and yelled us for accidentally sitting in the neighbouring shops chairs. He also served a regular customer that came up to the bar after us and we were clearly waiting to be served for a while, at the same time looking frustrated that we were even there asking for a drink or being there. If you read the reviews below you'll see a lot of people mention the same thing, It's a shame as the bar set out is very cool and cosy, I feel like he should hire other staff or learn to not be so unpleasant. A little baffled how this place still has 4.4 stars overall. I don't think I'll go back here from a few bad experiences so far.

Stanley Ye

Definitely my go to bar on a night out for pre-drinks. The chilled house sake represents good value at $18, you get about 7 shots worth. It's a nice cosy bar with limited seating and some outdoor seating with heaters. The beer is a bit on the pricey side, I purchased one Asahi and Coedo for $26. The only criticisms I will say are: - There's no tap beer - I've been here at least ten times and it's always the owner that's present, which isn't an issue but can lead to him running around during busy times and this can lead to a delay in your drink being made. Would recommend and keep coming back though!

Brad Ellis

Cool little bar, the couple cocktails we had were delicious

James Dickson

Great bartender/owner, makes excellent cocktails, with beer on offer as well as a quality array of sake. I can't claim to be a sake connoisseur but it was easily the best sake I've ever had. Small, cosy but modern venue with ground floor seating as well as a mezzanine, from which you can better enjoy the Anime projected on the wall every Tuesday night at 9pm (get there early with a small enough crowd and you might be able to choose the show as well).

Auri

Went in here for a quick night cap, quickly turned into a lovely evening talking to the regulars and the owner. Highly recommend as a well priced, well maintained, and friendly establishment. Fully deserving of the 5 stars.

Kevin Nguyen

I love this place, such a chilled and cool bar. Anime on the projector and a range of Japanese beers to any cool cocktails. Bartenders are so down to earth.

Lynne Liu

The owner (staff) is very rude and horrible. If you are not a customer, the staff literally don’t allow you to stand in front of their store and will chase you away. The owner says that “I can’t let you stand here because there is construction”, but he let his customer to sit there. The way he treats other people is insane.

Erhan kırmızı

It is really nice Japanese bar. You can find good Japanese sake

Willtravelforfood17

Came here for a quick drink after dinner with a friend whilst they were still open. Love the cool, funky vibe and the drinks were yummy. A great place to hang out.

Two Sheds

3.6 for mine. Very Melbourne place - a modern Japanese bar. Very Melbourne location - tucked away discretely down a narrow lane, Bligh Place. It’s a fun little place inside with lots of interesting objects to look at. Very quirky. We came here for a pre dinner drink because it sounded like a place that needed finding. We were first in at 5.15pm just after opening. We were nicely greeted by a pleasant and animated server and had the cocktails explained in detail and then ordered. We had Smokey Robot Oil and a Clockwork Orange. Both were very good cocktails. We loved the Smokey Robot Oil. I adore that rich peaty Isle of Islay flavour. This cocktail has it through the inclusion of Ardbeg, not as good as Laphroaig in my view but still pretty fine. The drambui, amaretto and other additions work well. It’s an excellent cocktail. Rich and chocolatey with wonderful character. Nice little bar. Worth checking out.

ElCompass

Great cozy bar tucked away in a typical Melbourne laneway. Have been many times and it never disappoints. Staff is great and plenty of drinks options. Came here with a friend and sat by the bar. Loved the dimmed red lighting around the bar. Definitely must check out if you are visiting Melbourne!

KnowingMelbourne

Love this cute little bar in a lane way in Melbourne. It’s tiny, so don’t expect it to be bustling, but it’s quiet and quaint and perfect for a few beers with friends or work colleagues.

Good Food Good Mood

Came for a quick after work cocktail with a friend who was visiting from overseas. I was impressed with the array of options of gin and vodka for my martini sourced from all over the world and at all different price points (although I did think Hendrick's at $25 was a little steep). My friend was happy with her selection of Japanese beer (and the wifi). The atmosphere was high on novelty factor with anime on a projector screen. I enjoyed the quirkiness but it's probably more suited to those who are actually into that sort of thing as far as a return trip goes. Cool spot to check out for something different

Flytonewyork

With a cool collection of sake and Japanese drinks I felt the izakaya vibe from my times travelling Tokyo, great place for a group of friends after some cheap drinks.

RoamingEats

Bar deep in a laneway, that's the Melbourne way. Only been here for pre-dinner drinks and while the venue's pretty quiet, it's still very enjoyable. They've got a good list of suggested cocktails and the place is dimly lit (great for date nights). The only negative is that they have those large windows that fully open and you can totally smell cigarette smoke from the outside tables.

Piyarat Pinthong

We had drink Chichibunishiki was really nice Sake. Place was sooo great and comfortable, staff was great either.. good take care. Thank you so much :)

Petal Loves Food

I brought my sister's visiting in-laws to have a meal at Robot Bar. We were keen to try the espresso martini which uses Liquid Black Coffee beans. It was lovely, smooth coffee.. and I got tipsy very quickly. The Chicken Ramen's broth was also so clear and meat cooked just to perfection. One of the smoothest- cooked Chicken Breast meats I had in Melbourne. Thanks!

Pinna_is

If you like sake and retro little bars that are super snug with great ambience, not too loud (hard to find!), then totally need to pay a visit to this joint.

Ben To

I remember coming here 14 years, so it's been open at least that long. I've been several times since and it's never disappointed. The quirky and inviting ambience is the shinning star here.

FoodHedonist

Contrary to the name, this place is actually quite cosy. I like the food options to go with drinks. However, flavor wise food is average, but over all a decent place for food and drinks. Also you can play games which i couldn't because of my friend, but i would like to return to give it a shot :D I have rated it higher for the offer all experience and creativity.

Oreo Ninja

Comfy place. Nice and chill. Hardly ever crowded. Cocktail are tasty and the ramen restaurant across the road (Mugen) is run by the same owner, so you can order and have the meals sent across. Tuesday nights have anime showings. Really surprised there aren't more anime enthusiasts in the CBD.

ReneeRainbows

Nice quiet spot with a casual atmosphere. Nice selection of cocktails and sake. Very good place to wind down at night. The robot theme is quirky and not overdone.

Happy Kath

Be warned. The saki here is the full on real deal & it well get you well smashed before you even realise it! Lovely quirky bar. I always enjoy the patrons here, a great cross section of people come here & that diversity creates an enjoyable atmosphere

DEX

A hip little bar in the CBD. Found down an alley (where most of the more interesting bars are found in Melbourne). Best place for Japanese beers.

Simon

One of my favourite bars in Melb CBD. Amazing variety of drinks, especially Japanese beers. Enough food to keep you satisfied and cool as vibe.

Facebook User

Awesome place!. Had a couple of drinks with a few friends Saturday night. Reasonable prices; good, quiet location; friendly staff; this place had it all. I would definitely recommend.

This Diner Is Anonymous

One of the best. Absolutely love this bar! Brilliant location, great drinks and lovely service from the staff. It's my go-to for first dates every time. Love your work!

Spoonfuls Of Wanderlust

This is a photoview post (contains mostly photos only). The good? Cute little bar with nice cocktails, and attentive service. The bad? A little on the expensive side (especially for beer).

Eddie

Robot has been around for a while but sticks true to its Jap influence. Come here for a Japanese beer, sake or a cocktail from its interesting and rather unique cocktail list. Or that bit of bar food. Robot won't disappoint and you'll feel like you're somewhere in Tokyo (well I've never been to Tokyo so can only speculate). After heading to Little Red Pocket the week before, the Jap influences reminded me that its been ages since I've been to Robot. The last time might have been my mate's going away back in 2007… quite fittingly he was leaving to go to work in Tokyo. Since then, Robot has had a facelift with a fresh coat of paint. It's facelift has only succeeded in enhancing its character. It still stays true to its Jap influences and you can get anything Jap here. For

Gastrology

The beer is the perfect match for Japanese food, having European complexity as well as Japanese finesse. Infused with the four traditional Japanese botanicals including Konbu, Shiso, Yuzu and Ume, the result is a wonderful new style of beer.

Pau

Awesome japanese bar. Visited here recently with a group of friends - an exciting destination down a sneaky little laneway with a great atmosphere that awaits. Inside /outside area. A few rounds of very nice Japanese whisky was enjoyed after dinner (across the laneway at Japanese Mugen restaurant). Highly recommend ...

Old Mate

These dudes are super knowledgable about all of the things. Had a super good chat with the bartender about Japanese whiskies. A+

CanberraMD

I went to robot on the weekend. I found it to be a really interesting little place, captured the fun and quirkiness about Japan that captivates us all. The staff were very friendly and helpful and gave me lots of tips about the different sake offerings they had in stock. I am unsure about their beer selection, but sake was brilliant, as was their selection of whiskeys

Affogato Addiction

Laneway bar. Cute laneway style bar, that feels very melbourne. A small space with an upstairs, and seating outside. Good range of japanese and aussie beers, though when I was there on a Fri night they had run out of a lot of items. Staff are friendly but some do not have the best knowledge about the beers.