New Bar: White Charlie Cocktail Lounge

The Deck of Secrets team have uncovered a new venue to join the Chapel Street party - White Charlie Cocktail Lounge in Prahran. "Standout features include a glamorous specially commission wall mural of the Melbourne skyline surrounding the dancefloor, and a open-roofed terrace smack bang in the middle of the venue – perfect for sultry summer nights." Click here for a full review of the bar/restaurant/club hybrid or visit the official website.

Police powers increased

Friday onwards, Police will have the ability to ban people for 24 hours in the precincts of Fitzroy, St Kilda, Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool for being drunk and disorderly. For more serious offences Police can apply for a court-order banning individuals from an entertainment zone for up to a year. The move follows on from the successful testing in Melbourne's CBD and Prahran. People banned for 24 hours won't incur a criminal conviction and the infringement will be excluded from a criminal history check. Breaching a 24-hour ban carries a penalty of up to $2,202. The measures are intended to reduce alcohol-related crime, The Age believes this move could signal an end to the existing lockout measures.

Source: The Australian & The Age

New Review: Revolver Upstairs

Clem Bastow meets the Chapel Street institution Revolver Upstairs for her most recent Epicure reivew. "Split between the band room, back bar, and Thai restaurant, Revolver is one of those venues that very much suits a turn-up-for-dinner-and-leave-at-breakfast sort of evening's entertainment." Click here for the full review.