23 Oct Pixel Alley, Fitzroy

Full of 80s vibe, Pixel Alley brings the concept of barcades to Fitzroy. Iconic retro games are the inspiration for the pixel art paintwork, knick knacks and arcade games available for button bashing. Shot glasses look like lego and drink tumblers are adorned with life hearts. Donkey Kong, Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat 2, Pac-man and Daytona are just a few of the machines on offer. I even tried my hand at pinball for the first time in real life (obviously very different from the Space Cadet and Super Android pinball I used to play as a kid on the computer).

The cocktail list is similarly inspired by games, featuring drinks like the Konky Dong, which is a rum banana milkshake, and the popular Pacman Bubble Tea with lychee vodka, lime, ginger beer, and lychee ‘boba powerpellets’. The beers list and specials board proudly displays the high scores achieved by its patrons – if you beat one you get a free beer. For the hungry, Jerk Food Truck is currently serving up food on the second floor.

Evie’s Sherry Navvy ($16) Tio Pepe Dry Sherry, Pimm’s, Orange, Lemon, Blackberries

Jacob’s Gin Sling-blade ($16) Bombay London Dry Gin, Lemon, English Marmalade, Soda

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate launched today, and to celebrate, the mixologists at Pixel Alley created two bespoke cocktails based on the personalities of the two playable characters and the setting of the game i.e. Victorian London. I started with Evie’s Sherry Navvy, a twist on a sherry cobbler, and a mix of dry sherry, Pimms, orange, lemon and blackberries. This was followed with Jacob’s Gin Sling-blade, based on the Sling. It was a mix of lemonade, Bombay London Dry Gin, English marmalade and soda. The Gin Sling-blade was more tart than the smoother, slightly sweeter Sherry Navvy.

The inner gamer within me smiled when a pair sitting next to me broke out a deck of trading cards and proceeded to play a brief game before departing. It’s fun and lively inside, and there’s so much charm and nostalgia here. Pixel Alley offers something a bit different to Melbourne’s bar scene, and are certainly plenty of people lapping it up.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Pixel Alley as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own and not influenced by them in any way

Pixel Alley
95 Smith Street
Fitzroy, VIC, 3065
(03) 9416 0079
pixelalley.com.au