Highlander Bar, Melbourne

Let me preface this blog with the fact that it’s a Friday night in Melbourne. The energy is building, the music is just loud enough that you need to throw your voice, and people are filing in looking for a seat. They’re wondering when I’m going to put my laptop away and free up the table, and the quiet section nearby is about to get noisy – a function’s due at six o’clock.

All of that aside – and I’ve spent years writing amongst chaos, so I must confess none of this bothers me – the place is great. It’s got a great feel to it. There are suede purple seats, deep brown furnishings, exposed brick walls and a dark floor tiles. Shanks are on special tonight, but I went for the pop corn chicken appetiser and house sav blanc. The chicken would be great if it were cooked through, but the forked toothpicks are keeping my fingers and keyboard clean.

There’s a function being set up upstairs and I’m tucked in the corner being nodded at by nine-to-fivers in suits and ties.

I like the exposed support beams the most. It adds a subtle distinction to the room.

I can’t explain the single red light, nor guess who’s responsible for the playlist. A moment ago the speakers were clicking and shooting their way through a song whose rhythm was gunfire, now they’re throbbing with that generic kind of house trance that could be one song or three.

Mirrors and empty frames line the walls and there are candles behind the bar. The street front’s nice, it really draws you in, and I imagine that during the week this place is far calmer than what I’m currently experiencing. Conversation is a constant thrum, occasionally interrupted by a boisterous laugh or an indignant exclamation, but I’m tuning it out well enough.

Not the right place to write for someone who needs a high table – I’ve got my elbows on my thighs to type this – or someone who needs a chair with a back. There are a lot of cube seats, and I imagine you need to get here early to secure one of the intimate booths. If you can block out the noise, or you can visit here during the week, I would recommend the trip. Otherwise, succumb to the environment, embrace the distractions, and recognise that a Friday night in the city is likely to yield these kind of circumstances.

That said, I’m going to get started on the whole point of this evening: I’m going to write my book. Even though a rapper is growling about fools and porn stars.

Click here to learn more about the venue.