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Funeral parlour to watering hole... Return of the Living SchoonerHead! 11/04/2008 Kinselas has always been a happen'n place, with a relaxed atmosphere and great mix of clientele. Over the last couple of years there has been a few subtle transformations to the street level speak-easy, which helped to capture the looming features of this grand old funeral home - yes, the architectural design is actually surprisingly stunning once you take the time to look past the low lighting and smoky haze, and being a heritage-listed site as well its lucky they've got something cool to work with. There's also the cavernous 3rd level nightclub space that has been resting dormant for nigh on the last 10 years, and according to the management may well see a come-back in the near future.
On a cold Wednesday, there's only a few small groups hanging around, and there's a lot of comfortable leather to choose from to kick back and watch tv or channel V, or just go in and hit the pokies in the adjacent room. And its a nice surprise to be greeted with friendly staff, which is something you grow not to expect from mid-city bars.
Its almost always open, and that's the cool thing about the place. If you can picture it, Kinselas is like the hub of the city... in the middle of all the social activity, and at the same time on the edge where gay meets straight, hip meets bum (although they are usually chilling out on Gilligan's Island in Taylor Square than finding a pitcher of beer inside), and most other social dichotomies you could imagine. There's a friend of mine who's favourite pick-up spot is the time-honoured leather couch at the front window, where if he hangs out all night there as he's wont to do, he can 'hook' up with a social plethora of girls in each single night! That's just to say that Kinselas has always been an interesting and attractive place, and seems to attract any kind of person you might hope to meet.
Middle Bar upstairs is open Friday through Sunday and sports a sleek cocktail lounge and a dancefloor opening out to the balcony looking over Taylor Square - not to mention its reputation for letting its flairing staff loose to entertain the crowd. With a selection of house and electrofunk tunes, it has a long history of pleasing the patrons with a great list of wines and cocktails, its stylish atmosphere and decor, and the circus antics in the bar.
