Bucks Party Venues in South Melbourne

How Bucks Party Venues Actually Work

Send the groom off from a rooftop. Main Hall @ Bells Hotel sits above an independently owned pub on Moray Street in South Melbourne and works as a private hall for a big bucks crew.

Downstairs is a working pub with sports bars and a restaurant, so the night can open with a beer at street level before the group heads upstairs.

What the hall gives a bucks night:

A loft-style hall up top, with a retractable roof that opens to the city skyline
A private laneway entrance and lift, so the crew comes and goes without crossing the public bar
Space for a DJ, a private bar and audio-visual equipment for the roast speeches or a video of the groom
Live burger and barbecue stations, pizza and grazing boards to keep a long night fed
Bar tab, cash bar or pay-as-you-go drinks, with canapé packages from $35 per person

The hall is built for a crowd, so for a smaller group of mates it's worth asking about the other event spaces in the same building, which include a rooftop bar and the Hennessy Room.

Numbers: the function pack lists 250 to 300 standing and 150 seated, while the website gives 200 standing and 160 seated
Security: events with more than 65 guests require it, so build it into the budget early
Theming: the black, grey and white fit-out takes whatever the groomsmen have planned
Overflow: the neighbouring Hennessy Lane joins on when numbers climb

Feeding and watering the bucks

Canapé packages run from six to ten pieces a head
For a sit-down start, the kitchen plates an alternate-serve dinner or lays out a shared feast
In the warmer months the kitchen adds a seafood barbecue
A deposit of 30 percent of the agreed minimum spend holds the date

Venues for Bucks Parties, Explained

Can the bucks have the Bells Hotel hall to themselves?

Yes. The Main Hall is a private space with its own bar and its own laneway entrance, and it is offered for exclusive venue hire.

How are drinks paid for at a Bells Hotel bucks party?

Choose a bar tab, a cash bar or pay-as-you-go drinks, depending on whether the groom's mates are shouting or everyone pays their own way.

Can we start with a proper dinner before the party?

Yes. The hall seats 150 to 160, and the in-house kitchen can serve the groom's table a full dinner before the DJ starts.

Where is the venue, exactly?

Bells Hotel is at 157 Moray St, on the corner of Moray and Coventry streets in South Melbourne. The Main Hall is on the roof, reached through a private laneway entrance and lift.