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Let Us Après: the Best Fun You Can Have in Mt Buller With Your Skis Off
Written by Paul Chai
Mt Buller is known as Melbourne’s Mountain due to its proximity to the Victorian capital but with pop-up container bars, bluesy basement speakeasies and fine French diners it also channels the city’s party spirit.
As if Mt Buller didn’t already have some of the best apres-ski in the High Country, this year the mountain is celebrating 100 years of skiing. On July 6, 1924, seven hardy mountain types formed the Ski Club of Victoria and hiked to the Mt Buller summit before gliding down the snow-covered mountain.
A century later, the village is packed with high-end dining, bulging burgers and cocktail bars that are waiting to welcome skiiers and snowboarders after a day of the slopes.
We look at some of the best Mt Buller has to offer to high-country partygoers:
Twilight sessions
When the snow is good and the daytime crowd thins out, one of the best après ski activities is… to keep on skiing. After the official ski day ends, Bourke Street lights up for the twilight sessions and it is a great time to get a few more runs in before things wrap up at 8.30pm.
Le Roof
On top of Arlberg House, which has been housing skiers since 1958, is a new rooftop activation with shipping container bars, craft cocktails and fire drums to keep your extremities warm. This is the perfect spot to watch the twilight (or daytime) skiing or to slide into straight off the Bourke Street slopes for a quick refresher.
Villager
Located in the village just around the corner from the base of Bourke Street, Villager is a sophisticated space with wooden “houses” running along the centre of the room where diners can sit down with family and friends over a classic French bistro meal. This season, while Villager will be keeping classics like snails, organic Hazeldene chicken cotoletta and Café De Paris steak frites, they will also have new dishes from Tom Collins group executive chef Brad Cunningham (formerly of Ottolenghi) and head chef Nick Cree (formerly of Supernormal), including a cured ocean trout salad, scotched egg Caesar, and a Buller Fried Chicken “BFC” burger. Little Villager downstairs will continue to provide raclette, soups and pies during the day.
Moosehead Whisky and Blues Bar
Warming fireside cocktails by the fire, live blues on stage and more whisky than a Scottish wedding reception, Moosehead has livened up the basement at ABOM for the past few years with its simple speakeasy recipe of great drinks in a cosy setting. Saturday nights, live blues fill the corner stage and every night there are great bar snacks on offer. A must-visit spot on the après-ski trail.
Kooroora Hotel
The clatter of ski boots and clinking of beer mugs has gone hand-in-hand at the Kooroora since 1953. With the old beer barn being demolished a few years ago the new pub might look a little different, but it is still a great spot for a beer or wine at the end of a long day of mountainside fun. The downstairs nightclub keeps things going ’til late.
Spurs Smokehouse
For some après-while you are still skiing, head to the DJ deck on Spurs for great music, excellent food from the huge, custom-built Iron Maiden smokers and plenty of options for a mid-slopes “schnappy” hour. Located next to the Northside Express chairlift, Spurs is the on-snow après centre but you can also find daytime fun and food at Tirol and Koffler
The writer was a guest of Mt Buller.
Looking for more travel inspiration? Check out The Best Things to Do with Kids in Melbourne.
