We have very fond memories of playing arcade games in our younger years. But in our prime we can’t help but think a good drop would go nicely with a game of Donkey Kong. The team behind Lily Blacks, Mr. Wow’s, Los Barbudos, and Double Happiness has brought the two together, like many an American bar before them, in their latest venture Pixel Alley.
Tucked in below Mr. Wow’s Emporium on Smith Street, this small bar is filled to the brim with almost 100 arcade games. Think anything from Pac-Man to Pinball Action to Donkey Kong. And yes, there are shooting games with fake guns and driving games with fake cars.
@pixelalley
Keeping in the theme, the cocktails are named and designed to sit perfectly alongside a night of playing games. The Konkey Dong is a mix of barrel aged rum, banana, oat milk, banana liqueur, honey, and cinnamon, while the Pac-Man Bubble Tea is a combination of lychee vodka, lime, ginger beer, and lychee boba power pellets. Beer is mainly in cans (aside from the Bastard Son Pale Ale on tap), with Budweiser, Moritz, Pirate Life, and Sapporo. Wine drinkers are catered for with eight wines by the glass and bottle like the Innocent Bystander Syrah, or the Oakridge Chardonnay.
The interior, filled with pixelated art hand drawn by illustrator Justine McAllister from Sketchet Illustration, is as fun and laid back as you’d want it to be. Don’t be surprised if you sign up for one game and spend the night trying to beat your top score.
Pixel Alley
95 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Tuesday – Friday, 4pm – 1am, Saturday, 2pm – 1am, Sunday 2pm – 11pm
www.pixelalley.com.au
