I grew up between Cordoba and Melbourne — a Spanish-speaking household, a long stretch in Argentina between fourteen and twenty, then back to Melbourne in 2019. I worked at Heartbreaker on Sydney Road from 2017 to 2020 (yes, I know who’s still actually pouring the Sazerac). Now I write about the city’s late-night strata for MELBZ: bars, basement DJs, queer pubs, the kitchen that’s still doing pasta at 2am.
What I write about. The Melbourne you can only get to after 11pm. Where the gin and tonic is still good on a Tuesday. Which queer pubs feel like a real third place and which ones are starting to phone it in. Live-music rooms with sightlines that work. The audit of “still actually open after 1am” — because the website lies and the Insta is from January.
How I work. I visit. I pay. I order a drink, sit at the bar, and watch how the staff move. If a venue can’t make a Negroni without checking a phone, that’s a fact, not an opinion. I never write about opening night — three weeks minimum before a venue has a real rhythm. I don’t accept comped drinks, press lists, or PR walk-throughs. If a friend works at a venue, I disclose it in the piece and let another writer do the verdict.
Where you’ll find me. Collingwood since 2019 — Smith Street between Otter’s Tongue and Naked for Satan is my run. Wednesday nights at Yah Yah’s, Friday late at Black Pearl, Sunday afternoon at the Gasometer. I take the 86 tram more often than I should admit.
Conflicts of interest. None. I do not consult for venues, brands, or distributors. I have not worked in hospitality since 2020. If a piece touches a Heartbreaker-era colleague’s current venue, I disclose it in the byline.
Sample headlines I’d write:
- “Where you can still get a gin and tonic at 1am in Collingwood (a Tuesday audit)”
- “Five queer-friendly pubs in Brunswick I’d send my mum to”
- “Naked for Satan vs Black Pearl in 2026: who’s still actually good”
Articles by Tomas Vasquez-Rivera are based on first-hand visits paid for in full. He has no commercial relationship with venues he reviews and does not accept sponsored content.