Hey, don’t think that the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is only happening at The Melbourne Town Hall. There are small bars all over town doing official shows including interesting venues like The Newport Bowls Club in the south west to Chapel off Chapel in Prahran to The Mechanics Institute in the northern suburb of Brunswick.
There are also larger Festival Hub venues that are turning themselves over to the Festival and are worth spending an entire evening in, checking out their many shows. A Hub venue usually has more than one room, running shows nearly every night of the week and many have their own late night sampler shows where you can get a taste of many different performers. They all offer drinks to patrons and some have food for sale on the premises, or very close by, so you can hang around all evening.
MICF Hub venues away from the Town Hall precinct include:
The Butterfly Club – Specialises in Cabaret comedy. Has two levels of Bars with colourful kooky dĂ©cor (See featured picture above).
Trades Hall – Has the famous Bella Union bar upstairs and a 2nd bar downstairs, often a pie warmer with yummy little pies & there’s Lygon Street nearby for proper meals. Bella Union Bar also has late night dancing on weekends.
Tuxedo Cat – Has moved closer to Melbourne Central Station since last MICF. 
Has a decent pub bar on each level & a new Burger kitchen/cafe on the ground floor.
The  Tuxedo Cat has an offer that if you turn up on the opening night of any of their shows and there are seats left for that show, you can go in for free and pay at the end what you think the show was worth as you leave (ala Free Fringe).
Imperial Hotel – Is a pub and has a pub restaurant on the ground floor.
The Downstairs Lounge @ The Grand Mercure Hotel – Has a food/drink bar and it’s own cafe at the other end of the hotel.
ACMI – Has ACMIÂ Cafe and Bar open til late every night plus all of Federation Square nearby
Malthouse – Has a Bar and a Cafe as well as a bookshop. The bar has specials for MICF ticket holders.
Greek Centre – Has a cool (if often very busy) rooftop bar with niblies and a Greek burger bar on the ground floor.
Highlander Bar – Is a pub with a lot of character and has scottish themed pub food
Improv Conspiracy – Specialises in Improvisational shows. Informally sells drinks, including wine & beer, & potato chips
The Bull & Bear – Is a pub and sells pub food you can eat on your lap during a show, but probably shouldn’t.