Notorious strip club Kittens faces significant penalties over claims it employed a 16-year-old ward of the state in its cloakroom.

The club is one of several late-night venues across Melbourne facing sanctions over alleged breaches of their liquor licences.

Kittens strip club in South Melbourne.

Nightclubs in South Yarra, Prahran and Windsor also face penalties, including hefty fines and a reduction in trading hours after a recent spate of drug overdoses.

Victoria Police investigated several Chapel Street venues over the weekend as part of an ongoing investigation.