SPEAKEASY…*

America 1922 was party crazy, and a new class of entrepreneurs were coming through, and the ban on the sale of alcohol birthed illegal speakeasy bars which gave birth to cocktails designed to cover the taste of cheap contraband liquor. Today is not all that different, and if you are seeking a night with vintage chandeliers, tables and crystal bathed in candlelight, sleek, refined with classic taste, style and all the glamour the 20’s are known for – then this list is for you.

EAU DE VIE

EDV is an ‘intimate dimly lit jazz infused speakeasy created for the discerning bon vivant’. This is a promise they do not fall short of. A proper 20’s prohibition style speakeasy located behind an unmarked door in Malthouse Lane, its hard to find a place better than this: shaking, freezing with liquid nitrogen or setting drinks on fire in the luxe parlour served in glassware fit for Gatsby is the treatment to expect. It’s all about waistcoats, liquors and jazz here.

THE EVERLEIGH

Taken straight from the golden age decor, this is the home of the cocktail elite –  an American syle speakeasy nestled in a hidden entrance off Gertrude St in Fitzroy. Everything in the venue is perfect. The glinting vintage chandeliers illuminate the main bar, shadowy booths flickering with candlelight, the Elk Room’s dimly lit deer busts, peacock feathers and Chesterfields are only the start. The menu is short, sharp and classic, made by some of the best mixologists in the city. Balanced and refined, seductive and alluring. This is the new vintage modern.

BAR AMPERE

The ’20s were the era of Art Deco, and Bar Ampere in Russell Place is a Chrysler Building-esque marvel. This venue, to understand it if you’re not au fait with socio-political movements circa 1930, is based on Futurism – a movement who focus was on the future. Ampère: create a modern bar based on a past era that was obsessed with the future. Italian Futurist philosophy permeate the menu and dominate the décor. Whether you are sipping an espresso at 7am, or finishing the night with a cocktail at 3am, there is a venue that has to be experienced.

EAU DE VIE

1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne VIC 3000

THE EVERLEIGH:
1/150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065

BAR AMPERE:

16 Russell Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000

101* it will make quite a dint in your wallet, but is worth every penny, if you do it right…