Boothby. Melbourne is the weekly briefing from drinks writer Fred Siggins, unpacking what’s happening in Melbourne’s bars (and what you can learn from them), sent every Tuesday to your inbox. Get on the list here.
In this briefing:
- a first look at Privé from Edition Hospitality;
- what to expect from the drinks menu;
- why prestige restaurant groups have picked up where hotels could not;
- the recipe for the Privé take on the Turf Club Martini from its opening menu.
The ornate, gothic revival style Melbourne Safe Deposit Building on the corner of Collins and Queen Streets was originally built to protect the riches accrued from the Victorian gold fields. And while the impressive tilework and pointed arch windows remain, these vaults now hold a gem of another kind. Privé is the new bar from Edition Hospitality and the first dedicated cocktail venue in their portfolio, which includes French fine-diner Reine & La Rue (located in the same gothic complex of former bank buildings), Florentino and NOMAD. I was there on Thursday evening for their first service open to the public.
Pushing your way through the heavy, carved wood double doors, the grandeur of the place is palpable. But the bar itself is cosy, tucked into a side room off the building’s main hallway and warmly lit, with high ceilings, muted pink marble and dark wood paneling. The blue-jacketed staff are attentive and professional, and this has to be one of least chaotic opening night’s I’ve ever witnessed.
The cocktail list includes a page each of aperitifs, signature drinks, martinis and digestifs, as well as three non-alcoholic cocktails, suggesting that while this venue is intended as a bar in its own right, it’s also very much designed to support the next door restaurant as a spot for before and after dinner libations. The Rêverie cocktail based on Sauternes (the prestigious white dessert wine from France) catches my eye. I’ve never seen a cocktail based on this wine before, but I love the idea. Dylan Field behind the bar explains that it’s basically a cobbler with Sauternes instead of sherry, and the refreshing, complex and low-abv result is an ideal way to start the evening.
But I need something stronger to cut through my rich duck liver parfait, beautifully presented on a bed of burnt orange marmalade, so opt for the Turf Club Martini on the menu (Harry Johnson’s Bartenders’ Manual, 1900), one of three on offer. Privé’s take includes plum eau de vie along with the traditional Plymouth gin, maraschino, absinthe and orange bitters for a velvety, fruit-forward, aromatic and sweet rendition that managed to retain enough crisp dryness to still do the essential Martini thing.
Photos from Privé's opening evening. Photo: Fred Siggins
Other bar snacks include panisse (fried batons of chickpea batter) with aioli, and oysters with choucroute (French sauerkraut) and smoked sausage, but I’ll definitely be back for the wagyu French dip sandwich with raclette. I can’t wait to return on another cold Melbourne night to try the Après-Ski cocktail, too, dreaming of the French Alps as I sip this hot chocolate spiked with Chartreuse and Armagnac.
I asked Edition’s group bar manager, Felix Woods, how this drinks program here differs from the bars he’s already running at the group’s restaurants. “We’ve got a lot more licence with Privé,” he says. “In a restaurant, the drinks should be in service of the food, but in a cocktail bar, that's inverted, with the food backing up the drinks. I started on the list a few months out, with the concept being classically structured cocktails with minimal prep and an emphasis on smaller, high quality, French producers,” he says.
“At that point, our bar manager Dylan Field came into the process and started switching out my place holder drinks with the real deal,” Felix explains. “The two of us went back and forth tasting, tweaking, costing, etc. until we were happy.”
Working with Dylan and seeing him transform his “half-baked ideas into real drinks,” has been the most fun aspect of the project, according to Felix. “I'm staunchly of the old school, where Dylan brings a lot of modern culinary technique to the table. That creative tension has produced some pretty delicious results.”
Australia’s hotel bars have never quite reached the level of places like London and Hong Kong, despite our excellent cocktail culture and abundance of talent behind the bar. It’s a shame because there’s a certain style of service, an easy luxury, a feeling of old-world charm that only such venues, often thanks to practically unlimited budgets, can achieve. Until recently, it felt like something Melbourne was lacking.
But thankfully our prestige restaurant groups are stepping in to finally fill that gap. Privé joins the likes of Bar Ferdinand and Apollo Inn that represent a new breed of Melbourne cocktail bar focused on classic cocktails, outstanding service and accessible luxury, backed by some of the most influential hospitality businesses in the city. In 2026, it seems, having an outstanding classic cocktail bar attached to your restaurant empire is the flex de jure. It’s a trend I hope to see continue, and will happily drink the results.
Privé’s Turf Club Martini
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2oz Plymouth gin
- 3/4oz Dolin dry vermouth
- 2 dashes saline solution
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 1 dash absinthe
- 1 bar spoon of blue plum eau de vie
- 1 bar spoon Luxardo maraschino
- 1 bar spoon White Possum maraschino
Method
- Stir over ice and serve straight up in a chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with a green Sicilian olive.
Recipe from Privé, Melbourne.
Around the Bars
Bon anniversaire! Speaking of France-adjacent cocktails, Babine’s, the best little French bar on Smith St, celebrated its second birthday on July 13th with a party that included guests from likeminded bars Waxflower, Bar Selecta, Daisy in Geelong and Jackalope on the Mornington Peninsula. I’m stoked to see these guys still going strong after two years in tough trading conditions, so happy birthday to the two Juliens and their team! They do some of the best cocktails and the best bar food in Melbourne, all with humility and an eye to sustainability, so if you haven’t had the pleasure, allez!
Orange you glad I didn’t say ‘banana’? To celebrate the launch of their blood orange-cello, you’re invited to gin producer Sundays Distilling’s first ever trade masterclass on Tuesday the 4th of August at Inuman from 2:30-4pm. There will be welcome drinks, snacks and special cocktails provided, as well as a tasting of the Sundays range and drinks specials from 4pm onwards. RSVP to alejandro@sundaysdistilling.com by the 31st of July to secure a spot.
Got an event to promote or news to share? Let me know! Email your news and tips to editorial@boothby.com.au and we’ll put the good stuff right here.
