Portello Rosso: 15 Warburton Lane, Melbourne, VIC (03) 9602 2273 or contact@portellorosso.com.au Photo: Corey Sleap Nestled in a laneway in the old merchant district of Melbourne’s CBD, Murmur has been quietly bubbling away for four years with positive word-of-mouth recommendations ensuring the first-floor Cuba-inspired cocktail bar happily ticks over. While Murmur built up a following,
Like everyone else, I was sickened to hear that a young chap was kicked to within an inch of his life outside the QBH nightclub in Melbourne’s Southbank district back in early September. The poor bloke later died in hospital and the thugs responsible were charged. My disgust turned into disbelief when I caught the
Cocktails & Dreams Nightclub: Orchid Avenue, Surfers Paradise (07) 5592 1955 or www.cocktailsnightclub.com.au Cocktails & Dreams on the Gold Coast has opened its VIP bar: CD’s. Aiming to attract an upmarket crowd, the club lays out a red carpet to the entrance with lavish black drapes framing the walkway and a smart dress code is
Bosisto’s Liquor Bar: 318 Bridge Rd, Richmond VIC (03) 9428 6888 or www.mrbosisto.com It’s ‘goodbye Asia, hello Europe’ for the team behind Double Happiness and New Gold Mountain. Like most savvy operators, they’re always looking for something new to sink their teeth into. Seeing an opportunity for a boutique venue on Bridge Road, Richmond, the
Siglo: Level 2, 161 Spring St, Melbourne (03) 9654 6300 The Melbourne Supper Club has been a late-night quaffing institution going on 10 years now. It’s Con Christopoulos’ baby, and the sibling to The European — the adjacent bistro he established around the same time. Since those formative days he’s taken on the tenancy of
The Undertaker: 329 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn VIC (03) 9818 3944 or www.theundertaker.com.au After a healthy lifespan of three years — making Undertaker about the ripe old age of a half-century in hospitality years — Olivia Frawley and family decided to bury the old design and layout, and resurrect the venue with a touch of Melbourne
Sofitel Brisbane: (07) 3835 3535 or www.sofitelbrisbane.com.au Sofitel is upping the ante. The primo French hotel chain is giving its brand a polish, thanks to a name change (Sofitel Luxury Hotels) and a regime of oo-la-la refits. The Sofitel Brisbane is one of the more recent to benefit from a makeover, $7m worth to be
Verde Restaurant and Bar: corner Stanley & Riley Sts, East Sydney NSW (02) 9380 8877 or info@verde.net.au I can’t imagine anyone doubting the authenticity of Verde Restaurant and Bar — it’s as Italian as an Azzurri, Ferrari and Sophia Loren pizza. Owned by Antonio Ruggerino, Louie Kallas and Vince Squillace, the three cousins from Calabria
Maedaya Bar: 400 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC (03) 9428 3918 Toshi Maeda grew up in the province of Hyogo, Japan, famous for having the best sake rice. For the last 10 years, he has based himself in Australia, while touring the world with punk rock group Mach Pelican. Realising that his motherland’s sake wasn’t widely
Loungueville Hotel: 80 Longueville Road, Lane Cove NSW |(02) 94272021 or www.loungevillehotel.com Longueville Hotel engaged Marchese + Partners to complete the $3.5m refurbishment of the existing hotel including the public bar, lounge, restaurant and kitchen areas, and the addition of an extensive outdoor deck area. The deck area has a range of seating options with