Eau de Vie
Sydney’s best cocktail bar gives Melbourne a stir
Look out Melbourne, Sydney is staking its flag in our cocktail arena with the opening of an Eau de Vie to call our very own. Officially, we’re calling it EDV Melbourne.
Tucked down an unassuming laneway (as any great Melbourne bar should), the pedigree behind this venue is impeccable – and what a little show pony it’s going to be.
It’s a very manly place to inhabit: all dark, polished wood and soft leathers, punctuated by bright prints of Todd White’s iconic expressionist art. The whisky room is especially so, hidden behind a sliding door painted to look like a library wall. In here, you can lock away rare bottles of grog in your very own cubby and keep the key for easy access for when you want to slip in and take a nip.
The emphasis is heavy on bar theatre. ‘The Noble Experiment’ is essentially a martini, but you’ll find the bartenders donning goggles and white gloves as they chill the glass to perfection in a plume of liquid nitrogen before serving you a Ketel One vodka or Tanqueray gin martini mixed to your exact taste.
The group drinks are also a sight to behold, particularly the ‘Lady’s Leg Cosmopolitan’ for four. Creamy cranberry sorbet is the base for this twist on the classic, served in an antique 1930s cocktail shaker shaped like a (to-scale!) replica of a lady’s leg, complete with a silver high heel and affectionately dubbed the Heather Mills. Ladies only.
Running the kitchen is Fluffy (we didn’t ask), joining the team from his position as sous chef at MoVida. His modern Australian menu is great grazing fare, featuring lots of brandy and liqueur sauces, intending to be a perfect match to the cocktail offerings.
In fact, so intent is the EDV Melbourne crew at encouraging food-cocktail pairings that they will soon be launching cocktail degustation dinners. Seated at a custom-made communal table with a mother of a built-in ice bucket, guests will be treated to a five-course extravaganza of food and booze. Running Wednesday to Saturday nights, you can simply buy tickets for yourself and a guest and join a group of randoms for dinner and cocktails. Don’t plan to drive home.
Go soon, before the rest of the city catches on.
Where: 1 Malthouse Ln, Melbourne CBD
Hours: 7 days, from 5pm
Bookings: 0412 825 441
Details: eaudevie.com.au
