Unashamedly upmarket, the glamorous Society restaurant’s bar is all turbo-charged luxury, from signature caviar Martinis to vintage spirits and vintage Champagne by the glass.
The Melbourne bar scene is best known for small, quirky watering holes in laneways and basements so The Lounge Bar, large, luxurious and located at one of the city’s premium addresses, can seem like it dropped in from another planet. Or from Manhattan or Tokyo, at least. Attached to Society, the ultra-luxe new restaurant from Chris Lucas of Chin Chin fame, The Lounge strikes a similarly swanky pose, deliberately and unashamedly upmarket, from the quality of its glassware and the charm of its table service to the plushly upholstered banquettes, the dark glitter of its mirrored ceiling and the shimmer of the dark marble wrapping the entire bar.
Behind that bar you’ll find Orlando Marzo, recipient of the World’s Best Bartender award in 2018 and one of Melbourne’s finest cocktail artists. His pared-back, exquisitely tuned collection of cocktails are a must for anyone wanting to know what “next level” truly means. Even the humble Bloody Mary, the much-loved morning-after saviour, is elevated to art here with a mix that includes celery seed-infused vodka, Marsala, tomato, basil, miso and chilli. The Lounge will do that to a drink, and to a night. It’s all about expensive indulgence – a heightened space in which to impress and splurge, celebrate and congratulate. And don’t we all deserve a little bit of the lush life from time to time?
