Few venues are equally geared towards fashionistas and meteorologists. But Beverly, a sweeping rooftop eyrie 24 floors above Chapel Street, nails the double threat thanks to its Instagram good looks and the reliable spectacle of Melbourne’s four seasons in one day rolling in across Port Phillip Bay.

“It’s pretty amazing,” says co-owner Cam Northway (of Bondi’s Rocker and St Kilda’s Loki), who has opened the rooftop bar and restaurant with partners Marco Gattino and Lachlan Thompson.

“There are 270-degree views so you can see a storm coming in and going across the city out to the Dandenong Ranges. And then the sun comes out 10 minutes later and it’s just gorgeous. It really makes the venue.”

The vast space on top of the glam new Goldfields House high-rise is prepared for all seasons thanks to a Rod Laver Arena-style retractable glass roof that makes short work of bad weather.

Covering 40 per cent of the space, it takes only one minute to open or close and helps emulate the Los Angeles rooftop bars that act as Beverly’s spirit animal.

“They have an amazing rooftop bar culture there. Although Melbourne doesn’t have that weather, the roof makes it a real sun trap. I’ve been telling the waiting staff they can wear their sunnies if they need,” says Northway (above).

The luscious curves of the 200-seat space are a hallmark of Beverly, rooftop, bar, Melbourne, Goldfields House, Chapel Street, outdoor bar, roof, Mitchell & Eades, drinks, restaurant, dining out, city bar the design duo behind Grill Americano and Carlton Wine Room. The Cali-chic vibe is delivered with a palette of dusty pinks and terracotta, while green and white striped upholstery adds a garden party frisson.

It’s the glitzy new face of South Yarra – a natural progression in the slipstream created by Yugen and Omnia at the nearby Capitol Grand building. Hey presto, a precinct is reborn, with added glamour.

In the woodfired open kitchen, chef David Ball (his well-travelled CV spans England’s Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and the Yarra Valley’s Dominique Portet) is busy emulating the surroundings in food. Snack-wise, bluefin tartare is served on a tostada with chilli yuzu mayo, pulled duck and caviar sliders are dosed with dill ranch dressing and freshly shucked oysters are anointed with tequila mignonette. Heading larger, expect to see marron and spanner crab pasta, spice-rubbed rotisserie chicken or a rich and comforting mac’n’cheese with truffled gouda and mornay sauce.

The cocktail list makes a blushing hero of the Bellini Sunset – made with Moet & Chandon sparkling, Campari and peach puree with rose petals, it promises to put Aperol Spritz in a corner – while a global wine collection reserves space for those with deep pockets (hello, vintage Champagne and Penfolds Grange).

Things can certainly get high end at altitude, but Northway promises to keep Beverly’s feet on the ground.

“I like keeping things fluid. I don’t like being told at restaurants that if you’re in this area you have to have this particular menu or you have to be eating food or doing this,” says Northway. “Above all, it’s meant to be a space that you feel comfortable in.”

Beverley Rooftop
627 Chapel Street, South Yarra
Open Tuesday, 4pm–late; Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm-late
beverlyrooftop.com.au

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