An all-new drinking and dining den might be just what is needed to lure us out with our favourite dancing shoes on.
Though even Melbourne’s most restless residents have now become accustomed to quiet nights on the couch and early turn-ins, a striking new bar has arrived in the city’s famous AC/DC Lane to remind us of la dolce vita and the thrills of an exceptional night out. Pop the Champagne: the big night is back.
Bar Bambi, an all-new drinking and dining den, might just be the bar to lure us out of our homes and slip on our favourite dancing shoes once more. In this fun-filled venue, diners can imbibe well-concocted cocktails, while sharing elegant bar food among friends. Bar Bambi is here to put the life back into the Victorian capital’s nightlife – and, with its theatrical design, inventive menu and space to dance, it’s worth staying up late for.
Inside, a grand chandelier emits a peachy glow, a hot-pink neon sign reminds you where you are and a stage occupied by a talented throng of rotating acts provides mood- enhancing music well into the evening. Here, blush-hued furnishings, rounded emerald booth seats, wooden accented walls and one lustrous, dramatic bar makes for a flamboyant backdrop to a big night out.
The latest venue from Nick and Daniel Russian, Bar Bambi pays homage to the pair’s nonno’s bar of the same name, which served the people of Trieste in Italy more than 80 years ago.
Bringing together reviving drinks, tasty repasts and live music performances – think pianists, singers and DJs – Bar Bambi exudes European charm united with Melbourne’s own brand of warm hospitality in a chic setting. Better yet, the nocturnal nature of Bar Bambi means you’re never likely to hear the two words revellers and merrymakers fear most: “kitchen’s closed.” If you desire oysters and caviar at 11pm, you’ve come to the right place.
Melbourne’s love affair and relationship with Italian food and culture continues to flourish at Bar Bambi.
Salvatore Giorgio, the bar’s head chef, has recently returned from a year in Italy, where he sharpened his gastronomic flair and further developed his love for hyper-regional cuisine. Highlights of the menu, which is available until midnight, include refined antipasti, a crave- worthy carbonara toastie, lobster pizza, spaghetti cacio e pepe, spicy vodka pasta, a wagyu Bolognese rigatoni and, to finish, fresh cannoli.
Small share plates like caciocavallo (the Italian answer to Greece’s saganaki) and calamari fritti arrive on the table under the watchful gaze of hungry eyes. Larger share plates include butterflied grilled spatchcock, pork cotoletta on the bone and minute steak with rocket. And, dessert offerings feature a brilliant, hybrid tiramisu-cannolo (enjoy with a tiramisu martini to match), Nutella bombolini, rhum baba, cheese and gelato.
The bar’s resident mixologist Matteo Ambler has handpicked a selection of cocktail and spritz beverages, including canned cocktails, which are served alongside the venue’s extensive wine list and enticing, well-matched dishes. Order ahead and you can share in an elaborate, flowing, silver negroni fountain among your dining companions too. After dinner, guests can order a bottle of limoncello for the table, to refresh the palate and further lubricate limbs for dancing.
Sophisticated 16-seater, curved booth seats present an idyllic spot for semi-private, celebratory occasions, while white-cloth- swathed tables laid for small groups and couples offer a view towards the live entertainment in a space that feels like you’ve stepped into a bygone age, or a clandestine American-Italian bar set in old-world New York.
In keeping with the bar’s big, bold, celebratory air, the venue is a sizable one and can host events for up to 250 people.
Bar Bambi
103-105 Flinders Lane, AC/DC Lane, Melbourne
Wed – Sat from 5pm until late and Sun brunch until noon
barbambi.com.au
Related restaurant news: Tippy-Tay brings Italian dinner-party energy to Melbourne’s Garden State Hotel
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