Why we love itGigi is so much a part of the Umberto Espresso Bar family that it literally sits atop the restaurant. But where Umberto zigs, Gigi zags. From cocktails to contorni, Umberto is all about the Italian classics; it’s the kind of place where you sip a Campari soda while waiting for your spaghetti carbonara. But Gigi, while still maintaining some Italian influence, isn’t afraid to mix it up. The Sgroppino (a vodka and prosecco-based cocktail starring sorbet) is flavoured like a pavlova, while there’s a Peaches & Cream Negroni.
Regular’s tipIf you’re looking to soak up the sun on an unseasonably warm winter’s afternoon, Gigi isn’t the place. It’s a seasonal bar, so you’ll find it closed outside the summer months. But that’s something we love about it: it encourages you to make the most of Melbourne’s (sometimes fleeting) summer, spend a few balmy nights with mates in an intimate open-air space, then look forward to the bar’s return after another long winter.
