NOW EXPERIENCING:Strato Bar & Lounge

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 13 Mar 2023

By
Larissa Dubecki


Strato is a bar that rises to the special occasion, the fantastic views from the 49th floor setting the scene for crackingly good cocktails and fancy snacking with a bright-lights, big-city vibe.

Seating arrangement at Strato Bar
Why you goMelbourne’s arms race for the best bar views in town has a new combatant: Strato Bar & Lounge, the glamazon drinking den on the 40th floor of the Oakwood Premier Melbourne hotel in Southbank. This shiny new bar crowning a shiny new development opened in June 2022 and going straight for the jugular of people who like to play “Where’s my house?” from their eyrie 139 metres above the street below. The views are undeniably fantastic, while the whole bright-lights, big-city vibe starts at stepping out of the elevator into a world of terrazzo, velvet and marble, and continues with a crackingly good cocktail program and fancy snacking.
Why you stayThere’s no shortage of wow-factor here, from the bird’s-eye view projections of the Melbourne streetscape on the terrazzo floor and mirrored walls of the 40th-floor lobby to the outdoor terrace (trigger warning for vertigo sufferers) where the lounges have warm throws for chilly nights. A bar on a mission to out-swank the competition, it’s full of intimate nooks for canoodling couples and bigger areas perfect for rowdy groups to colonise. Add a seriously impressive stone-topped bar supported by softly illuminated glass bricks and seven-metre-tall windows, and it’s a place designed to put on the Ritz, with the Instagram-happy crowd to show for it.
Ambience at Strato Bar
Drinks at Strato Bar
What drink to orderThe cocktail list, a collaboration with Proof & Company consultant Charlie Ainsbury, lives up to expectations. Classics receive inventive modern tweaks (case in point: the Copper Negroni with sherry and bergamot, and a play on the Manhattan with Cognac and verjuice), while the bartenders are happy to serve up original recipes for any classicists. They also have a quiver of top-shelf liqueurs and spirits to play with, including rarities and old bottlings – there’s a very good chance a vague outline of what you’re after will spark brilliance. The wine list features a Euro-heavy array with a subset of Australian drops, while the short beer list keeps its feet on the ground with local producers like Moon Dog. Non-drinkers are no mere afterthought: Heaps Normal beer rubs shoulders with the bar’s Moondance mocktail featuring smoked passionfruit and Lyre’s analogue gin, and a zero-proof Bellini.
What to pair it withSnack in style with options like haloumi fritters with spicy harissa mayo and pickles, and spiced calamari with lime aïoli. Oysters are a given, whether dished up au naturel or with a citrusy ponzu dressing. The option of “today’s caviar” is a market-priced opportunity for conspicuous consumption, but seared beef tataki, king oyster mushroom bao buns and spicy fries provide a more democratic entry point to stave off hunger pangs. If you feel like settling in for dinner, the full menu at the sibling restaurant on the same floor is available from Wednesday to Sunday.
Regular’s tipBeating the crowds isn’t the only reason to arrive early. Watching the sun set over the city is the best light show in town, and all it costs is a drink.
Seating at Strato Bar
Interiors at Strato Bar
Make it fancyWant to go even higher? The equally opulent private space on level 41 is waiting for your next birthday ending in a zero or any other notable event. Or just make a night of it by booking a room at the five-star Oakwood below.
Who to takeA bar that rises to the special occasion, Strato is a place to think big. If you’re after a pay rise or making a proposal, come on up.