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A sultry Shanghai-style cocktail den has just landed in Melbourne 

Eleanor EdströmBy Eleanor Edström
Drawing from the Mahjong rooms of 1920s Shanghai, Moondrop Bar brings east-meets-west decadence to Fitzroy’s Gertrude Street.

If the idea of clandestine nooks and old-world Shanghai glamour makes your ears prick up, it’s worth making a beeline for Melbourne’s newest cocktail hangout: Moondrop Bar . The venue, which opened to the public on Sunday 4 January, is the brainchild of Steve Chan, Jesse Kourmouzis and Jacob Muoio – the trio behind Carlton North’s Sleepy’s Cafe & Wine Bar.  

The site was once the home of Melbourne legacy institution The Everleigh, which closed its doors in March 2025 after 14 years of operation. Now, Moondrop Bar is making its own mark with a contemporary, east-meets-west take on warm Chinese hospitality. Expect craft cocktails and bespoke bar snacks in this ambient atmosphere.

The design

moondrop bar melbourne
Moondrop Bar is fitted out with handpainted mosaics and moon-like lighting. (Image: Mike Lam)

Upon stepping foot inside, guests are drawn into a sultry world of red velvet drapery and subtle references to Chinese culture. Custom-made Mahjong tables hark back to roaring twenties Shanghai, while subtle rabbit motifs nod to the Chinese Zodiac. It’s a space that’s equal dashes moody and inviting, with a glowing orb light and sheets of white textiles hanging over the ruby-hued mosaic bar.

Along with a main bar with capacity for up to 76 people, the bar also offers a function room for events and celebrations.

Drinking

moondrop bar cocktails
Cocktails are (Image: Mike Lam)

Whether you’re seeking to dip your tongue into new flavour combinations or discover delightful riffs on classics, Moondrop Bar’s cocktails shine bright. The drinks menu swings eastern, heroing lesser-known Chinese spirits and alluding to Shanghai’s east-meets-west era.

Signature libations include bubble milk tea-inspired Me & Ube, Hakuna Martini with yuzushu and honey water, and Chanhatten – Japanese whisky, Lapsang Souchong tea-infused vermouth, creme de cacao and bitters. For those who prefer fresh and fruity notes, opt for Crimson Ruby (watermelon, rhubarb aperitif, rose tea and prosecco) or Peaches (gin, elderflower liquer and white peach cordial).

A generous selection of low- and non-alcoholic beverages offers flavour combos as exciting as the stronger stuff, meaning everyone can experience the fun.

Dining

food at moondrop bar
Nibble on bespoke bar snacks. (Image: Mike Lam)

While drinks are the starring act at Moondrop Bar, the Chinese-Australian bar snacks are well worth a nibble, from barbecue mushroom bao buns and Cantarbrian anchovies with bread and butter to good ol’ prawn crackers. Also on offer is a seasonally rotating dumpling menu, along with charcuterie grazing plates, a cheese menu and bespoke caviar tins accompanied by scallion pikelets and chives. Sweet tooths ought not to miss Moondrop Bar’s signature mooncake, which is filled with vanilla and red bean ice cream.

The details

moondrop bar
Tables nod to the Mahjong rooms of 1920s Shanghai. (Image: Mike Lam)

Location: Level 1/150-156 Gertrude St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 

Opening hours: from 5pm to 1am, Thursday to Monday 

Prices: Cocktails $25-28, bar snacks $4-20

Capacity: 78 in the main bar, 120 in the function room 

Website: Moondrop Bar  

Eleanor Edström
Eleanor Edström is Australian Traveller’s Associate Editor. Previously a staff writer at Signature Luxury Travel & Style and Vacations & Travel magazines, she's a curious wordsmith with a penchant for conservation, adventure, the arts and design. She discovered her knack for storytelling much earlier, however – penning mermaid sagas in glitter ink at age seven. Proof that her spelling has since improved, she holds an honours degree in English and philosophy, and a French diploma from the University of Sydney. Off duty, you’ll find her pirouetting between Pilates and ballet classes, or testing her friends’ patience with increasingly obscure vocabulary.
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Mornington Peninsula’s storied past: war, shipwrecks and a runaway convict 

    Kellie FloydBy Kellie Floyd
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    The Mornington Peninsula is a coastline of contrasts, where convict and military history meets shipwrecks, wild seas and adventures above and below the surface.

    The Mornington Peninsula can be the kind of place where salt-tangled hair feels like a badge of honour – proof you’ve been somewhere wild, raw and real. Peel back the layers and you’ll discover stories that anchor this region to something other than its famed food and wine.

    This land is the traditional Sea Country of the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people. Long before grapevines were planted and artisanal goods were crafted, the Bunurong Traditional Owners lived in deep connection with the land and sea. Today, places such as Mushroom Reef Marine Sanctuary echo that tradition, with families exploring its rockpools in search of colourful sea stars and crabs at low tide and learning how these fragile ecosystems have been cared for across countless generations.

    a group of people visiting the Port Nepean National Park
    Take in the rugged coastal landscape at Port Nepean National Park. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    A visit to Point Nepean National Park feels like stepping back through time. The fort, built in 1882, protected the narrow entrance to Port Phillip Bay until the end of the Second World War. It was here that the first Allied shot of the First World War was fired – at a German cargo ship trying to escape just hours after war was declared. Nearby, the old Quarantine Station, one of Australia’s first permanent quarantine facilities, established in 1852, still stands. Walking through the hospital and disinfecting complex evokes stories of those who arrived from faraway shores.

    Not far from here is a story of survival that inspired the Aussie phrase ‘you’ve got Buckley’s chance’. In 1803, escaped convict William Buckley vanished into the bush near what’s now Sorrento. Everyone thought he had no hope of surviving, but he reappeared 32 years later, having lived with local Aboriginal people.

    Even the waters here hold history. The infamous stretch known as The Rip, just three kilometres wide at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay, is among the most treacherous waterways. Countless ships were lost here in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in 1967, Australia’s own Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming off the coast, never to be found.

    a seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay
    A seal swimming in Port Phillip Bay. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    But for all its danger, the sea here also holds extraordinary beauty. Dolphins are often seen near Sorrento’s cliffs, while below the surface, seagrass meadows and rocky reefs teem with life. Marine tours offer a viewing to this underwater wonderland, while back on terra firma, walking trails lead along beaches, through coastal scrub, and over rock pools.

    And if you think you’ll forget about the Mornington Peninsula once you’ve left? You’ve got Buckley’s chance.

    A traveller’s checklist

    Staying there

    the suite interior at InterContinental Sorrento
    Luxury interiors at the historic InterContinental Sorrento. (Image: Greg Elms)

    Point Nepean Discovery Tents is immersive glamping beside the historic Quarantine Station. Or upgrade to luxury at the 1875-built InterContinental Sorrento .

    Playing there

    an aerial view of Cape Schanck Lighthouse
    Make your way to the Cape Schanck Lighthouse. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Bayplay Adventure Tours offer eco-adventures from snorkelling with sea dragons to kayaking with dolphins and cycling Point Nepean. Cape Schanck Lighthouse is fascinating to explore on a guided tour, which takes you into the lighthouse and keeper’s cottage.

    Eating there

    Portsea Hotel is a beautifully restored 1876 Tudor-style pub right on the beach, serving seasonal local fare.