hero media

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

Eleanor Edström 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.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

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 

Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?

  1. Click here to set Australian Traveller as a preferred source.
  2. Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
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.
View profile and articles
The Snowtunnel
Melbourne

The world’s first rotating Snowtunnel is coming to Australia

An all-new Aussie invention is bringing year-round snow Down Under.

Read more
Hannah St Hotel in Melbourne, Vic
Melbourne

Melbourne’s newest hotel is a love letter to the city

With a bold personality and richly layered design language by Flack Studio, plus a streetside coffee shop to boot, Hannah St Hotel is Melbourne’s hottest new hotel – and a microcosm of the city itself.

Read more
The glamorous Showroom Bay at The Royce hotel
Melbourne

Is it worth staying at The Royce hotel in Melbourne?

This elegant hotel is bringing Art Deco glamour to the city.

Read more
Tropical greenery and a bath at Inner Studio
Melbourne

This new bathhouse in Melbourne feels like stepping into a rainforest

Inner Studio has brought its popular wellness studio to South Yarra.

Read more
hero media

Incredible day spas and hot springs to visit in Victoria

    Katie Carlin Katie Carlin
    Continue
    From geothermal pools and luxury spa sanctuaries, Victoria’s mineral-rich waters and restorative landscapes offer total renewal.

    I pass waving coastal spear-grass and coast saltbush as I follow the curving path through 15 hectares of thoughtfully curated gardens at the Mornington Peninsula’s Alba Thermal Springs & Spa. I hang my robe at the entrance and slip into the first sunken geothermal pool I find – feeling the tension from the 90-minute drive from Melbourne melt away as I watch steam dance across the surface in the late afternoon light. There are 31 pools, a mix of geothermal, cold plunge and botanical, that range in temperature and design, spread over six regions.

    a woman relaxing at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa on the Mornington Peninsula
    Alba Thermal Springs & Spa on the Mornington Peninsula. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    I gravitate toward The Hemisphere, with its dry sauna, steam room, cold plunge and dreamy open-air pool called The Hide. But it’s Alba’s brand-new Sanctuary that really elevates the experience. The five luxurious stand-alone villas and two additional studio rooms opened in June 2025 and feature an indoor fireplace, oversized bathtub with views across the bay, a deck and extensive all-inclusive (minus the cocktails) mini-bar.

    After dining at Alba’s Thyme restaurant, I return to my villa, content to fall asleep early listening to the fire crackle, feeling thoroughly restored. While Alba is one of the newest in the region, it’s certainly not the only place to enjoy a soothing soak. Here are others to book for a wellness weekend.

    Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa

    A woman bathes in the new Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa private bathing room with marble tiled walls
    The marble private bathing room is one of five new designs. (Image: Supplied)

    Nestled in the Daylesford region, Hepburn Bathhouse & Spa has been welcoming guests to its historic bathhouse for 130 years. With a $1.7 million renovation now complete (part of the 21st season of Channel 9’s The Block), find five new private bathing rooms, an apothecary experience where guests blend a custom body scrub and all-new spa treatment menu.

    There are three bathing areas: Bathhouse for communal bathing for all ages, adults-only Sanctuary and a private bathing space for a personalised experience – try the skin-softening Mineral Milk Bath.

    Lake House Daylesford

    the pool at Lake House Daylesford
    The main pool at Lake House Daylesford. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Inciting deep exhales, the spa at Alla Wolf-Tasker’s iconic Lake House has long been a beacon of wellness in the region. Tucked into the cottage gardens that wind down to the lake’s edge, the spa is beautifully and deliberately cloistered away from guests and diners visiting the celebrated on-site restaurant.

    From Ayurvedic facials and hydrotherapy that makes use of Daylesford’s mineral waters, to cocooning thermal rituals and massage, treatments here promote tranquillity. While a day spa experience is delightful on its own, staying on the property adds a luxe layer to your corporeal renewal, especially if you’re in your own private spa villa.

    Metung Hot Springs

    the Metung Hot Springs' glamping tents by the river
    Glamping tents at Metung Hot Springs. (Image: Emily Godfrey)

    Imagine immersing yourself in a barrel overflowing with geothermal water, all while taking in views of Gippsland Lakes. It’s one of several unique bathing experiences available at Metung Hot Springs.

    There’s also a floating sauna and a Reflexology Walk constructed with carefully placed stones designed to stimulate the acupressure points in your feet as you walk. The 12-hectare site opened in 2022 with three bathing areas – Bathing Ridge, Lagoon Precinct and Hilltop Escarpment – and premium glamping tents that feature king-size beds and private bathing barrels.

    Four more blissful day spas to visit

    Lon Retreat & Spa is an award-winning, adults-only retreat on the Bellarine Peninsula.

    Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs features sensory caves and cleansing waterfalls in Warrnambool.

    Peninsula Hot Springs renews with 70 bathing and wellness experiences.

    The Benev is an indulgent spa and luxury accommodation in Beechworth.

    the Peninsula Hot Springs
    Bathe in beautiful surroundings at Peninsula Hot Springs. (Image: Tourism Australia/Harry Pope/Two Palms)