hero media

Melbourne’s new rooftop bar will transport you to LA this summer 

Eleanor Edström Eleanor Edström
The StandardX, Melbourne has opened its rooftop to the public, bringing the buzz with cocktails on tap, DJ sets and skyline views. 

Fitzroy just scored a new perch for golden hour. Boutique hotel The StandardX, Melbourne has flung open the doors to On Top, a rooftop space previously reserved for hotel guests. And it’s bringing a sun-drenched hit of LA cool to Melbourne just in time for summer.  

The reimagined rooftop, which originally opened in Fitzroy in 2024 as part of the hotel brand’s first opening in Australia, now welcomes locals and out-of-towners from Thursday to Sunday, accommodating up to 60 people.

What to expect

food at On Top, The StandardX Melbourne
All-day dining with a side of city views. (Image: Pete Dillon)

The vibe is decidedly playful: Aperol spritzes and yuzu margaritas flow on tap, while a Japan-style vending machine adds a dose of novelty. On Top’s suggestive name is equally on brand with The StandardX’s cheeky and charming tone. 

Come Friday and Saturday evenings – and languid Sunday afternoons – DJ rotations set the tone, drifting from ‘90s Brooklyn to Lago beaches. It’s a relaxed social space that knows exactly when to turn up the energy and captures Fitzroy’s social spirit.  

The design

On Top is The StandardX, Melbourne's new rooftop.
The StandardX’s new rooftop overlooks Melbourne’s stunning skyline. (Image: Supplied)

With architecture by Woods Bagot and interiors by Hecker Guthrie, On Top brims with a summer-ready edge reminiscent of the sunset bars of downtown LA. Plush lounge seating, bistro tables and bar stools overlooking Melbourne’s captivating cityscape shape the space, while warm terracotta tones and arid plants create a lived-in elegance.  

Designed with Melbourne’s mood swings in mind, the space is fully weatherproof thanks to a retractable roof and heating system that includes a Corten fireplace. While there are endless chic bars in Melbourne, this one holds year-round allure.

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

AI Prompt

The dining and drinks

The StandardX, Melbourne rooftop food
Expect American-inspired bites at On Top. (Image: Supplied)

The StandardX, Melbourne’s all-day menu riffs on the hotel brand’s American heritage, spanning Wagyu sliders and hot-sauce-slathered fried chicken to oyster mushroom skewers marinated in shio koji and topped with chilli crumb. And for those who can’t refuse a sweet treat, fret not; cinnamon doughnuts served with warm chocolate sauce and mascarpone tart with salted caramel ensure you’ll end on a (sugar) high. 

But what’s a great meal without flowing drinks to accompany? On Top serves Aperol spritz, yuzu margaritas and lager on tap, alongside a suite of signature cocktails. Nude & Rude is Mexican inspired (Mezcal, amaro, lemon, agave and bitters), while Cloud Cover is a heady mix of apricot brandy, Aperol, Lillet Blanc, ginger and lemon.  

drinks at On Top, The StandardX Melbourne
On Top offers some cocktails on tap. (Image: Supplied)

Vino lovers won’t be disappointed either. Designed collaboratively by The StandardX, Melbourne and Australian-based wine importer Lo-Fi, the wine list heroes local Victorian producers that focus on sustainable wines. To keep the fun rolling, the space even has a Japan-inspired vending machine stocked with pre-batched cocktails, wines and non-alcoholic drinks. 

Opening hours

Monday to Wednesday: Exclusive access for hotel guests, no service (self-service from vending machine, The Box)  

Thursday to Friday: Exclusive to hotel guests until 5pm, open to the public from 5pm to 10pm 

Saturday: Exclusive to hotel guests until 12pm, open to the public from 12pm to 10pm 

Sunday: Exclusive to hotel guests until 12pm, open to the public from 12pm to 8pm 

Walk-ins are welcome, but the hotel recommends booking for groups of six or more.  

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Where is The StandardX’s rooftop bar?

On Top rooftop is located within The StandardX, Melbourne at 62 Rose St, Fitzroy VIC 3065. 

 

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

Victoria’s surprising new outdoor adventure hotspot

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
    Continue
    A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination. 

    There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.  

    old gold bank Victoria
    Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time. 

    It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.  

    Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital 

    Creswick bike trail
    This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

    Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria. 

    I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers. 

    I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.  

    The Woodlands
    The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides. 

    A traveller’s checklist 

    Staying there 

    1970s log cabin
    Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

    RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife. 

    Eating there 

    Le Peche Gourmand
    Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

    The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand. The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857. 

    Playing there 

    Miss NorthcottsGarden
    Miss Northcotts Garden is a charming garden store with tea room. (Image: Visit Victoria)

    Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.