Tucked along Melbourne’s Meyers Place laneway opposite a car park is Lily Blacks, a 1920s art deco themed cocktail bar.
The unassuming entrance leads to a dimly-lit and welcoming space decked out in 1920s art deco style with a spiral chandelier and seating designed à la retro movie theatre.
A central island bar with a tower of spirts lures you to take a seat at the bar. Against the back wall lies what is deemed to be the largest working collecting of aromatic bitters in the world.
The art deco designed menu begins with a pictorial page denoting the bitter, dry, fruity, rich, sour, strong and sweet flavour profiles which you can match up to the cocktails. This is by far the easiest way to choose your drink, particularly at 2 am when you’re after a strong and dry cocktail such as the excellent Lion & Rose with Lagavulin 16 yo with Amaro Montenegro, Dolin Dry Vermouth and Amaro Averna.
One page is dedicated to Picklebacks such as Mad Max, West Winds Sabre Gin with Lemon Juniper Onion. Old Fashioned are served hot or cold and can be made with either Cognac, Rum, Bourbon or Scotch. Four cocktails are devoted to the Mr Bitters range, created by the team behind Lily Blacks bar and Only Bitters.
On the last Sunday of every month, Lily Blacks is home to Iron Bartender, a competition between local bartenders, to see who makes the best cocktail using a mystery ingredient.
This is Melbourne and this is sophisticated drinking, even at 2am.
Lily Blacks
Address: 12 Meyers Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: (03) 9654 4887
Website: www.lilyblacks.com.au
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-3am; Fri 4pm-3am; Sat-Sun 6pm-3am
Photo by Cocktails & Bars – © Copyright: All rights reserved.
