This Thursday 23 July, edition Hospitality Group opens Privé, a new cocktail bar and private dining venue within the former Melbourne Safe Deposit building, beside Reine & La Rue in Melbourne’s CBD. At its heart is Bar Privé, the group’s first dedicated cocktail bar, expanding the Reine & La Rue experience while introducing a new home for classic cocktails.
Rebecca Yazbek, founder and CEO of edition Hospitality Group, said Privé marks the next chapter for Reine & La Rue.
“We’ve seen growing demand for private dining at Reine & La Rue, while also wanting to create a dedicated cocktail bar that people could visit in its own right,” said Yazbek. “Privé has allowed us to do both while giving each space its own identity. Whether guests join us for a martini at the bar, celebrate in one of the private dining rooms or make an evening of both, we wanted the spaces to feel connected while offering something distinct.”
Occupying the ground floor of the historic Melbourne Safe Deposit building within Melbourne’s Gothic Bank precinct, Privé has been designed to operate as both a standalone venue and a natural extension of Reine & La Rue. It brings together Bar Privé and a collection of private dining rooms for celebrations, corporate events and exclusive gatherings.
The drinks program was conceived by veteran bartender and group bar manager Felix Woods, whose career spans more than 15 years across some of Melbourne and London’s most respected cocktail bars, including The Everleigh, Black Pearl, and Milk and Honey. The menu unfolds across four sections, aperitif, signature, martini and digestif, drawing on European drinking traditions with a particular focus on French aperitifs, fortified wines and brandies.
“We wanted to create a cocktail menu that feels timeless rather than trend-driven,” said Woods. “It’s designed to follow the natural progression of an evening, from an aperitif through to a martini or digestif, with every drink built around quality ingredients, classic technique and balance. French aperitifs, fortified wines and brandies became the foundation because they suit the style of bar we wanted to create, somewhere guests can drop in for one drink or settle in for the whole evening.”
Working closely with Woods, bar manager Dylan Field helped shape the opening cocktail program and also leads the bar day-to-day. Having joined Edition Hospitality as part of the team at Reine & La Rue, following roles at Gimlet and Pony, Field brings a strong grounding in both classic and contemporary cocktail culture to Bar Privé.
The list opens with aperitifs including the kir royale, made with Louis Roederer Collection 246 and Briottet crème de cassis de Dijon, and the Albatross, combining Four Pillars olive leaf gin, cara cara orange, Cocchi Americano, verjus and fino. Signature cocktails include Rêverie, a favourite from Reine, with Sauternes, raspberry, lemon, bergamot and rose; and the Ivy Gimlet with Vanishing Point vodka, cider eau de vie, apple mint, peppermint and lime.
Martinis are given their own section, with seasonal variations sitting alongside a classic made with Four Pillars olive leaf gin and Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry, served from the freezer in either a full or half measure. The evening can finish with digestifs including a cognac-led sazerac with Hennessy VSOP, Masterson’s 10-year rye, absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters and sugar; a Yellowjacket, combining The Dalmore 12-year ‘Sherry Cask’ whisky, cacao, gentian, Cocchi Americano and wattleseed; or an Après-Ski with green Chartreuse, VSOP Armagnac, chocolate, vanilla and Jersey milk, served hot. French and Australian wines by the glass, Champagne, beer, cider, non-alcoholic cocktails and a carefully assembled back bar complete the list.
The food menu, created by group culinary director Michael Greenlaw and Reine & La Rue executive chef Andy Roche, has been developed to complement the drinks. Alongside bar snacks including oyster ‘choucroute’ with smoked sausage, duck liver and foie gras parfait with burnt orange marmalade, pickled mussel gilda and panisse with aioli, the menu is anchored by a wagyu french dip ficelle. Mayura Station wagyu is brined for eight hours before being cooked over wood fire and layered into a ficelle baguette with caramelised onions, Dijon mustard, house-made Ramarro Farm pickles and raclette, served with a rich beef broth for dipping. A smaller late-night menu is available from 11pm, with dishes including pork scratchings with French onion dip, saucisson, fromage du jour, île flottante and petits fours.
Open to walk-in and reserved guests, Bar Privé seats up to 25 guests and has been designed for everything from a pre-dinner martini to a full evening at the bar. At once a standalone venue and the arrival point for Privé’s private dining rooms, it offers a more intimate counterpart to Reine & La Rue while remaining closely connected to the neighbouring restaurant. Bar Privé is also available for exclusive hire and full venue takeovers.
Across the hallway, The Dining Room accommodates up to 40 guests and can be divided into two smaller rooms: the Verdon Room which seats 20; and the Wardell Room which seats 16, providing flexibility for business breakfasts and lunches, celebrations and private events.
The interiors were designed by design studio Untitled Works, led by Stacey King, who also designed Reine & La Rue. Conceived as a quieter counterpart to Reine’s cathedral-like dining room, Privé continues the visual language established next door while responding to the more intimate scale of the former Melbourne Safe Deposit building. Drawing on the history of Melbourne’s Gothic Bank precinct, the design references the building’s concealed vault chambers, private clubs and Gothic architecture through bespoke joinery, rich natural materials and locally crafted finishes. The result is a venue that feels distinct in character while remaining connected to the broader Reine story.
“There is so much history in this part of Melbourne and in this building,” said Yazbek. “Just as we did with Reine, we wanted to give it a new life that people could enjoy. I hope guests walk in, relax immediately and feel like they’re somewhere special, whether they’re joining us for a great martini at the bar or gathering around the table with friends.”
Privé continues edition Hospitality Group’s work reinterpreting some of Melbourne’s landmark hospitality spaces. Following the opening of Reine & La Rue within the former Melbourne Stock Exchange, and the group’s stewardship of Florentino, Privé adds another layer to the precinct, bringing together a dedicated cocktail bar and private dining venue within one of Melbourne’s significant heritage buildings.
Bar Privé is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 4pm until late with bookings available via prive.melbourne.
Private group bookings in the Dining Room can be made directly via the website alongside inquiries for bespoke private events.
