Cleo Opens In Melbourne’s Sky: Eastern Mediterranean Flavours Meet Modern Design
There’s a new rooftop in town, and it’s bringing a taste of the Mediterranean sky to Melbourne’s skyline. Meet Cleo—a sun-lit escape perched on the 12th floor of HYDE Melbourne Place, where mezze, martinis and music set the mood from day to night.
If this corner of the skyline feels familiar, that’s because it’s where Mid Air once lived—before closing its doors earlier this year. You can check out our piece on that chapter here before heading up to see its new incarnation.
After a three-month refresh of the space between Hyde’s iconic twin “Eyes,” Cleo has emerged as a greenery-framed sanctuary of terracotta hues, marble finishes, and olive trees swaying in the breeze. It’s the kind of place that feels equally suited to a solo breakfast at 7am and a long, wine-soaked lunch with friends that somehow melts into sunset cocktails.
Image Credit: Cleo | Supplied
The menu, led by Head Chef Jordan Clavaron (ex-Cutler & Co, Society), is built to go dutch—like grilled seafood and slow-cooked lamb tomahawks with eggplant and curry leaves. You can expect generous plates that taste like a holiday in a bowl, plus desserts that lean into pistachio, rose and cardamom for that final, fragrant punch.
Behind the bar, Beverage Operations Manager Matthew Jensen (Farmer’s Daughters, Vue de Monde) has crafted a drinks list that’s both classic and clever. Cocktails weave in pear-infused whisky, pomegranate,and sumac, while the wine list balances Mediterranean varietals with standout local producers like Lethbridge and Avani. There’s even a pistachio spritz and a milk-punch-style espresso martini for those who like their Melbourne classics with a Kefi twist.
Image Credit: Cleo | Supplied
Design-wise, Cleo feels like a love letter to coastal ease with a Melbourne edge. Ennismore’s in-house F&B studio and Melbourne’s Suede Interiors have layered in jarrah wood, linen drapery and curated artworks to soften the building’s striking architecture into something warm, textured and very Instagrammable.
And because Cleo is promises far more than just drinks, the program’s stacked: DJ sets from Untitled Group (Edd Fisher, Baby G, Lilian & Monique Tya), plus Sunrise Sessions with Peaches Pilates and SONNA in January and February—45 minutes of movement, LED face masks and a curated breakfast menu to ease you into the weekend.
Cleo is now open to both hotel guests and the public, serving breakfast from 7am daily and running late into the night at Level 12, 130 Russell Street, Melbourne CBD. Bookings are live via their website.
Main Image Credit: Cleo | Supplied