Undoubtedly one of Melbourne’s most-hyped openings of 2020 was Poodle Bar and Bistro—and for good reason. The two-storey venue briefly welcomed in the city just prior to lockdown round one, then switched to institution-status sandwich joint Rocco’s when things went south and takeaway was the only option.
As the city began to reopen, Poodle did too, first operating with a consolidated sharing menu exclusive to their patio—now, the time has come for the lofty venue and its 2.5 levels to take full form, and the team are throwing a big ol’ party next weekend to celebrate.
First things first, yes, head chef Josh Fry is pulling out Rocco’s recipe book and bringing back the cult meatball sandwich along with other Italian treats that can best be described as “Italian Maccas”. This is far more than a sanga party, though. For the first time, Melburnians can head upstairs to make full use of the deco-themed cocktail bar, its sharp cocktail list and a whole lot of house-cured charcuterie.
Fry and the gang are also calling in a stack of their mates for a good time. Out in the patio, Guest chef Ross Magnaye (ex-Rice Paper Scissors) will be hosting a Filipino street food barbecue, while Ollie Edwards (Co-Head Chef Hazel) is leading the charge with a pimped-up seafood bar including very fancy oyster, crab and lobster dishes.
You’ve also got yourself a healthy grip of DJs taking care of vibes for the day, check locals like Pjenne, Milú, Katie Pearson, Tom Moore, Alessio Latina and Freddy Gardens as the afternoon progresses into the evening.
Poodle’s whole venue party kicks off at midday and runs until 8pm on Sunday 24 January. As it goes with the way of the world these days, tickets are limited—$10 will get you entry along with a glass of Poodle Punch on arrival. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Want to know more about Poodle? Check out our full review here.
Image credit: supplied