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Eau De Vie

4.7 (72 reviews)
Open 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

Eau De Vie Photos

EAU DE VIE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Intimate
Classy
Moderate noise
Dressy

Recommended Reviews - Eau De Vie

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Reviews With Photos

Mikael W.

This was a very special night with great food, fabulous cocktails, and the best service I have experienced. I learned so much from our wonderful host/waiter as he walked us through our spectacular evening of joy and happiness. An impression was made on us. I am looking forward to returning for a repeat performance.

Lauren S.

Love the mystery of finding this place! Once you've made your way, what's worth the find is the elaborate cocktail menu! Highly recommended the Smokey Rob Roy and the Birth of Venus. Just the presentation itself makes you want more!

Liquid nitrogen poured over drink

Excellent, Excellent cocktails and food. It's a speak easy type environment. Lots of fun and decor. The smoked Rob Roy cocktail excellent. My wife had the espresso cocktail, which was served with a pour of Liquid nitrogen to freeze the whipped cream. Impressive and fun. The oysters were excellent and the porterhouse steak with chimichuri was fantastic. Excellent service.

Andrew T.

We went here as a late dinner even though they are a cocktail bar but they do sell food. We had already had a big lunch and pre dinner nibbles and drinks at out hotel. They do serve food but its share platters and so on but still nice to have with a cocktail or two. It's a hard to find place in another Melbourne cbd alley and I had to google what the door looked like to find it. Once in then it's easy. The place was pack and luckily I had booked and we go a couple of seats at the bar. Watching the guys making the cocktails was a real treat and the way they do things is very entertaining. We had a couple of nice cocktails no food though as were eaten enough already. It's fairly dark and a small place and a little different to what I had expected but it was still an enjoyable experience. It's work a visit to sample some of their drinks and enjoy the show.

Carolyn P.

A must if you're looking for cocktails in Melbourne! Online reservations and accepted and encouraged. The drinks were fun and adventurous, often involving flames and crazy presentations. It's easy to overlook - find the nondescript brown door with a brass handle on the west side of the alley. Definitely worth checking out for speakeasy vibes and delicious beverages!

Tresna L.

Since EDV opened 18 months ago, my love for it has grown from a subtle girly crush to full on heart-palpitation, "let's get married and have children" love fest. Seriously, if I could tie the knot with a bar this could just be the one. When someone asks me which bars in Melbourne they should visit, EDV sits in the top five as I know it will never disappoint. Weeknights are a little less frantic and you'll have an enjoyable time sitting at the bar taking to your bartender as s/he mixes your drink. Friday's and Saturday's are, in my opinion, to be avoided if you want to hear your drinking companions and feel a little more relaxed. If you're a massive fan, consider getting a spirit locker to house your favourite spirit. You'll get your own locker key and keyring and feel like a rockstar when you roll up at the bar for a business meeting, date or solo drinking session and ask for "a martini please, using my gin."

Mat O.

Melbounians love the secret hidden bar. You now the one, hidden down a lane way, just near exit three of Willsons parking, third red door on the right. Only problem is trying to not have too many drinks so you can remember it to show off to your friends next Saturday night. Eau De Vie is this bar. I was here quiet early (about 6) on a Saturday night and there were only a few other in the bar (one being one of the gals from winners and losers). The first thing you notice about the venue is its not your average bar - this place is so cool its hot (oh god, I've turned into my mother). Soft lighting, highly polished tables and an overall feel of style. The staff were amazing. Very helpful to walk us through the extensive cocktail menu. I had an espresso martini, and it was the best, that's right best I've had (I've had many). In true Eau De Vie style the drink if served at your table, and in this case liquid nitrogen poured over the top, turning the cream into ice cream. Eau De Vie isn't the sort of place I'd organise a bucks night, or take my aunt Carol (cattle farmer and Victorian wood chopper 2006 - 2007) but a great date place, or an intimate catch up with good friends.

"Pre Dinner Moves" - rum based, $19
Michelle M.

Fun find off Flinders Lane! (Say that 10x fast!) When I followed my group of colleagues down a random alley, I couldn't help but wonder if they were going to do some sort of Yelp initiation on me, but luckily once we went through the unmarked door, we entered a really cool, dark, speakeasy bar that offered some very solid cocktails. We walked into a nice room in the back with enough couches to fit a big crowd like us. Browsing the cocktail list, there was so much to choose from. I ended up settling with the rum based "Pre Dinner Moves". Partial reasons for choosing this one out of many was that I was hungry and it came with 2 big olives. :) Some of the drinks that my colleagues ordered were presented quite creatively; some had smoke that escaped once a cover was lifted, another's was served in a repurposed tomato juice can. Prices are typical for these types of establishments ($20-25) but again, worth every cent. Perfect place to lose yourself in drink and forget about the world for a while!

Feren Y.

There is no sign on the door but when you do finally find Eau De Vie, you won't ever forget it. The music, bartenders and atmosphere gives me an old school classy vibe and with the wide drink selection and nibbles you could really spend a whole night here and watch the magic happen. Be prepared to spend a bit here as the drinks do add up but it is like paying for drinks AND a show watching them make each cocktail with precision and passion. I've visited alone, on dates or even in groups and each time I stumble away happy.

Brennan M.

I can certainly understand why people are enthusiastic about this place, but it's over-the-top gimmicky and the cocktails are very, very small. I need more than just three gulps. I had the Van Gogh Fizz which is a corpse-recover style refresher with absinthe as the base. It was okay, a bit skimpy on the alcohol. Also had the Banderillero because our waiter said it was his favourite. It's served in a bull's horn--which would normally make me feel like a total assclown, but since others at my table were drinking from perfume bottles and skulls, it was relatively normal. The bull's horn holds a deceptively slight amount of drink, so ultimately I ended up feeling like I was paying for the weird, gimmicky containers more than for the spirits. If you love cocktails, skip it. If you want to have a laugh with friends or visitors, give it a try.

Dirty martini with my 5 olives
Wendy F.

If you can find the entrance to this bar then you definitely deserve the opportunity to try their dirty martinis. I chose vodka and as my friend expressed an desire for an excess of olives that's what we got. In a very cute little jar. We also got the showmanship that comes with using dry ice to keep the classes cool and our vodka arrived in beakers. I loved the decor, so very gangster chic. I completely adore anywhere that has booths! The bartender was friendly knowledgable and had a huge array of liquor choices. I will endeavour to become a regular here and I will bring friends.

Marshmallow cocktail
Sheenal S.

Another one of those hidden bars in an alley that you wouldn't know exists until someone tells you about it. Only give away was the woman standing outside it. Go through a heavy wooden door to enter a warm cozy looking venue with booth seating and long bar tables. You can make bookings too. We got here around 7.30pm and readily found some seating but there was a queue when we left. If you are a whiskey lover well there is a menu just for whiskey from all over the world. The cocktails menu is quite massive and each one has a distinct name. I got the death by peru cocktail with pineapple, Pisco, lime, and slivers of white chocolate. Quite frothy. A bizarre taste I couldn't place with hints of pineapple and slivers of white chocolate on the top. My drink companion got the marshmallow cocktail which was again frothy and tasted like butterscotch. Reminded me of butter beer. Cocktails start at 20ish. There is a Small bites menu. Saw some people get espresso martinis that arrived encompassed in a smokey haze. Reminded me of Narnia.

Espresso Zabaione
Chantee F.

I am in love and Eau de Vie is his name. This instantly became my favourite bar in Melbourne. It embodies all the right things for a speakeasy bar: subtle front door easily missed, lovely tunes of the 20s/30s, dark and classic decor, secret wall leading to another room (I'll let you figure it out), and the best bartenders in the biz. Having received a generous gift voucher here, I was ready to make a night of it and almost had to be pulled out or at least convinced we would be coming back soon, for me to leave. It starts and ends with the cocktails. Give yourself time to read through the menu, understand the theme to help you decide what mood you are in for your libation adventure. I went with the Tio Ernesto, their version of the Bloody Mary. I was skeptical when it arrived partially deconstructed with the tomato juice in a tin can, a tiny bottle of Tabasco and the rest of the drink garnished and ready to go. After mixing it up, it became more clear with each sip why this was regarded as one of the best Bloody Marys in the city. There was a hidden seasoning buried somewhere in the vodka perhaps, that helped this drink shine. Next was an equally excellent, if not better drink, The Blood and Sanderson. It had me at bacon bourbon but with port, blood orange and lemon, it went down way too easy. The fact that it arrived in a steer's skull proved this drink was a lady killer. There was delicious bar food to recommend as well. Fried eggplant chips were thin and tasty, with a light BBQ seasoning and dipping sauces. The real star were the mussels in a flavourful tomato sauce atop grilled leeks. Perfection! Lastly, I had to try the signature Espresso Zabaione, a carefully crafted martini with a strong and delicious drink underneath a liquid nitrogen mousse. It's fun to watch them prepare but even better to crack through the shell, mix in the goodness and enjoy a lovely sip! Good luck finding another espresso martini that compares. All in all, this place could easily become my new go-to spot for a happy hour drink before dinner or a night cap on an evening out. This makes my list of Melbourne's Best. xoxo

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Eau De Vie Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Eau De Vie

But if you're looking, it's the huge brown door on Malthouse lane, next to the Adina stairs (that confused me).

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Caretaker's Cottage

Caretaker's Cottage

4.0(5 reviews)
0.8 kmMelbourne

- super friendly staff - free wifi…read more- delicious drinks - lively scene - came generously recommended by the city's top bartenders

Absolutely disappointing experience and appalling customer service. The vibe looked good and we…read moredecided to take a chance. We entered at 11pm and decided to get a bottle of sparkling. No one informed us about any policy. We paid for the bottle with 5% service charge which I do not think they deserved. We had a sudden work call at 11.30pm and grabbed the bottle to go, only for the staff to chase us to the front of the bar to inform us that they do not have a takeaway license. For christ sake, we already had bought the bottle!! Though it's alright, we respect policy. They highlighted that they needed to keep the bottle in the establishment. We asked if we could come back and finish it. They said they would keep our bottle. We rushed back to our hotel (Marriott- 200m away for the call). When we returned at 11.58pm, they had already thrown our bottle away. Unbelievable! They were quick to receive our money but equally quick to throw our experience out the window. No doubt, we returned almost at closing times but throwing our wine before closing time - if you wanna go by the book, that is still not your closing time. When we raised our grievances to the staff, she said she told us about closing time at 12 midnight. However, we emphasised that she should have let us know about the takeaway policy and license. Had we known, we would not have ordered a bottle. She looked at us blankly and simply replied "feedback received, but we do not allow anyone in after 12, so you have to leave". Quite honestly, ChatGPT / Claude / Grok could have conveyed more empathy. I am not a VIP customer nor am I a high spender. That being said, I value places with a human connection and empathy, and would regularly visit such places with joy and happiness multiple times. This place is not one of them. For this reason, I will never visit again. If you think likewise, and value authenticity and a true Aussie welcome, you would not visit this place. I hate to give negative reviews but please spend your money elsewhere.

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Caretaker's Cottage
Caretaker's Cottage
Caretaker's Cottage - Found you!

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Found you!

State of Grace

State of Grace

5.0(7 reviews)
1.4 kmMelbourne

State of Grace was one of the highlights of our Melbourne trip -- an incredible dining experience…read morefrom start to finish. The atmosphere is vibrant, stylish, and full of character. From the moment you walk in, there's a buzz that makes the place feel alive without being overwhelming. It strikes a great balance between upscale and relaxed, making it perfect for a date night or a fun evening out. The warm lighting and eclectic design add to the charm and make you want to linger. Service was friendly, attentive, and well-paced throughout the night. The staff were knowledgeable about the menu, checked in on us at the right moments, and made the whole experience feel effortless and welcoming. Every dish we ordered was excellent -- not a single miss. We started with the Cauliflower & Mozzarella Croquettes, which were crispy on the outside and perfectly creamy inside. The Grilled King Prawns were flavorful and cooked just right, while the Kingfish Ceviche was fresh, bright, and beautifully balanced. The Stracciatella & Heirloom Tomatoes was simple yet outstanding, letting the quality of the ingredients shine. For mains, the Duck Breast was cooked perfectly and full of rich flavor, and the Lamb Backstrap was tender and well-seasoned. The Pecorino & Ricotta Ravioli was comforting and delicate, while the Seafood Linguine stood out with generous portions of seafood and a beautifully balanced sauce. The Honey Glaze Carrots were the perfect side -- sweet, savory, and executed flawlessly. Overall, State of Grace delivers on every level -- ambience, service, and food. An exceptional spot that lives up to the hype, and one we'd absolutely return to on our next visit to Melbourne.

State of Grace has a positive vibe. Even before your first drink you will think oh what a cool…read moreplace. It's the decor from extravagant chandeliers to deer heads with pearl necklaces; it's beautifully eclectic. I had an old fashion and it had the right mix of orange and bitters. I also ordered the burger which was decent and the fries were hot and crispy. The night I visited there was a live singer playing tunes. Service was quick and friendly. Even the ordering is eclectic as you order electronically (QR) pasted to a library book. This place is worth a visit.

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State of Grace
State of Grace
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Eau De Vie - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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