Edition Hospitality has opened reservations for Bar Privé, a new cocktail destination opening this July within the former Melbourne Safety Deposit building beside Reine & La Rue. Located at 90 Queen Street, Melbourne, Bar Privé forms part of the broader Privé concept, which also includes a dedicated private dining venue designed for celebrations, corporate events and intimate gatherings.
Created in response to growing demand for private dining and event experiences at Reine & La Rue, Privé is located just around the corner from the two-hatted restaurant within Melbourne’s historic Gothic Bank precinct. Occupying the ground floor of the Melbourne Safety Deposit building, the venue shares many of the architectural qualities of the Stock Exchange Cathedral Room, home to Reine & La Rue, expressed here in a more intimate and restrained manner.
Privé combines a collection of private dining spaces, with a public-facing cocktail bar marking the group’s first dedicated cocktail-led destination. Through its location, design and offering, the venue serves as a natural extension of the Reine & La Rue experience, complementing the restaurant and the intimate wine bar with a new destination for classic cocktails, celebrations and private events.
At the heart of the venue is Bar Privé, a moody bar drawing inspiration from the building’s concealed vault chambers and the private clubs associated with Melbourne’s late nineteenth-century boom years. Designed as a standalone venue, it offers a more focused drinks experience than its neighbouring counterparts, with cocktails taking centre stage. Open to the public, Bar Privé welcomes walk-in and reserved guests, while also being available for private functions and full venue takeovers.
Across the hallway from the bar sits The Dining Room, Privé’s principal private dining space, accommodating up to 32 guests. The room can also be divided into two smaller spaces, The Verdon Room and The Wardell Room, allowing for more intimate gatherings and flexible event formats.
Rebecca Yazbek, founder and CEO of Edition Hospitality Group, says Privé was designed to complement Reine & La Rue while offering a more intimate style of hospitality.
“We’ve seen strong demand for private dining and event experiences at Reine & La Rue, but we also wanted to create a destination people could enjoy in a more flexible way. Bar Privé gives us the opportunity to create a cocktail experience that stands on its own while also sitting naturally alongside Reine.
“Whether guests are joining us for a martini before or after their reservation at Reine, settling in for the evening with cocktails and bar snacks, or celebrating a special occasion, we wanted the atmosphere to feel intimate, personal and welcoming.
“The building itself shaped so much of the direction. There’s an intimacy and warmth to these rooms that naturally lends itself to cocktails, private dining and smaller gatherings, while still carrying the character and history of the precinct. We wanted guests to feel as though they had been invited to a private dinner party.”
The beverage program, led by group bar manager Felix Woods, positions Bar Privé as a dedicated cocktail destination within Melbourne’s CBD. Woods brings more than 15 years of experience across acclaimed bars including The Everleigh, Above Board, Black Pearl and Romeo Lane in Melbourne, as well as London’s Rushmore Group.
Taking a less-is-more approach, the menu focuses on classic cocktail culture, drawing on premium local and European producers with French brandies, fortified wines, Martinis, Champagne cocktails and Sazeracs featuring prominently throughout. Inspired by Parisian and New York drinking traditions, highlights include a Kir Royale and Cognac-led Sazerac, alongside a concise selection of signatures and thoughtful tableside service.
The food offering from group culinary director Michael Greenlaw and Reine & La Rue executive chef Andy Roche has been designed to complement both the cocktail and private dining experience. At Bar Privé, guests can expect pork scratchings with French onion dip, duck liver and foie gras parfait with burnt orange marmalade, panisse with roasted garlic aioli and a French dip baguette, while The Dining Room will offer dedicated function menus alongside a selection of Reine & La Rue signatures.
The interiors have been designed by Sydney-based studio Untitled Works, led by Stacey King, who also led the design of Reine & La Rue. While Privé draws inspiration from the history of the former Melbourne Safety Deposit building and the vault chambers once housed within it, the design was conceived to maintain a strong connection to the broader Reine experience. Located within Melbourne’s historic Gothic Bank precinct, the building forms part of a collection of architecturally significant nineteenth-century buildings shaped by figures including Sir George Verdon, William Wardell and William Pitt.
Reservations for both Bar Privé and The Dining Room open on 10 June ahead of the venue’s 15 July opening. Together, the spaces represent the latest chapter in Edition Hospitality Group’s ongoing revitalisation of Melbourne landmarks, following the opening of Reine & La Rue within the former Melbourne Stock Exchange and the group’s stewardship of the historic Florentino.
Bar Privé will open Tuesday to Saturday, from 5pm until late with bookings available via prive.melbourne.
Privé private dining bookings are available via the enquiry form on the website.
Privé
90 Queen Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Instagram: @prive.melbourneOpening 15 July 2026