edition Group opened Back of House on Friday 13 November, a late-night bar tucked down Mornane Lane behind Florentino, off Bourke Street in the Melbourne CBD. Back of House pairs vinyl DJs with noughties-classic cocktails with an Italian edge, and the kind of food chefs eat after a night out.
Set in the space previously home to Arlechin, Back of House is the group’s newest venue – a playful, late-night bar. It continues edition’s history of reinterpreting Melbourne’s heritage hospitality spaces, this time with a livelier, more social point of view – music at its centre, and after-work drinks that carry on well into the night.
Rebecca Yazbek, founder and CEO of edition Group, said: “We wanted to add some mischief to the area. Florentino is about tradition and Back of House is the other side of that – the place you end up when you’re not ready to go home. Melbourne is such a lively city, and we’re excited to add a late-night spot that’s fun and unpretentious, with great music, and drinks and food you actually want at midnight.”
The fitout is by Melbourne design studio Foolscap Studio, led by Adele Winteridge, who reworked the original space by removing the existing ceiling to create more volume and height. The centrepiece is one long bar with an integrated DJ booth, fronted by a custom bioplastic screen made from algae by Byron Bay’s Avant Matter. Its design was inspired by a steampunk fashion detail in leather. Walls and booths are wrapped in golden carpet from floor to ceiling, set under low, moody lighting. The window to the laneway has been opened up, connecting the venue to the street, where artist James Brett has been commissioned to paint a mural.
DJs play from 6pm Thursday to Sunday, with the weekly line-up posted on Instagram. The records, curated by Fitzroy’s Plug Seven Records, range from soul to boogie with a sprinkle of Italo disco. The opening week line-up includes Plug Seven’s own Billie-Jean; DJ and radio presenter Mike Gurrieri, whose sets move between jazz, soul, hip hop and club music; Mothball Record founder George Hysteric, known for his collection of Italo, 80s synth and disco oddities; and Kurt Paradise of La Sape Records, known for genre-blurring sets of instrumental obscura, acid funk and exotic jazz.
edition’s group bars manager Felix Woods has drawn on the cocktails of the early 2000s for the drinks list, which follows the shape of a night out across four sections: Knock Off, Sit Back, Kick On and Wind Down.
“The inspiration behind the drinks is noughties classics with an Italian edge, bright and fun, simple construction with big, bold flavours. They’re drinks made for the dance floor. Drinks that drive a wedge between work and play,” said Woods.
Highlights include: House Martini, served ice cold, dry and straight from the freezer with Four Pillars Olive Leaf gin and dry vermouth, either classic, dirty or BOH style with a splash of Cappelletti Aperitivo; Mandy Spritz, which combines Italian Campari, Austrian mandarin aperitivo and local Mandarino liqueur from Tommy’s, charged with soda and garnished with fresh mandarin and bay laurel; and The Little Death turns the classic espresso martini up to 11 with American whiskey, cold brew, banana, coconut and a dash of Fernet Branca.
The Americano Perfecto tops Campari and Cocchi sweet vermouth with lager, the Stretch Limo is a grown-up cola of limoncello amaro and chinotto soda, and the Good Night Saz closes out the night with rye, Hine cognac, hazelnut and absinthe. Beer, prosecco, house wines and non-alcoholic options round out the offer.
In the kitchen, edition’s group culinary director Michael Greenlaw has built a menu that’s fun, a little indulgent, generous and made for sharing.
“The menu is inspired by the food chefs enjoy after a night out, heavy on the cheese, big on the chilli and with a good amount of deep frying. There’s even an ice cream sandwich with a completely unnecessary amount of whipped cream,” said Greenlaw.
An early menu favourite of the Back of House team is deep-fried lasagne, with ’nduja added to the bolognese for heat and flavour, served with a spicy ‘angry’ sauce. It sits alongside saffron prawn toast with parsley, lemon and citrus salt; crispy mozzarella ravioli with vodka sauce; ossobuco croquettes with gremolata; tinned fish with garlic bread, a late-night riff on a Florentino favourite; and fries with ‘pizza’ seasoning and plenty of pecorino.
For something more substantial there’s a meatball ciabatta with San Marzano tomato, basil pesto and lots of cheese, while dessert is an ice cream sandwich that pairs a white chocolate cookie with strawberry gelato, whipped cream and Campari. A late-night menu runs from midnight until close, with shaved mortadella on crostino, a cheese plate and a meatball jaffle.
Back of House opened on Friday 13 November behind Florentino, off Bourke Street. It is open from 5pm – 1am Sunday to Thursday and 5pm – 3am Friday- Saturday. No bookings, walk-ins only. For more information visit boh.melbourne or @boh.melbourne.