The Q Rooftop Bar in Melbourne

The Q Rooftop Bar: cocktails on the 28th floor, above Flinders Lane

A terrace overlooking the CBD

At the top of the Quincy Hotel, in the west of the city centre, The Q occupies the 28th floor, higher than most of the neighbouring buildings. You enter beneath an arch clad in golden mesh into a vast room with velvet banquettes and mirrors, extended by a narrow terrace running around the floor. Its few sunlit banquettes are the seats to aim for: the view sweeps over the CBD skyscrapers, the Yarra and, in the distance, Port Phillip Bay, superb at sunset. The neighbouring pool remains reserved for hotel guests.

Australian cocktails and Southeast Asian bites

The Q sees itself first and foremost as a cocktail bar. The signature list changes with the seasons and showcases Australian spirits; all the drinks are suitable for vegans, and both syrups and garnishes recycle ingredients discarded in the kitchen. A house gin, designed with a Brunswick distillery, plays on Southeast Asian flavours, and the great classics are made with care. Past offerings have included a pandan and coconut margarita, a lychee-limoncello spritz and an old fashioned with pineapple-infused rum. On the food side, small portions prepared by Salted Egg, the hotel's restaurant: oysters with nahm jim, raw tuna in shrimp rice cups, salt and chilli prawns, pork baos.

Practical information

Open in the late afternoon and evening, from 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday at a minimum; closed Sunday and Monday. Hours vary by period: it is best to check them before visiting. A happy hour offers a 20% discount on drinks early in the evening on certain weekdays, and cocktail workshops are held from time to time. Online booking recommended; the bar can be hired for events. Access is through the Quincy Hotel, 509 Flinders Lane; Southern Cross station is a few minutes' walk away; Flinders Street and Collins Street trams, within the Free Tram Zone.