Lola Belle

Lola Belle has a timeless quality. With its hand-built banquettes, bentwood chairs, venetian blinds, lead lighting and mossy green tiles along the arches of its mirrored backbar, the venue feels like it’s always been there. The space that now houses the bar was built during the gold rush, when Melbourne briefly claimed the title of the world’s richest city (and when its residents are said to have consumed more champagne than Parisians).

Owner Huw Griffiths (also behind Union Electric) says the space has served multiple purposes over the years, including a wine merchant, a nightclub and a French restaurant. At this iteration, it’s all about rum and wine. Order a drink from the menu titled “A Few of Our Favourites” and the team will get your liquor from a secret cupboard behind a painting. It also has XXXX Gold on tap alongside pricier glasses of champagne.

But the real focus is the rum – from Barbados, Mauritius, Australia and beyond. In addition to over 40 backbar spirits, there’s a changing selection of wines and a rum-centric cocktail list. The Daiquiri has three variations: a light, a dark and the Hemingway (named for Ernest Hemingway, who is said to have requested this version – a double with rum, lime juice, maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice – at El Floridita in Cuba).

The simple food menu has snacks including bread, tinned fish and cheeses with Wagyu bresaola and mortadella by Salt Kitchen cut on the bar-top meat slicer, beside the hefty jar of olives.