Through a pizza shop. Behind a mirror. Beneath a shopping centre. Many bars in the CBD are hidden from street view.

Inspired by the popularity of Melbourne’s hidden bar culture, Simon Kouba opened one of his own, accessible through a car park on Little Collins Street.

“It’s a hidden gem in the middle of the city,” he tells Broadsheet.

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The venue is marked by a neon sign that reads “The Valiant”, left over from the event space that came before it. Kouba kept the name but changed the concept, transforming the mostly bare bar into a glitzy cocktail lounge with velveteen seating, marble tables and retractable windows overlooking the corner of Little Collins and Queen streets.

The Valiant has promotions including date-night deals on Tuesdays; six oysters for $15 on Wednesdays; “ladies’ night” on Thursdays and bottomless brunches on the weekends. But the most attractive part of the venue is arguably the ceiling. It’s covered with 200 disco balls of varying sizes, and Kouba has just ordered 200 more.

The venue is hidden in the Secure Parking lot just up from Chancery Lane, so to help mark the entrance Kouba commissioned Melbourne artist Danielle Weber to paint a mural of a woman surrounded by disco balls.

Surprisingly, given the entrance, there are floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony section with plush seating that overlooks Queen Street.

During the week, Kouba hopes to attract an after-work crowd for cocktails and “French-inspired finger food” including poached prawn-filled brioche doughnuts and cheeseburger-style saucisse en croute (France’s answer to the sausage roll). There’s a selection of French wine and signature drinks including a butter and dill-infused Martini and a smoky bourbon, apple, cinnamon, amaro and lime cocktail.

The Valiant
412 Little Collins Street, Melbourne
9967 1245

Hours:
Tue to Thur 4pm–11:30pm
Fri 3pm–1am
Sat midday–1am

thevaliant.au/