Review Eau De Vie - Melbourne

Was suggested this place by a colleague of my brothers as a must while in Melbourne. They are absolutely correct. We came with no reservation and greeted by a very well groomed Maître who was able to find us a table with an hour restriction. Very happy with this. The cocktail menu is incredible as was the food menu. We just had the croquettes as we had already had dinner, but the waitress (Melissa I believe her name was) described them so well we just had to try and was not disappointed. We chose our first round of cocktails which were fantastic and very theatrical. The second round we asked Melissa for her recommendation and again was not disappointed. Decor and ambiance was perfect and despite no really uniforms, their staff were well dressed and suited the style of the bar. This place is a must! And hope the team keeps up the amazing work!

The atmosphere, service and amazing cocktails are all outstanding. Definitely an experience that should not be missed. Set up like a 1920's speak easy you enter through a plain unmarked door into a hidden gem.

We had a ball here! Such friendly staff. The ambience of the place is a little noisy (wouldn't go here for a quiet drink), but fun and happy. The cocktail menu is a delight to read! Sooo many interesting and varied combinations! Do yourself a favour and visit - this place has to be experienced at least once in a lifetime!

This place is behind the secret door. Never been disappointed with a variety cocktails. Fancy but not sacrificing tastes and aroma. Served with friendly and professional services. Less space and 1 hour limit during peak hour though.

Cool lil hole in the wall/speakeasy. Great staff, Defs worth checking out. Liquor selection is extensive to say the least. Big wall of booze haha. Our cocktails were pretty and the selection is creative and intriguing. Our drinks just lacked on impressive mixing/taste. Presentation was good, missed the mark a lil but would come back again to impress friends with the venue 😜

Perhaps one of the best bars in all of the world (and I feel after visiting 48 countries I can say this!) I've done corporate events, degustations (amazingly priced) and visited for a cocktail ot two more times than I can count. From the moment you walk through the hidden door, to the atmosphere, decor and even how the amazing bar staff are dressed, you are immediately transformed into another dimension. Their espresso Martini (pictured 3 times at 3 different events) is THE best cocktail of all time!

Atmosphere is wonderful. Staff are spectacular, and the service is top-notch. Do yourself a favour and order a martini, which will be chilled with liquid nitrogen at your table. They also make a mean Gimlet!

What a spot! Loved the whole experience these guys have created! I got to try the nitro cream on the espresso and the mezcal horn one, and the description provided on each drink was an added bonus 🤩 The menu was intense but laid out in a cool way, the picture key was a win for me. Service was exceptional and always a win to sit at the bar!!

They don’t even deserve one star..<br/><br/>Eua De Vie, known for its rare and exclusive 1920’s American inspired experience is absolutely horrible, ran by a bunch of egotistical white men who lack major customer service skills. Unfortunately, a couple of my friends and I chose Eua De Vie as our Saturday night destination after a long 3 month restriction period. After waiting 50 minutes for a table, we were bombarded with the worst service to date. Our waiter lacked respect, he had his input to private conversation held within the table, he was incompetent in keeping a stream of drinks flowing- we had to wait a minimum of 20 minutes for our next round of drinks to come through. With our recent shocking experience at Eau De Vie, I will not be returning or RECOMMENDING this bar to anyone. Flinders lane has only space for great customer service and an incomparable insight to the Australia’s growing “foodie” culture, in saying that, Eau De Vie does not belong there and should be relocated to Brunswick, fitting right in with all the other revoltingly managed bars. Train your staff to put the customer first and not make mountains out of mole hills

Came here for drinks before dinner to see what the online buzz was all about. The place was packed and lively and the drinks were excellently prepared and tasty. Very cool spot. A little hideaway. Great place to watch the mixologist work her magic. Recommend.

Been here a few times. Cocktails/drinks are decent. Tends to get pretty busy and noisy fri/sat nights so may find yourself waiting in line to get a seat and staffs attention to order.

Eau De Vie can be difficult to find in it's camouflaged location. Upon entering, you are quickly greeted and seated. There is an extensive and exhaustive list of drinks. The bartenders seem to enjoy adding dry ice to dress up the drinks. The cocktails were great. The ambiance was great. Service was great.

We did the degustation menu with a big group. At $175 per person we expected a solid dining experience, but the food was low quality and generally bland. Would not recommend coming here for anything but the cocktails.

Great registration with very friendly waiter in a stunning setting. Extremely alcoholic cocktails 😍

The cocktails were great. However the food on the other hand took a really long time to come out. When it did the taste was delicious. However this turned sour when I nearly broke my tooth on what seemed to be a small stone in the chicken parfait. It really ruined my experience there. Especially since hearing all the hype.

Well when you find this place it is well worth it. You feel like you are stepping back in time. Dim lights and cosy but also buzzing with a greasy atmosphere.<br/><br/>The food is fantastic. Small plates that you can share. The steak tartare was the highlight and such a great size for the price.<br/><br/>The cocktails are priced between $21-$24 but are decent and not full of ‘fillers’ such as coke and juice like other places I have been to. It is like being at a show watching the bar staff make the cocktails.<br/><br/>The list of alcohol and the bottles on display is mind blowing with the amount available. If you can’t get what you want here then I am not sure where you would go.<br/><br/>DEFINITELY worth a visit or two!!! Highly recommend

Tucked away down Malthouse Lane is this hidden Melbourne bar, we pretty much had to do a reversal to find this place! We managed to grab a table promptly, being notified that we had 90 minutes on the table before the next guests arrive. We got one of the low tables which wasn't ideal especially when we were also here for food.<br/><br/>Cocktail list is impressive and is well categorised in terms of theme and flavour profile. I had the Carmen 23 which was refreshing and sour with some rosemary to sniff at every time I took a sip. Some liquid nitrogen was poured into a tube to perhaps keep it cool, if all that ice wasn't enough already. Thinking back on it it could be quite dangerous in a drunken state. Later that night I moved onto their Honey Butter Old Fashioned #2 which was easy on palate with characteristics true to its name, smooth and a tad oaky.<br/><br/>Our food took awhile to come out (I'll touch on this later), our first morsel were oysters in chorizo mezcal and Angry Maria granita. Initially you get some berry flavours then the brininess washes over your mouth. We also had some chicken liver parfait which was rich yet smooth. The chicken skins were utilised as crackers, brilliant. If I could buy chicken skins in a packet I would.<br/><br/>We had some fried pork terrine topped with some fig jam, the chef gave us double the quantity as he thought they were a tad small this time around. Unsure if the terrine itself was made with other ingredients as it just tasted like fried pork, a bit dry from the frying process. This was my least favourite dish. On the other hand we had some pork belly with pear and black pudding which to my disappointment was in the sauce. Pork belly was soft and the sauce a bit irony.<br/><br/>Surprisingly approximately 90 minutes had elapsed and our charcuterie board finally arrived, we would have thought this had the least preparation and would have come out earlier. We were getting a bit nervous about being booted out before finishing our meal but the other party were running late so that put another 30 minutes back on the clock. We enjoyed a mixture of soft and hard cheeses as well as some spicy ventricina and some ridiculously tasty jamon Iberico (extra cost).<br/><br/>We squeezed in a cardamon kulfi with spiced rum, pineapple, coconut and black lime. The black lime was difficult to distinguish but the icy kulfi (as is) had some light spices and went well with the meringue shards and coconut cream.<br/><br/>Despite it being a hidden bar it definitely was not quiet and therefore probably resulted in slow service in food. It could have gone horribly wrong if we were forced from the table with no fault on our part. When it comes to cocktails however they arrived at a timely fashion along with all the theatrics, I'd suggest grabbing a seat at the bar to get the full experience.

The ambience of the place is incredible.

My favourite cocktail bar! Have been coming here for years and I always feel like Alice in Wonderland. From the hidden entrance, to the incredible menu, you never know what amazing things you’ll find. Each drink is more than a drink - it’s a journey, an experience, and definitely worth multiple visits!

This place deserves more than a 5 star review. It has really really good service, they explain everything to you when they serve you the drinks. And also, they have a super extensive bar menu, undeniably, all of them are pretty cool. This place is quite hidden so you gotta really look for a black door with no signs in a dark alley.<br/><br/>So during my visit, one of the waitresses accidentally poured cream onto my coat, which I was unaware of as creams are pretty light weighted so I couldn't feel anything from the back. However, she came over, apologised and washed off the cream for me. She even gave me a name card and told me to contact them if there's any damage done to the coat and they're willing to pay for it. It's very very rare to find such genuine service in a busy place like this.<br/><br/>Thumbs up Eau de Vie!!

One of my favourite spots in Melbourne, it’s a bit hidden, love the cocktails menu, very interesting and creative, fantastic selection of whiskey, the service was really good. Definitely recommend.

All froth and bubble. The names and the combinations and the presentation are all spectacular. Unfortunately none of the drinks we ordered were especially tasty or potent.

The hard-to-find-front-door is totally wanky. The fact that they throw you out after 2 hours is also excruciating. But it’s still 5 stars for three simple reasons: the drinks are amazing, the food is excellent and the decor is wonderful. Pro tip: book ahead so you don’t have the queue for a table.

Love love love this place. Great tasting cocktails. Just very hard to order your second round drinks. It's hard to get a waiter's attention.

Behind an unsigned posted door in one of Melbourne's laneways is where you'll find Eau De Vie. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and fantastic cocktails. They have the best version of the expresso martini. They also have a large selection of other cocktails to choose from. Highly recommend if you are looking for a cocktail bar to have a few drinks.

This place is unique, professional, creative and fun. Each visit I’m compelled to try something new on their cocktail list. Each visit I’m not disappointed, they are true pros, I can confidently bring anyone here and have a pleasant time. The niche of its end-of-alleyway location is also part of the experience

One among many famous Hidden Bars in Melbourne CBD, Eau De Vie does not just get the theateratics (of serving cocktails) right but the concoctions sizzle !!<br/><br/>All three cocktails that we ordered were Amazing but in the correct order<br/><br/>Drink Of The Day was the cinnamon-smoky La Nonna (with Whiskey) was kicking good. { Image 3 and 4 }<br/><br/>Don Giovanni (Vodka Based) was another winner { Image 1 and 2 }<br/><br/>Angry Maria, close cousin of Bloody Marry ( tomato juice, gin, and so many more spirits) was again a winner.<br/><br/>Loved the chilly jam that was served with crispy Potato<br/><br/>Ambience suits the energy this place exonerates and so does the customer service.<br/><br/>Expensive but once a while there's no harm in enjoying Life

We visited on a Tuesday. Very difficult to find this place when there’s no line out the front. We looked for at least 15 minutes and had to read reviews online about what the door looked like, making us late for our booking. Tried calling the bar a couple of times but they don’t answer the phone. We booked well in advance for my partners birthday and were seated at the bar, it was so loud we could barely hear each other speak. I’m sure some of the cocktails are delicious, but I didn’t like the one I ordered, as I had lots of difficulty deciphering the huge menu, therefore regretted spending $20 on it. I was hoping to ask staff for assistance on what to order, but staff were so busy they couldn’t help and we felt very rushed. My partner specifically a certain Japanese whisky on the menu, but they stated they didn’t have it, which was disappointing. We also found others outside confused when we were leaving, saying they couldn’t find the bar either. I unfortunately wouldn’t return or recommend this place to others for the above reasons.

One of the great find away tucked in little alleyway off flinders lane. It’s always pumping place full of mix of crowd and people queuing outside to get in . Keep in mind guys waiting time for this venue is quiet high or be there around 6pm the get in and reserve your spot.<br/>Cocktails are amazing , lots of theatre in presentation. I tried the whiskey based cocktail, can’t recall the name but it was nice and smoky, reminded me of lit stronger version of old fashion.<br/>It should be definitely on your list while strolling best bars in Melbourne

it was very difficult to find the entrance to the place but the place is beautiful the designs everything is a fabulous atmosphere we asked for a cheese and meat board entry it was very delicious but a little delayed the cocktails were fabulous the presentation the decoration of the cocktails was fabulous Food was good but it took a long time to arrive but it was very delicious dinner the flavors at their point the service was good but the prices were very high but it was a great dinner

Impeccable drinks, great service and lovely atmosphere! <br/><br/>I did a cocktail making night here and it was AMAZING FUN! The drinks were all top quality and our host was so knowledgeable and friendly. <br/><br/>Would def recommend for a special occasion!

Great hidden away bar, staff were friendly and patient. All the cocktails were unique yet crafted with care. A wonderful experience. All of my drinks were distinct yet I cannot pick a favourite because they were all so amazing.

Mar 2020: Came back with a small group of friends pre dinner and had an amazing 1.5h drinking cocktails in this beautiful bar. Tried the smokey rob roy and zacapa blazer, both excellent. Friends had the fistful of pesos and elysee montmatre which both involved some fire ;) lots of fun! There are some mocktail options too which was great. <br/><br/>Mar 2019: Best cocktail bar in Melbourne. A little hard to find (part of its charm), there is often a long queue, although the staff do a great job managing the turnover and clearing space for the next group. It is quite 'cosy' inside, but the deco is great and importantly, the cocktails are amazing. There is a wide variety of alcoholic options, but I particularly love the theatrics involved in making the cocktails. We ordered the elysee montmartre, yuzu mule, expresso zabaione and aviator (omg that fairy floss!) The homemade salt and vinegar crisps are also great.

Love the decor and the atmosphere in this bar. We ordered a yuzu cocktail which was soooo yummy! We had a cheese platter which came with warmed fruit bread. We needed more bread for our cheese though!

Tricky to find but that’s the point!! Was a bit annoying that my group had to wait over half an hour outside the door when we were told it would only take 10mins for us to get a table. <br/>The cocktails were interesting and yummy although on the smaller side when compared with the pricing.<br/>If you’re planning on visiting this place make sure you book a table. Also the staff didn’t split the bills either which is rather frustrating when in a group... food for thought...

Amazing amazing amazing! The most delicious and visually exciting cocktails in Melbourne. The bar takes you back to the roaring 20s. Love it!

The staff were very pushy in terms of buying drinks. Also told us off for being too affectionate. Very disappointed and I think the drinks are way over priced.

The staff are almost that good the venue could serve up fresh air and people would still que up. The drinks offer is always great, this was the first time I’ve eaten. Oh the pork sandwich.........parfait and steak tartare were excellent too.

One of the best cocktail bar in Melbourne! This place owns every criterion for an outstanding successful bar. Atmosphere and food were so good! If you haven't tried it you are really missing out on an amazing flavor experience.

Location was so hard to find but we eventually found it after 3 phone calls. Very large amount of choices of selections of alcohol. Great taste! Would recommend trying.

The best cocktail bar in Melbourne. Yup I said it. This place owns every criteria for an outstanding successful bar imho. Cocktails, Service, Restaurant/Decor, Atmosphere and Food. If you haven’t tried it you are really missing out on an amazing flavoursome experience. Here’s some footage of our cocktails arriving with all the finesse accompanied. Thanks for a great night guys @edvmelbourne

Great classy place for a delicious cocktail however the service here needs to ease up a bit. 4 of us went here for pre dinner cocktails and couldn’t believe how pushy the service was. Within 5 minutes of receiving our first cocktails we were asked what other drinks we were after. 5 minutes after that we were asked again. It’s almost like you have to have a constant flow of drink to be allowed to stay here. We dropped a $100 in twenty minutes on 4 drinks and left because we couldn’t have a conversation from the constant hassling. What a let down.

A must visit bar - I take any friend that visits Melbourne here to experience the cocktail culture. They have such a wide variety of drinks, it's so easy for everyone to find something they like. The LN2 espresso martini is a staple. The atmosphere is super cute, but it can get quite loud at times.

Great little speakeasy down Malthouse Lane. The service is really good, and the cocktails are theatrical and innovative. Great ambience. Good for small groups as space is limited.

Excellent hidden bar! You won't even notice this place since they don't have any sign. But one of my friend brought me here! It was nice ambiance and the waiers and people who work here they are so nice including the service it was great! Really had so much fun here.

Tried the Aroa Arc and the guava flavour was the highlight in a Tiki Glass! My company had the Old Fashioned with a touch of wattleseed oil and the Smokey Rob Roy with lots of theatre and wood smoke! It’s not cheap at $20 a cocktail but is definitely an experience!

As much as I love those hip, ‘young’, trendy bars, Eau De Vie shines with its own beauty. Not an expert in cocktails but I was blown way by the characteristics behind their cocktail list and the ones we tried were all delicious with layers of tastes. This bar made me felt like I’ve traveled back in time. Staff are professional and friendly. It was quite of an experience!

Its a super hidden bar that serves amazing cocktails. Their cocktails are just to my taste and they have this very extra presentation on their cocktails. But its ashamed that when i was there, once our drinks were finish we were rushed to get out as quickly as possible

So hard to find! But once you’re in it’s like a whole little world tucked away from the rest of the night. Obviously the drinks are amazeballs and the food was tasty. It’s a tight space but very popular and good for a stop on your way out elsewhere or stay for the rest of the evening - either way!

Impressive. A fancy bar in a hidden lane in the middle of CBD. Love the vibe, music and decoration of the place. Me and my friend sat in a cosy booth with vintage and old-fashioned pictures last time. Would love to sit at the bar next time. Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Amazing cocktails. Don’t remember the name but it was lovely. Will definitely come back!!!

4.8. <br/><br/>Not overhyped at all. This is a very, very, very good bar that is truly representative of the best of Melbourne. It has a mysterious entrance that I found hard to find despite repeated warnings. The dark lighting and dark wood panelled interior is very chic. There’s an awesome range of drinks here including hundreds of scotches. We had a lovely sparkling and a few wines together with some eggplant chips and a charcuterie board. Excellent smart active staff here as well. Trust me, it’s a superb place.

Fantastic hidden bar in the middle of Melbourne city. You won’t even know since they don’t have any sign. But the ambiance was good, waiters and all the service was nice...

Had a wonderful experience last night. All the drinks were divine and not expensive. Love the vibe in the bar, will definitely come back next time.

This is a unique place, hidden from the crowd and magical like you just travelled in time. The vibe is so good, amazing expresso martini’s, unforgettable experience. It smells like sweet cigars, so elegant and sophisticated, a real man’s cave and the perfect place to take your lady on a date.

What a fantastic little place! Firstly, the ambiance, very dark and hidden, like a speakeasy back in the day. It's hard to find at first, but worth it once you discover the place. Have tried a couple of cocktails, but my fave was the Aviator, with all the bells and whistles. Great eggplant fries, and I loved the communal tables. Will definitely be back.

Fancy cocktails and what a presentation! Love them love them. The only downside about this place is that it’s so popular it takes a bit of wait time to get in. Also they try to cramp so many people in such a small space it’s disappointing and kills the vibe :(

Eau de Vie is a fantastic hidden bar that makes you feel like you have travelled back in time. The service was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the beverage options were fantastic and delicious! I can't wait to come back during our next visit to Melbourne.

Beautiful venue that is everything you are after from a Melbourne bar. However, the drinks have certainly don't live up to the hype. Great service saves this place!

Wow.... just wow.  Took my friend for his bday on a Tuesday night. We chose the whisky tours.  Selection of whiskey & cheese was amazing.  Waiter had great knowledge of the whiskey, delivered it as if he was on stage !  A must to try for whiskey lovers.  Ambiance a little tight for space but over all loved it.

One of those iconic Melbourne bars, you can find Eau de Vie at the end of Malthouse Lane. Maybe. There is no sign and the large metal door is always closed. It’s one of those venues that you have to know is there. Walk to the end of the dark laneway, open the only door you see and you walk in to speakeasy heaven. Don’t forget to book a table or you’ll be very disappointed or forced to queue in the long line inside the door until one comes up, which can take a while on busy nights. This place is quite small so bookings are essential. The decor is lovely, the lighting is soft and dark, mood is intimate, cocktail list is so extensive you may need help, and the food is fantastic. You can come for a drink or food or both. Most dishes are designed to share. It’s a relaxed environment for a quiet drink with friends or someone special.

Amazing atmosphere, ambience and service. Unfortunately the popcorn flip was underwhelming for the price. Hardly any drink in the glass. The espresso martini is one to try though.

One of the best hidden gems in Melbourne! <br/>Amazing cocktail menu! Eau De Vie never disappoints.<br/><br/>Drinks: 4/5<br/>Service: 3.5/5<br/>Ambiance: 4/5<br/><br/>Would I recommend Eau De Vie to family and friends? 1000% Would I come back again? Yes!

The epitome of Melbourne culture. Everything is far better than you would expect. The bar tenders are clearly knowledgeable and dashing, but they lack pretentiousness and snobbishness.. it's all about having a great time and a drink you didn't think was even possible to construct with such flair and admiration. If you haven't been, you must go.. if you can find it.. if you want to make your friends jaws drop, then this is the place to take them.

Been here a many a times. A must for any whisker drinker. The selection is divine, staff know their stuff and all the drinks are just damn yummy. Killer cocktails too, so there’s something for the females. Great date night or first night place with the ambience. The drinks in my photo were for a special night where they give you 5 whiskeys and matching cheeses. Didn’t even knew they went so well together.

I don't think there's a better (hidden) place for a cocktail night. Love the deco of the bar with oil lamps and menus that reminded me of the 1920s. Service was fabulous and luckily we had a booth to ourselves so we could talk our hearts out. Food was fantastic and I enjoyed especially the smoked duck liver pate .. that was dramatic with a bell jar full of smoke and the duck liver was smooth and delicious. Ordered the "Aviator" which came with clouds of " fairy floss" and a paper aeroplane. Very apt for the drink indeed!

It was suuuper crowded but they have a wide range of whiskeys as expected. Service was a little slow but understandable considering the amount of people

My friends and I went on a Saturday night and it was absolutely packed. Nonetheless we waited less than 15 minutes and was offered a private booth away from the main crowd.<br/><br/>The ambience was amazing! Love the decorations they have and the music they were playing fit the theme so nicely. Not too loud that you couldn’t hear your conversation. The menu is a delight to read through and it’s definitely locals’ favourite! <br/><br/>We ordered two Aviator and an Expresso Martini. The taste of the drinks were new to me and quite pleasant. In the end we were offered three free shots by the manager (I believe?). Overall, it was a good experience and will be back again!

A very intimate and atmospheric bar. However, our table & the adjacent table were freezing from the a/c despite it being the onset of winter. We asked the waiter to adjust it and he refused, so both tables left as soon as they could finish our drinks. It’s a shame, but they need to respond to their customers a little better.

Hiding in a lane way is the best cocktail bar I have ever been in Melbourne. I have been here multiple occasions and hosted my own birthday party here. Staff have always been amazing with really extensive knowledge of their drink menu. And friendly like your best neighbour. I am pretty sure I have tried half of the cocktails on their menu and none of them disappointed. My favourite is still that aeroplane in the cloud one, pink, dreamy with fairy floss perfect for any girls! Will definitely come back and introduce friends to this amazing place!

We went to eau de vie a wednesday night with my boyfriend and his 2 cousins. We really had high expectations because of all the good reviews. After waiting 30 minutes to get a table, we were amazed by the variety of cocktails. So we ordered a marshmallow fizz and a smokey rob roy. The presentation was great with the dry ice. However, the cocktails were not good. The marshmallow fizz had a weird taste of vinegar and we couldn't even finish it. In the smokey rob roy, the rum taste was overpowering and there was not a good balance between the rum and the whiskies. Furthermore, we heard from close friends that the service is topnotch. We had a hard time finding a waiter to take our order and the cocktails took about 20 minutes to arrive. It was all very disappointing unfortunately.

I had the good fortune of visiting this place on my trip to Melbourne. It is a must do for anyone who loves a good bar scene and especially if you're a solo traveller. They have an awesome collection of booze and literally every brand or liquor type you can think of is available here. A cocktail with liquid nitrogen to chill your glass? Yes!<br/><br/>But the most fun part about it is being able to find the bar in itself while exploring the surroundings. Don't miss the AC/DC lane!<br/><br/>My recommendation of drink is a gin with lime and orgeat syrup and the Lily fleur. check it out on my instagram highlight

VERY cool and intimate cocktail bar that mixes spectacle (starting with the plain black entrance door down an alley) with some great flavours <br/><br/>On a Sunday night the bar was buzzing and full but never felt over crowded. Suggest heading to the bar if possible so you can watch the cocktails being made <br/><br/>The Rob Roy is a standout - a mixture of whiskey, cigar infused rum, vermouth and orange bitters served theatrically with an upturned glass containing wood smoke inside <br/><br/>Not all worked though. The Carmen , a gin and cucumber based cocktail can with way too much ice and a test tube of rose water which was not for mixing in the drink so was effectively the cocktail equivalent of parsley garnish<br/><br/>Didn’t order food but goggled everyone else’s and it looked pretty bloody good from where I was sitting

This Venue has an amazing vibe to it. You can just come here and relax with friends, enjoy the music and try the various palettes of cocktails and bar snacks. The food is great, I ordered the calamari rings and crispy fries and they were phenomenal. Our mixologist Cory was an amazing dude who hooked us up with a couple complimentary concoctions which was very nice. Will definitely visit this place again!!! I gave it a 4 star only because the venue doesnt make online bookings on the weekend and there was a 30 min wait when we turned up.

Eau De Vie is a 1920s style prohibition bar which has a great atmosphere.<br/>Their cocktail menu is really easy to navigate and split into categories based on general preference, such as 'sweet' 'floral' etc. All their cocktails are delicious and well thought out.The staff are also super friendly, attentive and informative!<br/>Ask them what are their most unique drinks for something a little more fun!

Eau De Vie is a hip jazz infused cocktail bar that takes inspiration from 1920’s prohibition America.  This classy hidden gem is located down a non disrupt laneway in the CBD and can only be found by looking out for an old style street lantern hanging above a plain wooden door. At Eau De Vie you can enjoy a stunning range of innovative cocktails and an extensive selection of whiskies from all over the world.

This is hands down one of Melbourne's best bars. It's so melbourne because it's absolutely hidden and you wouldn't find it unless you were looking for it. When you find the large door and go through your amazed at the pure elegance of it. You get seated and the cocktail menu is elobrate. Ita a good crowd so they are softly spoken and the cocktail are all for show and taste amazing.

Came here for "dessert" after dinner in the city. Really fun experience with lots of drama in all the presentations of the drinks. <br/><br/>Staff are great too... have a chat with then, they're happy to recommend!

Long wait but absolutely worth it. Been there a couple times and tried a few cocktails. They were all very nice and well presented. Love the atmosphere too!

OMG, just wow, amazing cocktails, amazing waiters (love the prohibition look!). Yes it may be pricey, but its a cocktail bar in a lane way in the middle of Melbourne, its worth every cent!

Hands down no questions asked 5/5!!!<br/><br/>What a pearl of a place and the cocktails and atmosphere is second to none!!! That was at 4pm on a Saturday too!!! <br/><br/>Their version of Espresso Martini is phenomenal and also a long shell 🐚 one that my friend had too not sure of name... <br/><br/>Brilliant place for a date or fun time with friends!

One of Melbourne’s best and most hidden cocktail bars. Once you find the door, you walk in and it’s like you step into another world. Like old-time New York or Paris. The cocktails are spectacular and the service impeccable. It can be hard to get a table, so reserve one if you can.

Wow! Stepping into Eau De Vie feels like being in a Woody Allen movie where you’re transported back to a different time (specifically the 1930s). Every element of the decor is well thought out and very classy. The cocktail menu is like a novel, and you just want to drink everything. Make sure you fuel up on their delicious snacks: think baked Camembert, cheese boards, zucchini fries and more! The service is wonderful and very efficient. Can not fault one thing about my experience. 10/10 will be back!

Such a cool cocktail bar with professional bar tenders. Joyful enough to watch them making the drinks while we were sitting at the bar. Really good vibe even it was noisy and pretty packed. Could be hard to find the entry as the door is not visible from the wall at night, also there’s no sign anywhere telling you that’s the bar. Maybe it does meant to be hidden, haha.

Highly recommend this.plavw for quiet, quaint and relaxing times. It feels very exclusive and the staff treat you like royalty! The cocktails are made with care, and despite being expensive are well worth the price. If you want something very dimly lit, this is your place!

There is no way in hell this place doesn't get a 5. We tied 5 cocktails. I am not drunk. 4/5 cocktails are awesome. You should try Banderillero, aviator, marshmallow fizz and kitty at the cocobongo.

Packed Sat night but didn't wait too long for a spot. Staff advised of a function later on which was fine but we still felt rushed. They mixed up our dessert but fixed it up and hastily placed it across the table. Rather average experience. Would come back for the cocktail degustation just not in a hurry!

Adore this place, behind the doors is a secret not so secret gem. We booked a table so getting a seat was not a problem, great table service. The espresso martini was a dessert in a glass, followed by an absinthe cocktail...that blew my socks off. It was fun and inventive but with a cool classic feel, my favourite right now.

I really like these hidden bars in Melbourne and this certainly was beyond my expectations.<br/>Wondering down the alley and behind the secret door is a very cosy bar with a nice dark ambience getting you straight into the mood to work through the massive amount of different cocktails as well as a great variety of snacks to graze on as well.<br/><br/>We started the night with my favourite cocktail of the night and enjoyed the Hops & Honey, followed by the Kitty at the Cocobongo which was presented along with a beautiful flower and the Aviator.<br/><br/>We indulged with some eggplant chips and calamari which was delicious.<br/><br/>This was followed by the a couple of sweet cocktails we had the Marshmallow Fizz and Popcorn flip which was served in a translucent old school milk container was really cute,  but these were a little too sweet for my liking. <br/><br/>My friend decided to end the night with  a spicy cocktail and ordered the Banderillero served in a real bulls horn erggh interesting is all I can say.<br/><br/>Along with fantastic prompt table service this certainly will be my return to cocktail bar. Need to check out the whisky menu next looked so amazzzzing.

The service was friendly and the atmosphere is very mysterious. It was quite hard to find the place, due to no signs. The drinks were amazing and unique, would definitely go back again

As far as I could tell there was no name board so finding the place took a phone call for directions. But once inside, then you just have to try the cocktails. Every creation is a work of art with some theatrics thrown in. I had the Smokin Rob Roy to start with and it was simply amazing. Next was the Deerstalker which was good too. Have to go back again for more...

I really enjoyed our visit to Eau de Vie. It's a little hard to find,but that's part of the adventure. What awaits you is an old school whiskey bar. The service is outstanding. Friendly, not pushy, and super efficient. We had a few cocktails, ensuring we tasted a few different ones. We had to dash off to dinner, but I'd love to come again for a date night soon. Thanks team for a memorable experience.

A bit hard to find but worth the search, we went for a drink before dinner but ended up sharing something small as the menu was really nice. Will recommend to friends as it's somewhere a bit different with a really nice atmosphere and great decor!

Most incredible place to go for intimate drinks - whether it’s someone you want to impress, or simply wanting to get away from the hustle & bustle of the city<br/>Just make sure you’re observant, otherwise you’ll never find your way into this hidden gem (literally!)

Best place for innovative cocktails in town. Every drink is a piece of art and genius in its own way. So delicious and presented so beautifully. These boys running the bar know what they're doing and creative in their own right. Absolutely love this place to bits and pieces 👌🏻💕😋

This place is just stunning! It's hidden in a secret laneway door and when you walk through it's like your transported into a movie. The cocktails are very special with a lot of theatre. They also have a huge selection of whisky 👌

Very trendy and vintage cocktail bar with a vast selection of cocktails - so much it was mind boggling when it came to what to choose! I went for bartender Jimmy's concoction. It involved a bit of a theatrical performance with the staff hovering a skull-looking glass filled with smoke over the glass but then took it away soon after. My partner had The Aviator, which looked cute with the candy floss and paper crane. Both drinks were not bad although nothing out of the ordinary. Place is really cramp though and it's not somewhere you can hang around for long.

Great hidden place either for small party, after work drinks or just because... this place is not going to disappoint. Try the Expresso martini, best in town... interestingly served, theatre experience... it can get really busy, suggest to book, you may get a better seat than bar seats. Foods are great too...

One of the coolest bars you will ever chill out in. Massive range of drink options to keep everyone in you crew super happy and curious what to have next of the menu.

Cocktail bar with a theatrical charm! My cocktail had a fairy floss 'cloud' with a tiny paper plane in it - truely matches the name of the drink 'Aviator'. My partner had a drink with a rolled piece of paper attached to the glass, bartender set the paper on fire and we got to see it burning down with fireworks! Other people's glasses were filled with nitrogen-what a way to chill the glass!<br/><br/>This place serves tasty cocktails with 'experience'!<br/><br/>Eggplant chips were delicious too! And customer service was great!<br/><br/>We had to wait for a table for 10-15 minutes but it is so worth it! Don't let it turn you down!

Nice environment but very hard to find this place. I love the money to burn and aviator. Duck liver faifeit is very nice as well. Highly recommend for catch up on weekends.

The best bar i've been in melbourne so far. The bartenders are awesome with great skills. Cocktails are spot on! Ambience is a bit small, can't accommodate a large group of people, you have to line up to sit or stand inside the bar. But if you get in, it's like cocktail heaven! Staff are nice too, very busy and descent prices...Highly recommended!

Somehow I have not been to Eau de Vie before this past weekend but a group of six of us were lucky enough to get a spot for some drinks on Saturday night. <br/><br/>There are enough reviews here singing Eau de Vie's praises but I wanted to mention the fantastic bar staff that are very helpful and really know their stuff. They gave great gin and cocktail recommendations to me and our group.

Only came here for drinks and would not have been able to find it on my own as there is no signage and they have some great insulation so when the door is closed you would never know what is behind it. <br/>We had booked a booth so minimal waiting time. Cocktails were great and they only thing we came for. I wouldn't bother with the food as it's the creative cocktail flair you go for. <br/>Espresso was delicious topped with vanilla cream frozen by liquid nitrogen at the table. Money to burn comes with a fake dollar bill that they light on fire. Tried some others and can't remember the names but all were very delicious, expertly presented and only slightly exxy in price. <br/>Waiters are very knowledgeable and as well presented as the cocktails. <br/><br/>Would definitely come back here for special occasions

What a gem. This place is so unsuspecting, with its lack of signs and just a fancy little door handle. Eau De Vie serves up some delicious cocktails to kick start the night, and its intimate, historic vibes makes it a perfect place for a catch up. The Aviator and the Yuzu Mule are perhaps favourites of mine, for their presentation and balance of alcohol and refreshing tang. The staff are very friendly and fairly attentive, and the darker lighting carries a wonderful mood. Doesn't get too loud so you can carry out a good conversation. Can't wait to return to try some more of their drinks.

Came here twice! Both times it was absolutely delicious! Their cocktails and food as well. Definitely recommend the espresso cocktail on the fav's page! <br/><br/>You might want to make a booking because this place gets real packed.. even on weekdays!

Pretty cool place that is hidden down a laneway, but by this point is fairly well known in Melbourne. The wait to get in was the only thing I could fault in the place, but wouldn't blame the bar. The drinks list is huge, you'd struggle to not find something that peaks your interest. Generally I went for the sweeter cocktails and they were all made very well. The bar staff were friendly and up for a chat, although quite clearly busy with orders. Each drink had a unique way of being served, from drinking out of a shell to having a paper aeroplane flying through a cloud of fairy floss. The prices are high but as a 'once in a blue moon' kind of treat it is highly recommended.

You'll have to queue but it's totally worth it, even if you queue for over an hour you will not regret this fantastic bar! Everything they do is absolute gold & I have tried almost everything!! I loved the whisky cocktail with cigar smoke in it & another served in a goat skull, the Bloody Mary was one of the best I've ever had. Love the vibe & decor too, makes me feel so fancy, like James Bond or something!?

Have been to Eau De Vie several times and they never disappoint! Literally best cocktails in Melbourne. Recently had my birthday drinks there and Jimmy looked after us well. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff there. Definitely worth trying!

Heard a lot of positive reports about Eau De Vie, and Saturday night visit didn't disappoint. It is hidden behind a nondescript door in a quite Melbourne lane way, but upon entry you immediately feel transported back to a bohemian Parisian bar. The cool jazz music and attentive staff add to the vibe, with the amazing cocktails and whiskey offerings making Eau De Vie the complete package. If your looking for somewhere a little different for a drink or somewhere special to impress guests then this is a must, is the sort of place Melbourne does best, unmissable!!!!!

We decided to sneak a couple of cocktails in after work on Friday and I had heard of Eau De Vie but had never been. Eau De Vie is quite a hard to find speakeasy with no sign and a very minimalist door. Kelisi got to the laneway ahead of me and couldn't find the entrance until I came along with a few clearer instructions. Glad we persevered because inside was a lux jazzy and cool space to have a drink. We had to wait for bar stool seating to free up because we're had no plans to eat. Staff were very attentive and table service provided. No queuing at the bar here. Staff were elegantly dressed and were ultra knowledgeable about the drinks on the menu and made recommendations. We were presented with one heck of a cocktail menu but also a seperate whisky menu which we weren't in the mood for but judging from the hundreds of bottles behind the bar I'd suggest whisky might be worth a go at a future point.<br/><br/>We ordered a popcorn flip cocktail which came with its own mini popcorn cup. The Yuzu Mule was gingery and delicious and served in a copper mug. The Kitty at the Cocobongo was a passionfruit rich vodka and citrus mix. The marshmallow fizz came with toasted marshmallow and was ultra sweet. Of the four I was only disappointed with the popcorn flip. An impressive looking drink but it didn't taste as I'd expected. The other cocktails were very inventive and a bit of fun. The bartenders where like magicians with the way they shook, poured, set alight, and liquid nitrogen chilled the drinks. There were so many fun varieties that I would definitely come back here for. I was disappointed that I didn't try their variant of the plain old espresso martini which looked amazing. They even appear to do a cocktail matching dinner option. <br/><br/>There was a food menu but we didn't try it. <br/><br/>Well worth a visit.

Went to check out this bar one night and just as my partner and I were about to order our cocktails we realised that our pay hadn't gone through yet. We reluctantly approached one of the bartenders and let him know that we had not yet been paid and would have to leave our cocktails for another night. He did not have a bar of it. He insisted that we sit down and enjoy one cocktail each on the house, and all of the other staff agreed! We were amazed and thankful, as this kind of service is rare to come across. Have been back many times since and both the cocktails and service are top notch every time. Thanks again 😊😊😊

Like all good Melbourne bars EDV is hidden in a laneway sans signage and on a scale of 1 to super difficult is a solid 7 to locate. It all adds to the exclusivity and prestige because when you finally do enter you a transported to an old world wonderland of upbeat jazz music where half the cocktails have made the best in the world list. The other half utilise liquid nitrogen, fire, or smoke clouds to dial up the theatrics, just in case you weren't already having a supremely novel experience. These bartenders are the ultimate mixologists and as such I don't think you could ever make a bad drink choice here. Everything is perfectly balanced and theres plenty of variety from the classic favourites to bold and exciting new creations. Their abilities with martinis are second to none. Never before has their been so many options it not simply vodka or gin, it's not simply wet or dry it's not simply olive or twist of lime. Ordering a martini is actually an experience in itself. I cannot recommend this bar enough but ensure you book so you aren't loitering in the laneway. My personal favourites are the drinks with the fun garnishes; the popcorn flip (garnish self explanatory) which while it's a cognac based drink is actually sweet due to the addition of white chocolate. Quite the unique selection. My other go to is the aviator which has a cloud garnish (fairy floss) complete with a mini plane on it. Super cute and creative. Great ambiance, great for something a bit fun and different and great date venue

Cosy corners, delicious cocktails, extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff. Find the entrance, line up, enjoy all that Eau De Vie has to offer. Love this place.

This place is awesome for its cocktail and whisky menu but I made the mistake of having dinner here. I want to rate it higher but the food was just shocking. If it was purely a bar, I would definitely give 5 stars, but as it offers dinner I can only rate based on a restaurant/ bar offering. The food is very ordinary and what you would expect at a local suburban pub, but at double the price. I won't return for the food but I will return for the drinks which all taste excellent and some even have a nice theatrical element to it.

Amazing hidden bar tucked in an alley along flinders lane - so Melbourne! Try their espresso zabolone with whiskey, love! My fav was the kitty at the cocobongo and eggplant chips, it gets busy late at night so you might to queue and service is a tad slow if they are occupied

Finished off a wonderful long weekend here at eau de vie, as we had heard about the wonderful selection of cocktails! And they did not disappoint, all presented in such amazing and creative ways! My absolute favourite was the marshmallow fizz, in the running as my fav cocktail ever. And the kitty at the cocobongo was also a close second. Couldn't really fault any of them though. The surprise was the food, the croque monsieur and the duck parfait were just delicious. Service was also great. And the atmosphere and music complimented the whole place too. Great for a date night!

If you find it your doing well, if you get a table your doing better. Such a comedy show watching people stroll back and forth across where the door is. <br/><br/>Inside the staff are attentive and the cocktails, well they truly are in a league of their own. Very keen to get back to try the 5 course degustation with matching cocktails, as you can just tell that this is an establishment that takes the science behind a good cocktail very seriously. <br/><br/>The menu is VERY extensive and I really had to just close my eyes and point in order to decide. Both were outstanding and only comparable to the quality served at 1806. <br/><br/>Likely one of the best bars, if not the best (need a few more visits to decide) in Melbourne.

If this is your first time, you may question your sense of navigation. The excitement with Eau de Vie is present from the beginning, as you attempt to find this hidden whisky/cocktail bar in Melbourne’s CBD – located next door to a car park on Malthouse Lane. As is often the case with hip laneway bars, the entrance has no signage, just a single timber door. With caution, we enter to find a dark foyer with people queuing for a table. It is Friday night, after all, and this is one of Melbourne’s most popular bars. Luckily our book clubber had made a reservation. How cool that you can make a reservation at a bar! This makes the night flow beautifully, especially as we have an 8pm reservation at The European.<br/><br/>It’s dark. It’s opulent. The jazz music is loud. The waiters are friendly and oozing personality. The menu is exciting, although it’s also a little overwhelming, if I’m being honest. There is a vast selection of drinks with names such as The Aviator and Kitty at the CoCoBongo. If you’re a martini lover, you’ll enjoy the ‘build your own’ ice-cold martinis, using liquid nitrogen, labeled Noble Experiment. All this choice makes us start to question if we’ll ever make it to dinner on time. Our waitress sits down with us to take our order and senses our indecision. She guides us with a few simple questions, to understand our tastes – and then ensures that we select the appropriate cocktail.<br/><br/>Suddenly we notice flames coming from a drink at the table next to us – there’s nothing quite like tableside theatrics at a cocktail bar to set the mood. There’s also a private Whisky room, hidden behind a fake bookcase, which is home to over 200 single malt whiskies. Very ‘Get Smart.’ However, it’s not all show – the drinks are made beautifully and worth every penny. We didn’t try the food, but there’s an appealing selection of bar food available, from cheese and charcuterie all the way through to slow-cooked lamb neck with pistachios and mint. There’s even a scrumptious sounding sugar-crusted donut on the menu, if you’ve after something sweet.<br/><br/>I would love to come back, not for a pre-dinner drink, but to make it a night out and enjoy the Eau de Vie Degustation experience – five courses with either cocktail, spirit or wine tastings. <br/><br/>The night is young and we have a dinner reservation to meet. The potent pre-dinner drinks have hit the spot – we’re in a fun and playful mood. As we exit, we squeeze past a queue of people still trying to make it inside – I’m sure they’re all feeling quite thankful that our group is leaving.<br/><br/>

Definitely on the expensive side of life but a great experience and fun for cocktail night. Staff were attentive and helpful, bartender was happy to joke around with us. I had the Money to Burn & the Aviator (pictured) both were delicious and my partner had the Conch Colada (also pictured) which was cool because it was served in a shell but wasn't quite to his taste - possibly a personal preference though.

If you haven't been here before, this place is hard to find. There is often a line too, but it is worth the wait as they have a fantastic array of cocktails, in fact a whole book of various ones. I tried a few here like the pina colada served in a conch shell, but there were still lots that I didn't get a chance to try.

Be careful you don't walk straight past this place! Just a doorway near a carpark, very deceptive. Be prepared to wait on a Saturday night. The decor was impressive as was the drinks list, but was a little disappointed after all the build it received.

A bit overcrowded, but the wait is totally worth it! Cocktails here are awesome and by far the best I've ever had! Will definitely come back again!

Awesome drinks. Great vibe. Best speakeasy I've been to. Great choice of cocktails and lovely staff! We enjoyed all of the drinks and will definitely be back.

Wonderful cocktails, great service and fun to try and find. But either book ahead or be prepared to wait in line, groups over 4 will have to wait much longer.

Such a fun experience at EDV and it was great trying somewhere I had never been before. The whole experience was so novel, I can absolutely see myself taking friends who are visiting Melbourne. The atmosphere was great, but the seating situation was problematic

They serve very creative and unique cocktails. Sgt Pepper. Vodka with honey, lime, orange and bell pepper jelly. It was super citrusy, perfectly sour but not too sour, with a lingering heat that was spicy but not too spicy. It was also super cold, and came with a dark chocolate dipped candied lemon.

I use to frequent EDV regularly, however it has been approx. a year since I've been back. I wasn't entirely impressed on return (despite having hyped up the amazing drinks and impeccable service etc. to my friends). On entry, we were not greeted and we stood around for 10 minutes waiting for staff to seat us. This was followed by a long wait for service to order drinks. This was semi understandable given the fact that it was a relatively busy night. Once we were finished, we requested the bill and the gentleman who brought it over was overly rude. He demanded that we hurry up and provide a credit card or 3 so that he could quickly process the transaction. As I went to pay I noticed the bill seemed excessively high and on review of the bill noticed we had been charged 3 extra drinks. I pointed this out, and the waiter bluntly replied 'I will need to check this because I didn't process your payment'. He came back later with the correct bill and apologised, however the service just wasn't satisfactory. Perhaps instead of rushing people out the door, you should try do things properly to avoid overcharging patrons.

This place has a great atmosphere and vibe. Located in an unexpected ally way, the wait for a seat can take a while. Once in, the drink selection is generous if you love whisky. Great place to check out, best to get there early.

LIT!: All I can say is that I went back a decade in France as soon as I entered- incredible jazz music and dim setting with never before seen tricks with cocktails. Woooow! <br/><br/>NOT SO LIT: trust me everything is lit. <br/><br/>Thanks for having us!

Don't let the name (French for "brandy") fool you - Eau De Vie is a KILLER cocktail bar in the heart of Melbourne. Awesome old school vibe with incredible service. Try and get a seat at the bar and watch the magicians do their work, and be kind to your belly (and tastebuds) and order the eggplant fries. <br/>Make a reservation in advance as lines get long - though reinforcement that the drinks are great, vibe is good and the venue a winner. <br/>Ps. If cocktails aren't your thing, they have an amazing whiskey list.

We regularly come here normally for a pre-dinner drink/cocktail or their famous espresso zabione after dinner. This time we decided to sample the kitchen's skills and had a set 3 course meal with a cocktail. Quality of food was top notch and the attention to every detail resonated with each bite. Service here is very personal and we feel comfortable, even though the clientele seems high end. Definitely make reservations for another romantic date night.

Service was excellent, ambience and decor was outstanding. Highly recommend the popcorn and yuzu cocktails! Pricing is a wee bit on the dearer side but overall still good for what you pay for. Had such a great night out - thank you, we'd definitely revisit.

Loved this bar and it was extremely special. Tucked behind a hidden door near a carpark its an exciting journey to find it in the first place, and the interior looks straight out of Europe. Drinks are standard cocktail prices at $20 but what makes them worth the price is the insane presentation of some of their "favourites" drinks. Definitely a place to bring people you want to impress

Everyone knows the cocktail here is amazing. But what I love is the fun of putting my faith in the knowledgeable, handsome waitstaff who know all the cocktails off by heart and you can tell them whatever your tastebuds are tingling for on the day and they can make a thoughtful suggestion for you. Be blown away by their creativity and presentation. And be prepared to tip because these guys are worth it.<br/><br/>Also the Tuna Tartare was super delicious with the ginger sauce. <br/><br/>If you go on a Saturday night, be prepared to wait a bit in line.

Walk through the door into a space so special you can tell that eve the staff are excited to work there. Impeccably dressed waiters know their stuff in here, so just trust them to make a good choice and sit back to soak up this very special and unique experience. Big fan.

I have been to EDV twice but the first time, my friends and I didn't even realise we were standing outside it and right in front of its door. So, we walked away disappointed. Turns out I was right and we'd been there all along, so a few weeks later and friend and I returned on a Thursday night to see what was on offer. It took awhile for us to get served when we walked in. Plenty of staff walked past without a single greeting, which was not a good start. About 10 minutes later finally a waiter showed up to take us to a table (which we had to share with others, as it is a crowded place). The tapas contained wonderful flavours and can be justified if you don't mind paying a hefty price tag! Cocktails were divine and expensive. Very normal for Melbourne CBD pricing. While drinks and food were good, some wait staff were pretty rude (walking past us). If you are a patient person and want a quintessential Melbourne experience, then definitely visit here. If you want friendly staff, attentive service, cheaper food/drink, and a quieter establishment - don't go here.

Very quirky bar and small. You probably end up sharing a table with someone else. Also very busy and so therefore cocktails take a while to come!<br/><br/>The menu with the cocktails are cool and detailed. Both our cocktails were quite nice. <br/><br/>Not going to lie, I won't be going back as it isn't my kind of place but it's definitely worth a visit :) ... if you can find it!

This secret hiding place is a gem to find! The cocktails change with season, if you are looking to impress your other half or just want some quiet time alone and awesome cocktails, this is the place to try out! 😉

Loved this place! Walked in after having dinner down the road on a Friday night and was asked if I had made a booking. I didn't but it didn't take long before we were seated at the bar. The bar staff are amazingly talented and watching your cocktail made, is like watching a performance. Try and get a seat at the bar to get up close and see it all happening. Not sure of what we wanted, the bar staff asked what we liked and whipped up a creative cocktail. Great vibe and atmosphere. It is best you book before going, to ensure a seat, as the line at the door was quite long by 8.30pm. Go!

Another one of those hidden bars in an alley that you wouldn't know exists until someone tells you about it. Only give away was the woman standing outside it. Go through a heavy wooden door to enter a warm cozy looking venue with booth seating and long bar tables. You can make bookings too. We got here around 7.30pm and readily found some seating but there was a queue when we left. If you are a whiskey lover well there is a menu just for whiskey from all over the world. The cocktails menu is quite massive and each one has a distinct name. <br/><br/>I got the death by peru cocktail with pineapple, Pisco, lime, and slivers of white chocolate. Quite frothy. A bizarre taste I couldn't place with hints of pineapple and slivers of white chocolate on the top. My drink companion got the marshmallow cocktail which was again frothy and tasted like butterscotch. Reminded me of butter beer. Cocktails start at 20ish. There is a Small bites menu.<br/><br/>Saw some people get espresso martinis that arrived encompassed in a smokey haze. Reminded me of Narnia.

You really need to know where to go to find Eau de Vie. Hidden behind large non-descript doors on Malthouse Lane, with only the smallest of signs to denote its existence, is where you will find one of Melbourne’s premiere cocktail venues. Once the secretive entranceway was found, I wondered in to what can only be described as an old-world, Prohibition-esque cocktail and whiskey bar.

Awesome hidden Melbourne bar. We were transported back to the prohibition era as we walked through the unassuming door. The atmosphere was relaxed and lively, if a little loud. <br/><br/>The food was a tad disappointing, being overpriced, underwhelming and tiny. I think everyone had to lean in closer to actually see the tiny portion of scallops we received, and $7 for the extra scallop was scandalous. None of the dishes we ordered stood out and we had to promise to get maccas after to appease our grumbling tummies.<br/><br/>The drinks however, were everything we were promised they would be; delicious and innovative. The extensive list delivered on all counts, ranging from sweet and light to, to theatrical, to ones that could knock your socks off.<br/><br/>I will definitely be back for more drinks, but will eat elsewhere.

Prohibition era bar. So hidden. So classy. Love it.<br/>The ambience was top notch. There are so many different seating options - at the shared high table, the bar, the couch or the booth.<br/>The cocktail menu was ever so impressive. Fire, smoke, bird's nest - all fabulously presented.<br/>Recommended.

Variety cocktail choices and also whisky. Friendly staffs. Only sometimes especially weekends , they are super busy that might wait for a while to get seated.

This place is awesome.....if you can find it.  Great spot to finish off your night and have a whisky or a cocktail.  I've been here a few times and loved it every time.

*Came back to try some more drinks. Yuzu Mule was light and has a fragrant ginger aroma. Smokey Rob Roy for something stronger and smokey. <br/><br/> This is one of the highly rated bars in Melbourne and for those lucky enough to get a table on a Friday night, you are up for a cocktail session in its finest form. Friendly waiters and rustic interior. What is impressive is the array of sardine packed bottles of alcohol on the bar shelf and it seems that massive bar is almost too small to handle the varieties of alcohol Eau De Vie has. <br/><br/>Some of the fancy and theatrical ones is the Espresso Sabaione in which served with a waterfall of fog fuming over the cocktail. We had the counch colada, honey butter old fashioned and the highlander sazerac. <br/><br/>For those who would like a tropical taste, counch colada seems to fit that purpose although we found it had a slight salty taste to it. It may sound weird but it definitely went well together. <br/><br/>For a sweet take on a whiskey old fashioned, the honey butter is pretty tasty. Very refreshing take on this cocktail imo. <br/><br/>For those who likes it strong and maybe a hangover, the highlander sazerac is great. It sure is a delicious drink served in a small glass but it is a potent one for sure. <br/><br/>Great bar and I believe it is a must try.

Great cocktails, great food, exquisite service.<br/>Having been unable to book online, with fingers crossed we walked cautiously down Malthouse Ln hoping that the "we take walk ins" assurance on the website was going to happen. It did! But it was all about the timing, had we been any later we wouldn't have had the chance to sample some of the amazing treats this hidden gem offers.<br/>Starting with a "Kitty at the Cocobongo" we munched our way through pork belly, duck liver parfait, scallops, tuna tartare and cheese beignets. All delicious. One more slice of bread for the duck liver and a little less going on with the tuna and it would have been perfect. <br/>The espresso zabaione has liquid nitrogen pored over it at the table creating a frothy crust of deliciousness hiding a perfectly balanced espresso cocktail beneath. Perfect end to the meal and a perfectly delightful experience.<br/>I would recommend booking if you are more than two or three popping in on a whim. This place was buzzing the whole time we were there with a line out the door at nine pm.

For our anniversary we indulged in the degustation with matching cocktails. The food was fantastic, especially the lamb with sweetbreads yum! The cocktails were nice, but I didn't love them and at times we didn't think they were the best pairing with the food. Overall it was a great night and I'd recommend it as it's good value for monkey.

What a smashing place. Service is exceptional. Cocktails were Devine will be back for the food another time as it looks smashing. No time tonight

An amazing drink list but very disappointed with the food. I would suggest eating somewhere else if you want a nice treat worth the money they are asking!

Probably one of my favourite after dinner bars in the city.  No.1 its hidden, which can make for a fun experience depending on how many wines were consumed at dinner. No.2, when you enter Eau De Vie, it is like entering another world. The interior is beautiful, and you can't help but feel a little bit fancy when you sit down. I consumed the "Kitty at the Cocobongo, and took part in the Versailles Experience" both beautiful works of art. Definitely one to add to your little black book ;)

The espresso martinis here are the shiz! As are the eggplant frites and cheese! I think it was some type of French brie.. The best I've ever tasted and couldn't stop myself (lactose intolerance and all). Perfect venue for a date, very dark and moody. Can't wait to come again!

Oh my, I loved everything about this place. We booked which guarantees you a spot as last time we decided against the long wait. Warm and intimately cosy inside with the most charming of waiters providing utmost attention to your experience. The array of cocktails will certainly meet the desires of everyone and in doing so completely blow you away.

First review but been here a lot in the past. Bookings are essential on Friday and weekends. One of the original speakeasy style bars in the CBD. Their whisky selection is just so expansive it blows my mind. <br/><br/>The cocktails!? You need to try. Simply irresistible. Definitely one of the better cocktails in Melbourne! The Smoking Rob Roy and the Yuzu Mule are my favs. <br/><br/>Great ambience and excellent service.

Great place to come and hang out for a few cocktails, the theatrics are fantastic and there's lots of ohh's and ahhh's goin around each table. I'd definitely recommend booking a table in advance as the joint gets really busy, it has a massive cocktail menu and each one comes with its own unique twist, from liquid nitrogen, fire, smoke and even popcorn. It's never boring. The service is also really good and friendly. They know all their cocktails like the back of their hands and we were never left waiting. The downside for me was the food size and cost. Each dish was really delicious but so Tiny and expensive, couldn't fill myself up after $100 on food and had to eat elsewhere for dinner. Cocktails are all about $20-$22 which I guess is ok considering the uniqueness of them all, overall a great place to go and have a drink with friends, definitely be back.

Arrived at the bar at around 9.45pm on a Sunday night and there were many available tables and seats. Despite this, we were made to wait and then seated with an international group of tourists/students, rather than at our own table. It was very crowded and uncomfortable at the table. The staff were unfriendly to the point of unprofessionalism and considering I frequent many cocktail bars in the city (plus I have lived overseas the last ten years) and this was my first time here, I do not want to go back. Staff need to be professional and seat people right away, rather than make them and others wait while staring and standing in a doorway at empty chairs. As a result of the delay in seating, we were only able to enjoy one cocktail (yes they close at 11pm), and had to rush the 2nd. The Amaretto Sour was average, but when you are out with a friend, sharing a table with a bunch of strangers taking selfies, is not your idea of a nice night out. It was a wasted night out and well anticipated trip to the city.

Yum, yum, yum! I did not want to leave here. And definitely not after only 1!! Silly dinner plans. I had the Aviator cocktail - comes with a side of delicious fairy floss

Service was amazing, drinks were really great and had a good time with friends. The drinks were of a standard price but the food (mainly nibbles) was expensive. The vibe was interesting... it was quite busy. A good experience overall.

Love the hidden location and interior of the place. However the person who waited our table on a Saturday night wasn't the best. He wasn't helpful when we asked for cocktail comparisons. And I never got that bandaid I needed for my bleeding finger.<br/>Other than the staff drinks were amazing. Highly recommend Essence no.2.

Absolutely loved this place. Amazingly cosy, dimmed, candle-light, wood & leather atmosphere, great music (jazz&blues when we were there), delicious sophisticated bar food, awesome cocktails, incredible Whisky menu (350 whiskies!)... Perfect for a romantic night out but also for a night out with friends. Also love the fact that it's so hidden! So Melbourne! Service was fantastic too. Will be back again and again.

Well If my friend didn't introduce me this awesome bar, I wouldn't find this place. We ordered The Aviator and Espresso Zabaione which were amazing. Great atmosphere and nice decor! Staffs are really well product knowledge and friendly.

Cocktail making theatre at its best! If you can get a seat at, or near, the bar I recommend it. Big ups or having coat/handbag hooks under the bar. Sublime cocktails. I'm sure it really doesn't matter what you order, everything looks delicious, and certainly I liked the entire collection of the drinks my friends and I ordered. I think we liked them even more as a result of watching them being constructed, liquid nitrogen, fire, and all! And totally agree w comments about charming knowledgable staff, made us feel v welcome. It's just a shame that the queue arrangement is awkward w people departing having to squeeze past those waiting, and those w a booking pushing through and irritating those that have waited for some time - unpleasant experience for both parties before even starting. Eau de vie do you really need to take bookings at all?

Love the vibe of this place! Came here with my partner,perfect for date night. <br/>Impressive range of cocktails and bartenders were really attentive,excellent service.

One of my favourite bars in Melbourne. Fantastic atmosphere and great cocktails. All the waiters are charming and knowledgable about the menu, and the food is pretty good too. I recommend the patè for snacking while you sip on an Oceanside cocktail. Make sure you make a reservation on busy nights, because you're guaranteed a lengthy wait otherwise.

HIGH COURT OF CONSUMPTION<br/><br/>BETTY COCKER CJ<br/><br/>SUMMARY JUDGMENT<br/><br/>1. Wowee. Eau De Vie is THE place that the COCKER goes to for getting drunk in STYLE and CLASS.<br/><br/>2. That nitrogen espresso martini really gets the COCKER WET. <br/><br/>3. If only hotter men frequented this place. Come on boys. GET ON IT.

With an inconspicuous exterior to a blatant interior, this place is full of surprises. The cocktails are unique and the whisky list is extensive. Don't miss the smoky rob roy, espresso zabaione. Another one i really enjoyed was the Kingston. try the 4 cheese sandwich? its like a cheese overload(in a good way). The Tuesdays whisky tasting evenings are excellent value too.

LOVE LOVE LOVE, stumbled across this place recently and had an amazing night. Haven't stop telling people about it since. Great cocktail, great whisky and most importantly great service. Next time we will make a booking as it was quite busy.

Overwhelmingly good, a booze selection that an alcoholic would have a wet dream over. So much to choose from. The most intricate cocktails around with well trained staff and also the opportunity to buy your own bottle of liquor.

Eau de Vie is about as "hidden bar" as you can get. It's the black door next to a sign for Adina. Expect to wait a little bit at nights. We originally got a seat at a group table but was fortunate enough to be offered a seat at the bar - I'm so glad we chose to switch because it was amazing fun to watch the bartenders whip up all kinds of fancy drinks with flare. Be prepared for the drink that's set on fire and poured a dozen times from jug to jug, still blazing and on fire. We watched this one being made many times. The cocktails are really unique and the menu is huge. The food shouldn't be forgotten. We had three bar snacks and they are all amazing - the scallops in particular were divine. Service was really top notch and extremely friendly. Despite the noise and all the people, we were well looked after. The bartenders would from time to time check up on us. Due to a mishap in which our water glasses ended up getting smashed, they gave us free shots (sour cherry brandy, btw, and it was the best drink all night). Eau de Vie is a truly unique and classy whiskey and cocktail bar, with some of the most interesting drinks around, and exceptional food and service to go hand in hand with the drinks.

We loved this Speakeasy bar. Amazing cocktails to choose from. The Speakeasy theme stays true throughout the entire experience, down to finding the entrance. Host was amazing too as he accommodated our daughter into the party at the last minute during a full reservation night.

Such a wonderful venue to enjoy some cheeky cocktails and amazing whiskey. The food was delicious and perfect for sharing. Staff were extremely helpful and friendly and willing to give us their suggestions. Will visit again soon!

Fabulous venue to impress that special guest, before dinner cocktails or after dinner nightcap! <br/>The theatre, the choices, the fit out of the venue ... All top class. <br/>However despite making a reservation we were sat at the bar & crammed in between it, & the full lean to beside it. The venue does get full and busy so don't expect intimate catch ups... More for the fun "let's try another cocktail" attitude! <br/><br/>I would love to experience the cocktail degustation... It's on the bucket list!

Good luck finding this place, there's no signage, just a random back alley door to look out for.<br/>You'd probably just walk past it, like we did.<br/>EDV's probably Melbourne's best cocktail bar, most of the staff and drinks having won numerous accolades. The cocktails are inventive as hell, featuring outlandish concoctions, some served in horns or skulls.<br/>There's also the most extensive whiskey menu in the city.<br/>Art heads, snoop around the walls for the wicked caricature pieces scattered about.<br/>Will be back for more 'water of life'.

This has been our second visit to Eau de vie after we were blown away by the cocktails and service on our first visit. If you are lucky enough to get a seat at the bar, its like scoring a ticket to the theatre watching the bar tenders whip up the amazing cocktails one after another. <br/>On our second visit we were feeling a little bit peckish so we got a few dishes to try. With the cocktails being the main attraction, I expected the food to be good but my gosh the food was supurb! so tasty and the dishes complimented our cocktails so well. We ordered the brussel sprouts, pork belly, chicken liver parfait and the sour dough and everything was spot on! (if you think you dont like brussel spouts, think again! I'm not sure who the chef is here but he has put the menu together so well and given so much love to his food and clearly has an impressive back ground in the cooking industry. Also can't express enough how helpful, patient and friendly all of the staff are. This is by far my most favourite hidden bar in melbourne. Could not say more good things about it! will certainly be back!

You'll find this place hidden away in Malthouse Lane, just a small lamp above a door you might just walk straight past. It's a speak easy, and looks that way when you walk in - whiskey and gin bottles all over the back wall. The bartenders do remind you of something from times gone by... A huuuuuuge cocktail menu, all in different 'categories' depending on the kind of drink you're after. Large whisky menu too and food for sharing. Check it out - a lot of fun and something different.

Second time to this venue last night before dinner and loved it even more than the first time. Chic glassware, top quality cocktails that have you salivating for more and a whisky selection my husband cant get enough of...needless to say the service is pristine and i dont even have to get off my chair! counter? what bar counter? ahhh,so 1920s Gatsby....well be back again....cocktail with fairy floss and a paper plane deco...its called the aviator....delish!

Such a fun little speakeasy bar! On recommendation from my friend's aunt we looked for "just a door" and stumbled into a packed bar with swing music playing. While it was busy, we only waited in line for about 10 minutes, with another 5 minutes for a drink. A few couples complained and left after a waiting period, but really, it was worth it. A delicious old fashioned and New Money drink, and the food going by wafted the potential for great tastes!

One of the best bars specially if you live whisky.. Staff are very helpful and knowledgable. Will keep going back.. The cocktails are special

Hard to find, and extremely busy are two great ways to describe this place. But neither of these are particularly negative comments IMO. <br/>Great selection of cocktails, full bar, table service and a great vibe. It was very busy on Saturday night, which is to be expected. Not so comfortable when crammed on a communal table. Makes the premium pricing a little harder to swallow. So hard to take photos in a dark bar, but the presentation of the cocktails is pretty spectacular!<br/>Would definitely come back here on a quieter night (weeknights?) to see how good this place can be.

Eau de Vie specialises in cocktails and whisky - of which they have lots! So many in fact that the drinks menu is about 20 odd pages and, god help me, I can't remember what we ordered. Suffice to say, they all tasted great and when you've got great company and the cocktails that are sharp and zingy, who cares what they're called! Just do what we did and point to what other people ordering and add it to your tab. If you sit in the main area, you get to watch the nattily attired bartenders prepare the cocktails. In addition to the shaking, throwing and catching, there's dry ice bubbling away, and the occasional fiery glow from the blow torches (for Simpsons aficionados, it's very reminiscent of Flaming Moe's).

This little secret place has a very cozy 1940s athmosphere. Great place for a date. Ordered the espresso zabaione and it was delicious. But the highlight of the night was the "Smokey Rob Roy" if you a whiskey based cocktail this is your drink. They smoked the glass with hickory woodchips which works extremly well with the cocktail adding a smokey peaty flavor to the drink. I think the price is quite cheap considering the amount of work required to create this cocktail

Awesome bar. Part of the intrigue of this venue is finding the entrance. Bar very speakeasy decor as are the staff. Fabulous interesting cocktails and not so interesting bar snacks available. But who needs to eat here. Such fun

With almost 500 years of experience in glass making, Spiegelau has just launched the ‘Perfect Serve Collection’ by award-winning bartender and mixologist, Stephan Hinz. The goal was to create the ultimate set of bar glasses which not only felt and looked good but were also perfectly functional. The result is a 10 piece strong series of glasses which have been designed to cater to the needs and demands of a modern bar, expertly sized to accommodate every cocktail, whether classic, inventive or whimsical.

Eau De Vie is absolutely one of a kind! This little bar is hidden down Malthouse Lane and the first time you visit it can be tricky to find the front door but once you step inside it is a whiskey and cocktail fiend's dream! Kitty at the Cocobongo is absolutely delicious but the Espresso Martini has to be one of the best in Melbourne.

The EDV's version of Coffee Martini is the best! Loving the extensive list of cocktails & drinks. The staff are very friendly & confident in suggesting drinks. Every drink is special, this is very true! Good luck finding this place if you haven't been there before, don't doubt yourself, that dark door with no sign is it!

like treasure this place is hard to find but worth it's weight in gold once you get there. cocktails are exciting and the bar wall is worth a photo. staff know there stuff which makes ordering from the overwhelming menu easy.

How can this place be kept as a secret?! There is no chance I would discover this place by accident. Eau de vie is very well hidden in one of the back alleys (next to a hotel's carpark entrance). There is no signage or mark to indicate this establishment.<br/><br/>This is the place to get some really fancy cocktail concoctions. The menu explains everything and the only challenge is to make a decision on what you want to get.<br/><br/>The cocktails shows simple sophistication with amazing twists. I am surprised at the flavour, texture and the innovation of each drink. The staff is really engaging & friendly here. A good place to unwind and makes you part of an exclusive society.

Where has this gem been hiding? Wow! The best cocktails in Melbourne by far! From drinking out of skulls to having dry ice poured over your espresso martini! <br/><br/>The vibe of this bar reminds me of NYC, it's classy, it's sassy, it's energetic without being pompous! it's music and bustling wait staff make you feel like you're witnessing and drinking some of the best cocktails in Melbourne... You don't need to be in high society to go here, but they treat you like you are!

Came in a group of 4 at 11:30pm on a Saturday night and waited about 20 minutes for a table. Well worth the wait as the service we received was personable, bubbly and efficient. Cocktails are amazing and the fit out is gorgeous. Love the dimmed lighting and cosy banquettes. Would come back. Highly recommended.

Booked out the place for a private function. Food was late, incomplete, and orders were mixed up or forgotten. Poor service and slow kitchen is not an excuse for events planned well in advance. Despite okay cocktails, certainly bad value considering the price. Superfluous drink accompaniments (such as shreds of newspaper and pebbles), and pretentious decor (such as an almost invisible entrance door) not fooling anyone.

This place is awesome. Tucked away off Flinders lane it is quintessential Melbourne. Have been here a number of times including with interstaters. All have remarked how they don't have anything similar in their city. <br/><br/>Staff are friendly and really make an effort. The bar is small and so not so easy to get a seat but staff place you as soon as an area becomes available. They're all sharply dressed too. A plus to the staff. <br/><br/>A long list of drinks including awesome cocktails. They also do a grazing menu. <br/><br/>This place is really really cool.

This place truly does transport you back to the time of prohibition. Finding the place deceivingly challenging, so it's a sense of trumph to be welcomed into this classy establishment! Drinks are creative and innovative and the staff are polished without being pompous. Coffee lovers, do try the Espresso Zabaione. Also recommend the make your own martini option. Perfect place for quality conversation with good company.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Gorgeous flavours and theatre presentation of our drinks made this a great place to stop by on our way for dinner. Staff were professional and friendly. Only too happy to make suggestions to our drink menu selection. We were there early, which I highly recommend as once it becomes busy, can become a little squashed, taking away the relaxed feel.

The drinks menu on it’s own was incredibly expansive, not to mention appetising and it was nearly impossible to settle on any one drink (no, the ‘why not both’ wouldn’t have worked here, trust us) and we’ve since talked about coming back one time for a round or two after work. From palette cleansers to fiery stiff drinks, these guys have got you covered.<br/><br/>We sat in the corner of the bar, with a Yuzu Mule for Jo and a Pop Corn Flip for Li, soaking it all in amongst the buzzing ambiance. We had front row seats to an awe inspiring view of the wall behind the counter, lined with every alcoholic beverage known to man, dimly illuminated by some serious mood lighting.

What to pair with cheese? Normally it's wine, the nuances of which perfectly match the nuances of cheese. But wait! Eau De Vie surprised with a magical pairing of cocktails with King Island Dairy Cheese. The World Loves Melbourne was invited to the Cocktail Flights with King Island Dairy event, along with a packed house of both cocktail and cheese enthusiasts.

Went there for my birthday and didn't have a reservation but they were able to fit the 4 of us in! <br/>Great service! Coffee drink with liquid nitrogen was amazing! Great atmosphere! Super friendly :)

One of the best bars melbourne has to offer. Tucked away on one of the veins that run off Flinders lane, you'll find a 1920's themed cocktail bar that is always bustling from open till close. The best bartenders in Melbourne work here and the selection of small bites are always good for after work drinks. Smokey Rob Roy is my poison when I go and a must have for any whiskey lovers! Try it out but make sure you get in early or go late enough as there can be a massive line!

Eau De Vie never disappoints. So beautifully done cocktails specially the espresso Zabaione. The atmosphere, the staff, the decoration and the drinks all ace. My fav bar in Melbourne.

Visited Eau De Vie on Saturday night. The place was very busy when we arrived at 645pm. Had emailed ahead to make a reservation as had family visiting from out of town and wanted to ensure we didn't have to wait for a table. On arrival the hostess had lost our booking entirely. Thankfully I had email confirmation with me and she apologised and asked us to wait a few moments whilst she sorted something out for us.<br/>In the meantime a bartender approached us, offered his sincere apologies and proceeded to pour our group a glass of Mumm champagne each. <br/>Within a few minutes we were seated in a booth, complimentary champagne in hand. <br/>The team could not have made a better recovery for their mistake. We were very impressed with them and enjoyed our usual espresso martinis and aviator cocktails. <br/>Thanks to the staff for ensuring our group had a great night.

I see quite a few people have given this place a good review- maybe I went on a bad day, but I was really dissapointed. I would also like to disclose I have experienced my fair share of cocktail bars and so my review is based on comparison. Service was sooooo aweful, a table of 15 were grossly neglected- (cant miss us!) a very slow service, which is not uncommon in cocktail bars, however this was especially slow... menu was HUGE and everything was same but different. would have rather a smaller menu with quality control. Just because its served with dry ice doesn't make it life-changing.

A great place to try out drinks from a massive range if you're a fan of spirits! For people who'd like to stick to a cocktail, there are many options to choose from too. If you want something sweet/dessert-ish and loves coffee you could try something like #EspressoZabaione (expresso martini as seen in the photo); in which they use liquid nitrogen to freeze a layer of vanilla mousse.

Yes EDV serves us well. A large non descript door, and then enter into luxurious surrounds in what actually feels like a private club. Add to this the extensive <br/><br/>Whisk(e)y menu, the equally as impressive cocktail list- almost the length of a novel, and the fact that you can opt for little bar snackings or even a degustation menu, and this is the kind of place that will consume more and more of your time. There's also little lockers in which one can keep their chosen tipple for a future occasion. Yes, you will pay handsomely here, but EDV as a venue invites a sense of occasion. With <br/><br/>some small talk and banter and drinks in hand there's not much else you need here. Go here to indulge.

Wat an Awesome hidden bar behind a hidden doorway down a dark alley in Melbs CBD!! Can't get over the extensive bar and the cocktail book- not list- book haha! Spent wayyyy to much $$$ but was so worth it! As we had had dinner we sat at the large communal table and met some wonderful ppl during the course of the nite as we steadily got more tipsy!<br/>My best friend was loving the Gin Martinis and with the liquid nitrogen touch they were awesome to watch get made. Me & the sis were all over the shop going from Kitty at the Cocobongas, EDV Bellinis to Que Syrah, Syrahs haha! Soooo good!! 😊🍸👌

Love this hidden little gem of a bar, it's just so Melbourne with that Unrecognizable, unnamed door down that little alley of the lane. Cocktails here are an absolute winner!

Hidden away, no sign and an unassuming entry with a covered piano will welcome you to eau de vie. Past this is a bar with oodles od mood and charm. Wander through the cocktail menu over the night, I have never been disappointed. A personal favourtie has to ne the aviator, delicious and it comes with blue fairy floss clouds and a mini plane. A must on your laneway tour of melbourne.

Whilst I do love this place on most occasions, a recent experience left me wondering whether they had lost their way. <br/><br/>Three points is all that's needed to share to explain our experience with a friend from Hong Kong who is in the hospitality business that I had recommended the venue to:<br/><br/>1. We were seated but as a whiskey bar, when asked about the difference between peat and smoke as an off hand question, proceeded to get 3 different responses from the three different service staff<br/>2. An obnoxious french student who had carried airs but no graces and on two occasions requested on the basis of 'making way for other guests' despite drinks in hand, that we move gave us little reason to vote in favour of the service levels - the second occasion we simply refused<br/>3. Lastly, this was not received well by her, she then complained to her manager with the same level of professionalism that she served us, when the manager cottoned on to our concern it was too late - we paid for one drink and left.<br/><br/>Whilst it was clear the manager was in a difficult position and did pay for our drinks all but one, he handled it badly in our opinion and the attitude of the rude disinterested wait staff, gave us of plenty of reason to leave and head to the next venue.<br/><br/>Disappointing for a venue that should do better. Hopefully they learn but if not, be warned that perhaps some of the success has made management a little comfortable. It may not be what you expect and there are certainly other options these days.<br/><br/>Promising but disappointing

So a special occasion - 4th wedding anniversary - Idea was to celebrate it over 4 days and first day being Tuesday. I knew what I wanted to do?? this was on my "to go to" list for ages.. Tuesday Whisky and Cheese tasting at Eau de Vie. So there I was with my better half looking for this classy hidden gem in one of Melbourne laneways. We knew what we were looking for just not sure how to find it. Was very close to giving up when this guy walked towards us and said "keep walking further and you will see this big wooden door on the right and you will find what you are looking for" For a second I thought he was a psychic or a future teller. He just read our mind. Surprised as we were.. we said thanks and walked in the direction he said. Behind the wooden door it was all what we expected- dim, classy wooden interiors, lot of buzz and well groomed bar tenders. Undoubtedly one of Melbourne's best. Whiskies were good and cocktails were amazing. Surely be back soon.

Pretty cool place hidden away in an alleyway just off Findler st. Its pretty classy and elegant.<br/>Does nice cocktails and has a wise range of wines and whiskeys. Everyone seemed to be dressed up a bit here.<br/><br/>~$30-40 for two drinks.<br/><br/>3.5 Yums

Eau de vie is a honest whiskey bar. It's hidden presence add to the appeal. The waiters are all very skilled in their craft and have great advise on what to drink according to what we liked

This is one of those quintessential Melbourne places that is nearly impossible to find if you don't already know about it. This is one those places that someone needs to introduce you to. But once you find it and enter it, you are transported into a bygone era of beautifully packed bars with plush furniture and sprawling with wooden finish. The bartenders are your typical Brunswick and Fitzroy hipsters with the beard and in a tie. They whip up absolutely incredible cocktails and you would probably spend most of your first trip just in awe of the place. Please do yourself a favour and don't have any beer or straight drinks while you are here. This place is meant for the cocktails and rightfully so!

Presented like a sundae but it ain’t your usual icecream sundae. This is Eau De Vie’s famous Espresso Zabaione, which is their take on the classic espresso martini but taken to the next level. This cocktail drink lookin’ mystical is made with Wyborowa vodka, coffee and maple syrup. Layered on top with is

A definite must for all cocktail lovers - especially whiskey lovers! Glad my friend knew where he was going...I would never have come across this bar on my own! Great atmosphere

It can get pretty busy and loud to the point your ears and throat start hurting from all the shouting. The selection of spirits is quite good but can be overwhelming to a novice. The staff is helpful in that regard.

March ‘18 - Still love this bar. One person on our table didn’t like her cocktail because it was too spicy for her and they let her choose another one free of charge. Now that is service!<br/><br/>Sept ‘15 - Hidden cocktailbar in a little alleyway without signage. They put a huge amount of love and effort in the cocktails. It's a bit more expensive than usual, but you get a lot more for it so probably worth it. The service is trained in giving you that little bit extra of attention, they sit down and take the time to talk to you. I like this place a lot, however, the public is a little bit old (35+). I suppose those are the people that started appreciating good cocktails and willing (and able) to pay a bit extra for it.

If you are familiar with my reviews on the Y-Place, then you'll know that the first time I give a review of a location I don't typically go higher than 4.  <br/><br/>The reason for this is simple:  Success must be repeatable.  <br/><br/>In other words, I want to visit a location several times and have the same level of service, the same quality food/drink, and see that consistency of experience -- when it is there, I have no problem with the higher ratings.<br/><br/>Enough of the preamble, on with the review. <br/><br/>Eau de Vie has been on "our list" for quite a long time, but my wife and I are creatures of habit and when we find somewhere we really like, we tend to make it our own for a long time...however, every now and again we mix up the routine and try somewhere new, and last night was EDV's chance to enter our lives.<br/><br/>As others have commented, finding EDV isn't the easiest; gotta go down the alley, find the right door, knock precisely 8 and a half times, and use the password to get in.<br/><br/>Okay, maybe it's not that hard, but, you won't find any brash neon arrows pointing the way, that's for certain.<br/><br/>Once inside you'll feel right at home if you're a fan of venues such as The Everleigh, Black Pearl, Kodiak Club and other well loved establishments around Melbourne.  The lighting is appropriately dim, the buzz pervasive, and the bar staff focussed on delivering concoctions that will be sure to delight and impress.<br/><br/>We had no reservations - and that's a tactical error on our part.  The venue was packed with at least one, but perhaps more, Hen's Nights, and without the reservation, we were looking at a pretty narrow window.  Indeed, we had about an hour to drink as much as we legally could, before we'd have to move on.<br/><br/>That worked out for us, as we had dinner reservations at 1845 anyway, so, we got on with drinking straight away.<br/><br/>Our server was a familiar face; he'd been at Kodiak Club in the past, and my wife and I both recalled him from there, and he also remembered our faces, so there was an immediate "friendly" vibe which started things off just right.<br/><br/>I went with the Smoky Rob Roy as a first drink, and my wife had a Sgt. Pepper's Cocktail.  Presentation on mine was outstanding; bits of wood set alight, smoking the inside of the downwards turned glass.  Upon serving, the glass is flipped and the cocktail poured in from the neighbouring small bottle.  Outstanding.<br/><br/>My wife loved her cocktail as well - it started off with a really strong spicy kick, which is something she loves in her drinks, so, big smiles all around.  She did say it lost the spice the more she drank, and almost became a bit sweet towards the end.  <br/><br/>Our second, and final, cocktails were a Mescanez for myself,  and Ernest's New and Improved Tomato Cocktail for my wife.  <br/><br/>Both big hits as well - although I must admit, I think I was a bit jealous of my wife's cocktail this time around.  May have to get one myself next time we visit.<br/><br/>EDV has lots of outstanding looking food options, but, we didn't have time to try any.<br/><br/>Great first visit, with only one downside (and it's significant for us):  Smokers.<br/><br/>Not inside the establishment, but, they hover RIGHT by the door, so every time someone goes in and out, clouds of cancer gas come wafting into the establishment.  Our seating location made this particularly problematic - we loved the location otherwise, which made it a bit of a shame.<br/><br/>If anyone from EDV is paying attention, you may want to politely ask your smoking guests to think of the non-smokers and do their thang a bit further away from the entrance - leaving EDV was like walking into a toxic fog bank, which really made an otherwise wonderful visit a bit of a downer.<br/><br/>We will, however, be back!

Been here twice now, drinks are pretty dam cool in terms of presentation and the place is always packed as (well every friday night). Place is tiny but cosy and is mainly an older crowd but obviously welcome to anyone.. Drinks are about $20 each on average which is pretty standard but worth it since theyre done so well

Eau de Vie was the last stop on our evening around town a few weeks ago. They served up an amazing atmosphere coupled with a kick-ass cocktail or two and a to-die-for dessert - all after everything else with a good reputation for dessert in that part of town had well and truly closed its doors for the evening. I will definitely be back.

Eau De Vie is a hidden whisk(e)y bar in the city. If you are a whisky connoisseur, like a great selection before making a choice and get a rush watching bartenders display their mad skills, then look no further! The dim lights, plush wooden interiors and vintage vibe give you the illusion that you have been transported to the London of Sherlock Holmes. What's not to love!?

The hardest thing is finding the place.Once you have done that ,the risk to get addicted of it is quite high. Simply best cocktails in Melbourne and you feel in such good hands whith their knowledgeable bartenders. The atmosphere also is fantastic, bringing you back in the 20'.Really recommended!!<br/>

Super trendy place-pretty packed on a weekend, so either make a booking or get in early. Sampled 5 cocktails off their list-all very nice, especially their espresso martini!! Worth a visit just to try it! Bit too packed for my liking to stay longer than an hour or so, but so glad I went and definitely recommend to everyone to visit atleast once.

Once you find this place (not signed just a large wooden door) you are transported to the prohibition era. Uber selection of whiskeys and other spirits, cocktail list to die for & splendid (I used that word deliberately) knowledgable cool service. Comfy couches, banquettes, music from the 20's 30's & bar staff who are quite theatrical & entertaining make for a different sort of winters night out.

Although the cocktails are expensive, they are definitely worth the price. I went out with a few friends and was able to try quite a few drinks which were all amazing. We even got a shared cocktail that was poured out through a fountain! The taste combined with the presentation of these drinks is not comparable to any other cocktail bar I've been!

Fantastic spot for a classy cocktail, that is if you can find the magic door down Malthouse Lane. <br/><br/>Order the Blazer for a nice little nightcap. Has strong spicy aromas and really gets the warmth following.

Everyone I know loves this place.  And it is awesome, but it's just not for me.  The cocktails and food are spectacular.  The ambiance is everything they are trying to achieve, but I find it all a bit too contrived.  I also found it a bit cramped and it wasn't even a busy when I went on a Wednesday after work. Will I happily go if someone else is asking and wanting - absolutely. Would I suggest myself - Not likely.

A nice experience. Hard to find but that's kind of the appeal, feels like your entering a secret club. Service was very attentive and the server was very knowledgable. Only had cocktails and they were inventive and tasty. Very intimate and dark. Cool, quirky place for a drink.

Nice place and cocktails . The service was the worst I have experienced in a long time. Took half hour to get water when we arrived.. Wrong drinks served 4 times in a row. Tried to sell A wine from a different year and pass it off an error on the menu.. Liquid nitrogen poured over dessert but carelessly and spilling on our clothes.. No dedicated waiter so couldn't get anyone's attention. Left sitting with no water and no drinks all night had to keep asking for water. Order one last drink before we left and never arrived after waiting half hour for it.. Finally asked for the bill and that arrived promptly.. Will not recommend or return. Terrible service.. <br/>

Such a tricky place to find! Down malthouse lane, it's the wooden door with a fancy handle at the bottom of the alley on the right! Feels like you are in speakeasy in New York! Great service and well made cocktails! If you can, get a spot at the bar to watch all the cocktails take form!

Of course we got totally lost trying to find, perfectly Melbourne location: down a dark alleyway with absolutely no signage. However it's like entering another world when you get inside! Dark, moody, feels like an exclusive club for the cool kids ... except for the fact that it's PACKED jammed in squishy squishy sitting too close to each other for comfort. Drinks are all WOW POW BAM looks spectacular & they are for the price. We left after one but would try again perhaps on a Tuesday when no one else is out.

I do love this quintessential Melbourne bar! We go early to avoid the crowds pre dinner and it's always great for atmosphere. Cocktails are a little heavy on the ice for the price so be wary or how fast they disappear

Great ambience, perfect for a cocktail or two after a dinner date, which is what my partner and I did. We had two cocktails each it was awhile ago and I really can't remember what they were called but they were all so delicious. Service was a little off to begin with as after we were sat down we were not attended to for quite awhile, even though we had our menus closed and looking around etc. Others sat after us were returned to and served before us. Once we were served though, it was great. Would have been a 5 if not for the service issue.

Came here with a booking and cute cosy place though was rowdy but can still hear enough to have conversations - waiter was attentive though was a bit sarcastic at times so not sure if he was annoyed with my questions with selection of cocktails and food. Had the Croquettes with jalapeños was yum!! Also the cheese was ok, drinks were theatrical with a wow factor! Definitely a place to impress someone on a date or catch up and try new things and diff drinks and whiskys. Will b back again soon :)

Finding this place was a little mysterious but walking in it was like entering another little world. The theatrics when serving your drink.. The taste and presentation.. Perfection.. <br/>:) <br/>So happy I got to try this place. Such a wide range of cocktails and didn't even mind paying the price as they were fabulous!

Up there with Melbourne's best! This hidden gem should be on everyone's list. Hard to find but that's all part of its charm. When you walk through the doors you are transported back to prohibition era. Drinks - exceptional. Staff - full of energy and passion. Ambience - spot on! I will be back again and again!

Wow what a place!!!<br/>We only went for cocktails but was extremely impressed. Their knowledge of whiskeys was great, and the liquid nitrogen over the espresso martinis was unreal!!<br/>Will definately go back!

Hiden at 1 Malthouse lane . I really love this place . It's not a usual bar .Apart from the huge variety of drinks they have , there are some unusual cocktails where you can't find somewhere else . <br/><br/>The interior is unique and very calm . A place where you can bring friends along to have a few fancy drinks and some nice chat , or a nice place where you can show your interstate friends or overseas friends .<br/><br/>The staff and atmosphere is very relaxing and friendly . Services are provided at first, and bills are given at the last . <br/><br/>A place worth visiting again and again.

Went here for the cocktail degustation and didn't really expect too much from the food but it was brilliant. Had a really great night, was a fun experience. Loved all the theatre of the cocktails being set alight & dry ice etc. was very theatrical.<br/><br/>Have been back for drinks and bar snacks and had just as much fun, really love this place.

Definitely a place to visit in Melbourne, cocktails are great, music is fantastic matched with great and simple food. Lovely selection of spirits.

Always good, always special. Go early and avoid the queue. Personally prefer the whiskeys over the cocktails but watching the barmen and women's mastery is a great touch. Cheese and whiskey tasting best in Melb.

Hidden lane way 1920s style speakeasy. Weird and wonderful cocktails served with style. Dress up if you want to be part of it. Gets loud and tinny, lots of people as night wears on.

Hidden away in a Melbourne laneway is one of the city’s best kept secrets- Eau De Vie. A speakeasy cocktail bar with a difference, Eau De Vie is old-world class meets modern day cool, basically everything Melbourne’s exclusive laneway culture epitomises

What's there to say about this place that hasn't already been said. Yes there's a wait to get in if you haven't booked, yes the place is expensive and yes the vibe is very upper end but let's be honest - it's all about the cocktails here and these guys are at the top of their game.<br/><br/>An excellent selection of cocktails made with the finest attention to detail and best quality spirits and ingredients around. If you want an excellent cocktail, as good as you'll get anywhere in the world, this is one of the places in Melbourne you need to visit.

Pretty hard to find. Ask around when lost. Great selection of beverages. Particularly liked the whiskey and cheese combo. Very nice but crowded atmosphere

What an absolutely delightful bar! Superb service! Amazing selection of drinks! Love it!

Would have to b the worlds best cocktail bar - this place is amazing. From the moment we walked in we were blown away at how cool this place is. The staff were friendly & helpful & all looked the piece...loved it ! So glad we found it !

"Hidden" treasure. 1 Malthouse Lane- took me sometime figuring out where it was. Small door with no sign up front- like an old time speakasy (not that I am that old) adds to the charm of the place. Excellent service, had one of the best wines during my trip to Melbourne - Hartland Shiraz 2012. Ordered a Croque Monsieur - which came in a brown bag - doggy packed. Loved that. It immediately became the talking point of everyone else on the table and 4 more got ordered. One lady next to me (and not known to me) even asked if I was willing to share. <br/><br/>Has to be tried out.

Located behind a wooden, innocuous door; from the moment you enter Eau De Vie you get the feeling that you have stepped into a different era. From the oak tables and elegant decor, to the jazz tunes and moody lighting, the vibe here is quintessentially classic New York and breeds a high degree of elegance and sophistication... the extensive whisky selection and cocktails are its main feature, paying homage to different periods in history.

There literally is just a yellow lantern hanging outside that apparently determines whether its open depending on if its lit or not. Inside you’ll find an old jazz style bar with lux velour style furnishings. Definitely the place to come if you’re fond of your whiskey. Unfortunately neither of us are so we wouldn’t be taking advantage of the 400+ different bottles they have behind the bar.<br/><br/>The menu is a bit of a novel, but the barman gave us a point in the right direction and to start we decided on the Scurvy Sailor and their version of a Pina Colada with roasted pineapple, both his favourites apparently so sounded promising. Obviously I instantly became envious and wanted Jonnys. It was like a tart, sour gin drink. Quite short, no frills, simply served in a salted glass but lite

Eau is hidden away, tucked behind a nondescript door in a back alley off Flinders Lane at the Paris end. But it is worth finding. As you step through the door you are transported decades into the past as the deep carpets, and rich dark wood, absorb both the sounds of the other patrons and the cares of the world. The staff are polite and extremely knowledgeable about what is an incredibly extensive drinks menu. As demonstrated by the photo above, they have spirits from every corner of the globe, and many of the bottles are special hard to find varieties that few other bars carry.

A couple of weeks ago we went to Eau De Vie, which is a 1960's style bar. All the bartenders wear suits and they all look very snazzy. Kim and i have been wanting to do the 5 course cocktail degustation for a long time now and we had the time and the reason. Her Birthday, It can only accommodate for 15 people and we know a lot of people who would love to have come( We will do it again so don't worry if you missed out this time) It is located off a side street and has no name at all out the front, just has 2 large wooden doors and is quite small. As we entered the room, they have a long table that has a ice section all around it. With the amount of glasses we knew that is was going to be a heavy drinking session. We were right..  Had a mixture of cocktails , going from light to heavy  Sugar cubes with different alcohol on them It got to a point that

There is no wine list, no beer, this bar only serves cocktails.. however there is a lengthy list of special cocktails to choose from. After much thought, I went for the EDV Colada #2 cocktail. The drink came in a wide cylindrical shape cup mimicking the bottom of a pineapple. The liquid placed inside, with a slice of pineapple and a crown of spiny, green leaves. I have never seen a cocktail presented like this! It was juicy and delicious.

Eau De Vie means, 'Water of life'. This French bar would transport you back to the past, as far as the 1920s. That being said, ask for your own customised drink, anything, and these qualified bartenders would create 'the one' for you. We all just love the exclusivity of a hidden bar, don't we? There wasn't a signage to Eau De Vie , you just have to be sharp to spot the particular location and push a wooden old door open. I call it the time machine where we enter a portal and time travelled a century backwards. The night was full of perfect people, everyone seems to be having a good time. No confrontational dukes, no drunken hippies, and best of all, no cigarette bummers! The setting is romantic and everyone was clearly enjoying their time of intimacy. Fitzroy Fix, 22AUD Kitty At The CocoBongo, 20AUD   Shirley Temple  SGT Pepper's Cocktail, 19AUD  Que Syrah, Syrah, 19AUD Sydney also has an Eau De Vie , which was just named the best cocktail bar in the world by Cocktail Spirited Awards. I would guess that Melbourne's interpretation wouldn't be that different. Here's an impression of our groovy drinks on a single table. Locals here don't need a special occasion to celebrate. What are you waiting for? Pour yourself a drink. Eau De Vie 1 Malthouse Lane, CBD Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia Tel: (61) 412 825 441 Mon to Thu: 5pm-1am Fri: 4pm-1am Sat: 5pm-1am Sun: 4pm-11pm

Hidden away in one of Melbourne’s famous Lane ways, you will find Eau-De-Vie at the end of Malthouse lane. As you enter through the discreet doors, you are transformed back to the 40′s to a venue that is driven by the finer detail.

...a prohibition style bar in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. One of Melbourne’s more classy bars with its decadent surrounds and jazz music, it makes a perfect spot for an intimate date. Expect to be delighted by steaming liquid nitrogen cocktails made by the expert bartenders and a worldwide whisky collection which even gets its own room!

Surprising venue. Behind closed doors. You would never find it. Great wait staff. Cocktails magnificent. Very atmospheric environment.

We'd really been looking forward to a few cocktails & a romantic night out at Eau De Vie after rave reviews from our friends. The cocktail list was extensive & I could have easily chosen multiple cocktails! The drinks we ordered were very good. However, wouldn't recommend this place for a romantic date place, too loud (we were sitting next to a few obnoxious drunk people) & the seating wasn't very comfy. I wouldn't say I disliked Eau De Vie, but more that it didn't fit our mood & expectations for that evening.

Definetly hve to look to fins this place. A cousin recommended it and I ended up walking past it three times. Worth the struggle though it's a fantastic little spot. Absolute bliss and enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the intense concoctions going on. Moody lighting and handsome waiters. Would come again!

Love!. Easily one of my fabourite venues. Unbelievable atmosphere, exceptional cocktails and the knowledgable and extremely friendly staff make it obvious why they've won so many awards

Cocktails. As far as cocktails go, this is our favourite place in Melbourne. A place to drink for drinkers. The wine and beer is fine as well. Love the ambiance of course. Always appreciate the smile and welcome as you come in the door. Many places have lost that touch. The cheese plate is not to be missed!

Last nights music playlist (plus gorgeous whisky and great service) made it impossible to leave. Great atmosphere. Haven't heard such good music in a bar for a while.

Patchy service undermines an otherwise gorgeous bar. I have been to EDV with friends at least 10 times and never fail to be struck by how gorgeous, atmospheric and generally wonderful this place is. It serves great drinks, excellent whiskeys and imaginatively-named cocktails (and lighter fare like wine and beer) alongside great hot and cold snacks like tapas, cheese plates, pates etc <br/><br/>A truly Melburnian gem!<br/><br/>So it was a *massive* disappointment to find ourselves on the receiving end of what was pretty indifferent service at a recent whiskey and cheese pairing night. It took forever to take our order, then forever to deliver the order, then we had to ask the waitress TWICE for the accompanying bread/crackers/quince paste etc.<br/><br/>Not sure if it was because we were in a booth, but we pretty much felt ignored. It should be the waiting staff who are 'proactive', not the diners/customers. A little 'love' goes a long way...<br/><br/>I have gone cool on this place for now. I'll be back eventually, but only when the sour note has subsided...

Came here late at night for a cocktail. No sign out the front but packed out solid. A great indication of how special this place us. Do your self a favour and get a cocktail to either get your night started of finish you off for the night!!

Pure class. Love this place. Such a great hideout in the city and the vibe, music and lighting make for a great night spot. The cocktail list is as impressive as you will find in Melbourne. My Espresso cocktail was a sight to be seen. Topped with a cream mix and then torched with liquid nitrogen, it had the effect of turning it into an ice cream crunch which was something i had never seen. The bar staff take pride in their work and really put on a show.<br/>With options for shared plates and cheeses I can't fault the place!<br/><br/><br/>-----13 Sep, 2014-----<br/><br/>Seriously cool. I love this place. You would't stumble upon this bar if you weren't looking for it. The interior is impressive to say the least and it creates a great vibe. All the usuals on the drinks menu and the service is quality. Get along...

Service too slow - not worth it. We waited to be seated, only to see that the group behind us were seated before us. The waiter was a bit embarrassed and then told us there were no seats left. Finally we are seated, only to not have our drink order taken for another 20-30mins - then waited another 30min for the cocktails to actually be delivered. This is far too long to have to wait for a drink. The service was just too slow for the amount of $$$ you pay to be there, we ended up leaving before our second round of cocktails actually came out.

New favourite cocktail bar!. There are a couple of bad reviews here which I simply don't understand. Our host, Jack, was wonderful! I know his name because as soon as we walked in he introduced himself and shook our hands. Chatted away, took us through the menu, and made us feel so welcome (without being overbearing). Everything looked great but I was in the mood for a classic, so I ordered a dry martini. I hand picked my own gin, rinse and garnish, and was assured by Jack my choices went well together. My partner had a Negroni, which is a seemingly simple drink to make but so hard to do well. Eau de Vie nailed it!<br/><br/> I didn't catch the waitress's name, but she was great too. Looks like she had to learn a lot of theatrics for the delivery of the drinks, but she'd obviously been doing it a while and was cool and confident. My martini was brought over in three parts. The drink itself, the glass and the garnish. The glass has been filled with liquid nitrogen which was poured out onto the tray with a puff of smoke, and my martini was strained at the table. This is so the glass stays as cold as possible, so it serves a purpose as well as looking great!<br/><br/>The guys next to us got what kind of looked like a cold irish coffee? I saw liquid nitrogen being poured onto their drinks so the tops hardened and they had to break them with spoons. I saw loads more cool cocktails being carried around the floor, and I'll definitely be back to try all of them!<br/><br/>The inside itself is tiny, with jazz playing and 1920s style décor. Super hard to find, the entrance is just an unassuming wooden door, but when you find it it's so worth it! You feel like you're hidden away from the city in a cosy time capsule. The first thing I saw was the "please wait to be seated" sign at the host stand, but we didn't have to wait at all as Jack was right over, greeting us like old friends.<br/><br/>Service 10/10, ambience 10/10, drinks 10/10. Can't wait to come back and try the food, which looked great but unfortunately we had dinner reservations.<br/>We were here for our anniversary date night and you guys made it special. Thanks Eau de Vie, see you soon!

The service here was absolutely terrible. We missed the tiny sign that said please wait to be seated so went to find an empty table, of which there were plenty. We were then told by the waiter to move as there were multiple "bookings" and were seated somewhere else. It then took him 10 minutes to realise we didn't have any menus. We were seated for half an hour after this without even a glance in our direction. We left. Such obnoxious people. They have lost out on at least $200 in revenue. Idiots. Thank you for nothing.

Attend.

Would not recommend the $150 cocktail degustation. Our waitress was lovely and I enjoyed the theatrics but in my opinion the food and beverages were simply not good enough. The cocktails were unique and looked lovely but they were too strong and not to many people's liking. The food, while cooked and presented well, was a bit too safe/boring. Overall a rather disappointing experience.

Smoke and Mirrors. Terrible! A whole lot of theatrics and not much substance! Went for the cocktail degustation and left feeling ripped off and my time wasted. The beginning of the degustation starts with a sales pitch, where the waitress basically tells you how amazing eau de vie is and how talented the chef is... and at that moment, i knew the food would be no good. Don't need a sales pitch, let your food and the experience do the talking - but now I understand why they had to big themselves up. The drinks were way too strong & overpowering - and I think the main reason is so that you get so drunk that you don't taste the food - no subtlety of flavour, no finesse, just a whole lot of theatrics and some poorly mixed drinks. And the food was extremely average bordering on basic - definitely not worth the $150 they're charging! Oh and the service leaves a lot to be desired too, we were sat at the long table that seats 20 people and the waitress literally yelled at me from one end of the table to where I sat at the other end of the table to get my dietary requirements! I had to announce to everyone what I needed - and not everyone at the table was in our group. So embarrassing - such appalling service, not sure why it was too hard for her to walk down to where I was and have a private conversation about my requirements.

I've have eaten in some of Melbourne's best restaurants- Cutler &Co, Vu De Monde, Grossi Florentino, Chin Chin, Rockpool and unfortunately my experience at Eau De Vie is no where in the League of the Heavyweights listed above. The service was minimal- self serve punch, waitress yelling across the full length of a table of 14 for special dietary orders. The food was disgusting- ram green prawn with no flavour, chicken/ turkey roll that tasted like chicken loaf from a supermarket, the raw salmon tasted exactly like a Sushi Roll with the seaweed and rice. The dessert was ice cream- nice but too basic for $75 per head. The plates hardly fit on the table. The room, although petite and cosy was hot and sweaty- waitress response was that the a/c unit was Brocken and that she was sorry. I asked if they could open the window right behind me and she responded ' it doesn't open'. I responded- ' that's because it's locked'!! To no avail I sat there with ice wrapped in a serviette around my neck. The cocktails were so strong that I could hardly taste the food I was eating- how convenient. I left the place feeling like my pants were down to my ankles- $150 per head for food and drink. Perhaps the theatrics of the blow torch was to make up for some of the value- not for me. I rate it 2.5 out of ten!!

Excellent. Tasty drinks made with decent ingredients, good chat from the unpretentious staff and great food. Thoroughly enjoyed our degustation experience and have since been recommending this place to others. My fav place in Melbourne!

Very over rated. Place to be if you want to be in. Not the place to be if you know nice food and nice drinks

Asked to wait 15 minutes in the hall for a table with no drink. Waited 30 minutes for our drinks after ordering. Staff not knowledgeable, drinks were very poor we had to return 2 of them. Boring place and over priced. Go back to Sydney please!

A Pretender. Poor service, probably understaffed. Uncomfortable stools, expensive cocktails. Pretends to be classy but actually isn't.Loud. Impressive use of liquid nitrogen but that is more of a smokescreen. Seductive but didn't work for our group.

Cocktail timetravel. There is a high amount of exclusivity associated with hidden bars .EDV is no different with their secluded wooden door down Malthouse lane , lack of signage, impeccable menu , classy 1900s decor making patrons feel like they have entered a time capsule travelling back in time.

Eye opener. What a great experience! It was me and my wife's anniversary and I was looking for a special place to celebrate, came across Eau De Vie and almost all reviews it received was a positive one, so we decided to give it a try and signed up for the cocktail degustation. The place was very hard to find, and we didn't expect there wasn't a sign board or anything at front(very weird business practice until we got explained of the meaning behind it). Greeted by Alan, we pretty much stuck with him for the rest of the 4 hours dining experience. Great experience as Alan explained to us every dish served and the drink which goes with it, every dish and drink matched each other very well, obviously there was a lot of thought put into this when designing the degustation menu. Will definitely try again in the future!

GREAT SERVICE. Came in recently on the recommendation of a good friend - great service, great cocktails. will be coming back.

Fantastic little cocktail bar! Great atmosphere!

This was perhaps one of the most delicious meal experiences of my life. We had the degustation menu and it was faultless in every way. Drinks were exceptional in both quality and presentation. Highly recommend!!

Special indeed.. From the minute we found the door to this secret wonderland, to the minute we left in an haze of Absinthe, everything about this place was a big, grown-up, win. <br/><br/>Loved the glassware and vintage decanters, loved the cocktails (we went for the Versailles), loved the service. We all agreed that we should move in permanently. Didn't try the food this time, so will definitely be back for more. A great start to the evening.

Loved the experience. I took my partner here for a Cocktail Degustation and it was fantastic. Our waitress, Michelle did a fantastic job. Our food was lovely especially the Snapper and Squid with Mango salad but the cocktails were to die for. We especially loved the DIY cocktails. Great night overall!

COCKTAILS!!!!. Wow, we loved this place. A bit hard to find but once we entered it was a wonderland! Amazing bar and great service, will be back for sure!!!!

Despite being a little difficult to find as there is no signage - just look for the big wood door down Malthouse lane - once you enter you are taken to another time and place. Relaxing, very private where you can forget the hustle and bustle of the city. The service and food were both excellent. We are not cocktail drinkers generally but the suggestions from the waitress were just want we liked. It is a great menu to share and taste, a couple of dishes from the small and slightly more each then one larger dish was more than enough food for us. Five dishes in all shared, a couple of cocktails and a bottle of wine was about $150 and we walked away comfortably full. Great food, great drinks, great service.

Wonderful (once you find it). So once you find this place and step inside, be prepared for wonderful cocktails and truly delicious snacks! We had incredibly fresh oysters and fried whitebait with yummy seasoning and and a coriander aioli.

It's all amazing. Amazing cocktails! Amazing whisky list! Amazing pate! Amazing decor!Amazing service!

Had the cocktail degustation last night. It was one of the most incredible eating experiences of our young lives. Everything was exceptional. Will be recommending to all.

I cannot stop raving about EDV, and believe me, I've tried to keep this place a secret as I would hate to see it become over crowded and commercialise!! This is where you go when you want a real cocktail, not some watered down alcohol and syrup splashed into a glass and served by a 19 year old at a overcrowded bar. It's old charm and all class, my favourite cocktails in Melbourne!

Ambience and exceptional cocktails!. We found this place by accident - not by wandering past (it would be hard to imagine anyone finding Eau de vie who wasn't looking for it) - rather by wandering the internet, looking for one of Melbourne's new breed of 'speakeasy' cocktail bars. <br/>We had dined around the corner at Cumulus Inc (beautiful food, if loud and busy), and were looking for somewhere quiet and personal to round off the evening. Eau de vie looked like what we were seeking - and we were not disappointed. Behind the non-descript door at the far end of Malthouse lane (from Flinders Lane head south, on the right, past the French brasserie, look for the dark brown door with gilt handles before the alley turns the corner), the bar was moodily lit with intimate booths, seats up at the bar or down at low plush tables. We were somewhat bamboozled by the bewildering long list of cocktails on the menu, but the behatted waiter deftly ascertained our personal tastes and recommended something for each of us. My wife had an 'old fashioned' - smooth, warming and gently sweet, while I was recommended (and thoroughly enjoyed) the 'Sir Cherryington' - dark, complex and sophisticated.<br/>We sat and watched the bartender making an array of amazing concoctions - the flaming 'Blazer' looked particularly good, and we are keen to try it on a return visit.<br/>Find this gem before everyone else does!

Needs some work..... This may be a little harsh given Eau De Vie has only been open six months, but heading there on a cold, windy, Wednesday night it was incredibly difficult to find and whilst I realise that's part of the charm, even the smallest of signs would have helped. Whilst the staff were warm & welcoming, we were the only people in there the whole night. The toilets were cheap & tacky and looked liked they had been just 'jazzed up' with a dodgy lick of paint. With drink prices averaging $18, you expect better. Great concept for a bar though. A little copper sign on the door, change the harsh white lighting around the edges of the seating area to something softer & more appropriate, revamp the toilets and I think they could be onto a winner.

Duckboard Empire - well, not quite.. Nobody finds EDV by accident. I’m almost certain someone out there is, as we speak, devising an entry portal for a restaurant that has no handle, no hinges and for all intents and purposes is a wall. Only upon speaking a certain phrase shall the doorway appear. The Romulans can do it, why can’t we? Until then we have Eau-de-Vie, Izakaya Den and any number of restaurants which are so cool you can’t find them. <br/>Speakeasy by name, speak loudly by ambience. The decor tells the story of depression-era bootleggery, with photos and decorations, furniture and servingware all intended to evoke a long forgotten time when we were embarrassed to be alcoholics; the music is designed for the same purpose, but loud and good are not necessarily the same thing. Ragtime 80’s covers are kitsch and inappropriate when as much as possible is done to stay within a niche.<br/>Nobody finds EDV by accident, so if you came here because you were coming here, you were coming here for the cocktails. Finely crafted, with just the right amount of hand-on-it to be unmakeable at home and awe-inspiring in person, everything said about them is true. Any more chemistry, or higher levels of falluting would be wasted on the best of us, any less and it would still be spectacular. <br/>The letdown, then, was the food. There is nothing wrong with each dish alone, in fact they’re fantastic, but together it doesn’t work. Fried Chicken, Oysters and even Pork Belly can be elbowed into “depression-era” cuisine; I would even believe, after a Sazarac or two, that Beetle Leaf and Spanner Crab was the only thing to be had in pre-war Siam. But then Vodka Soused Ocean Trout sounds like something the mucky-mucks would have in their ivory towers, overlooking the tent cities; and I’ve no idea where Zucchini Flowers fit at all.<br/>Nobody finds EDV by accident, but I strongly recommend hunting for it. The food, even though haphazard, is extraordinary and every effort has been made to accompany it with appropriate, considerate service. The cocktails are oft spoken of and no exaggeration is required. The music is too loud and as syncopated as the food, but the atmosphere is electric. You wouldn’t believe they could glamorise poverty, but they have.

Cool bar, cool people. Hard to find, but worth the effort!! Staff were great, drinks were nothing short of spectacular- the theming in the venue makes you feel like you've stepped back to the 40's.. Pricing was fair and the crowd was well behaved cool urbanites. Definitely going back

Ok so we know now you go to Eau De Vie if you want grade A cocktails, bar staff that put their passion and love into each and every drink served and their inciteful staff who enjoy being around each guest who steps through their doors, but what fails to get a mention is their scrumptious tapas and shared plate menu. With quirky little dishes such as their south fried chicken and mash potatoes to their delicately arranged tasting platter, Eau De Vie is turning heads in town. Once you find a gem it's hard to let it go knowing that before long, it's a two month wait to get in on a saturday night whilst you battle the wind and cold howling down Flinders lane. I hope that this place remains the hidden gem that it is, the staff stay true to their sterling reputation, exuberant personalities and friendly Disposition!

In short- Omg. I have been to a few places tonight, this is the first place worth a write up. Blew my mind; and my tastebuds. Pork belly was the highlight. And the custom cocktail to match. The mushrooms and the zucchini flowers, amazing. The season or greens, very nice except not a fan of broad beans. I'm stuffed in food And cost me just $75. Very nice. Will be returning. !

Great find. An unmarked door at the end of a small laneway leads to EDV which is a real find (it's before the bend in the laneway near Medina stairs, double door with brass handles). They've clearly taken the best from their renowned Sydney bar and are delivering a massive cocktail list with really good food to match. However, the best part for me was the choice - if not everyone is mad for cocktails there's still great spirits, beer and wine to choose from. This, combined with a decent food option means you can comfortably settle in for the night! I'm heading back for their cocktail degustation!

Ambience, Cocktails Magic. Love the direction of this place. Read a great review on a blog and checked it out on the odd occasion of being in the city one night.<br/>The Cocktails were great, shame I couldn't stay longer. Will be back to try the degustation

Phenomenal! Great food, awesome drinks and friendly service. Had nearly every dish on the menu over 2 consecutive nights and am still salivating at the thought of their ham croquettes, mushroom on toast, liver parfait, prawn cocktail.

Wow! Not been this impressed for a long long time! Had some tapas which damm tasty with some cocktails that we're superb. Attention to detail , everything was served in crystal and some of our cocktails were mixed at our table and chilled with liquid nitrogen. Can't wait to go back.

The spicy prawns were served with a coriander aoli and were delicious.

The food is nothing short of amazing. I was truly blown away by the quality, the overall sophistication of the entire menu and the sharing experience.

Fried brioche with a delicate crispiness, spicy sausage and melted cheese, topped with with an oozing yolk… the description speaks for itself.

Eau de Vie means top notch cocktails, any spirit that takes your fancy in a classy intimate setting. Class your night up.

the addition of dining concepts such as cocktail degustation dinners will really put this place on the map

We have spent the last few weeks in some of Melbournes great bars – most of them with intimate lighting that results in shocking pictures! But if you did fancy a adventure one night you might like to try some of these beauties! Murmur Above the wonderous tapas of Portello Rosso is a cute little bar, a great place to just be! Stocking Boston lager for the boy and an enjoyable wine list as well as impressive cocktails – it is a damn fine spot! If you can grab one of the few seats or couches you should never leave, it’s a great place to be! Eau De Vie First time in ages we have played the “Where on earth is the door” game! Yep, good old Melbourne, down the laneway and if you can find the big heavy wooden door – don’t be scared just come inside! As described by the website this is no average bar – “E.D.V is an intimate, dimly lit, jazz infused speakeasy created for the discerning bon vivant.” There is no wine list, no beer, this is a cocktail wonderland with Alice in Wonderland eccentricit