Purple Pit

Overview

Aussie hospo mainstay Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, RE and Jackson on George) teamed up with Joe Jones to open this sleek new bar in Melbourne's CBD at the end of 2023.

The duo took over the underground space at Queens and Collins — where Reine & La Rue recently opened to huge acclaim — and are serving up some pretty damn good cocktails. Each of Jones' creations is next-level, but we have been enamoured by his martinis ever since Purple Pit opened. We frequently head straight here for a dirty gin variety when in the CBD. It's got to be Melbourne's best.

But there is a lot more to Purple Pit than its martinis. Here, an extensive selection of Euro-centric cocktails and "champagne food" are served in a lavish brutalist space where post-punk tunes roar late into the night.

What exactly is "champagne food"? For Terzini and Jones it's small aperitivo-style dishes and luxe late-night bites that you want to nosh on while sipping on fine wine and cocktails. This includes house-made calzones filled with either mortadella, ricotta and fermented chilli or a playful take on the Big Mac flavours. These are great, but Purple Pit's food shines brightest with the smaller dishes.

You'll be calling for more hot and salty focaccia when mopping up every last bit of burrata and seasonal accompaniments, and the scallops are a must-order. Feeling a little fancy? Pair your cocktail with a bump of caviar and some fresh oysters.

You won't be filling up on food here, as it is more of a sip-and-snack situation where drinks are the heroes. Either drop by before or after dinner in the CBD for some of Melbourne's best cocktails.