The Q

Overview

Melbourne's CBD has no shortage of rooftop bars, with plenty packed out every time the sun decides to grace us with its presence. But The Q at the Quincy Hotel still manages to fly under the radar most days, even though it has such a prime location on the corner of Flinders Lane and King Street.

To find it, you'll need to head into the Melbourne hotel and make your way to the 28th floor. Here lies the hotel pool (sadly, only available to hotel guests) and The Q, with its large indoor drinking and dining area and narrow wrap-around terrace.

The indoor dining space is great, but you really come here for the views. When entering, make a beeline for the few benches located outside in the sunshine, boasting sweeping views over the city skyline and the Yarra. While many Melbourne rooftop bars are still within the city skyline, The Q rises above most other towers in the area. You really feel high above it all up here.

Booze-wise, The Q is more of a luxe cocktail haunt than a casual beer and wine spot. And you'll realise this the moment you walk through the door, as you're greeted by the rhythmic sounds of cocktail shakers. Seasonal signature sips cover a broad range of spirits and flavour profiles, and you can count on the classics to be top-notch.

Bar food comes courtesy of the downstairs Salted Egg restaurant, which champions elevated Southeast Asian street food. Everything is portioned out for snacking, including the fresh oysters topped with red nahm jim; fluffy pork baos; raw tuna in prawn rice cups; chicken ribs with garlic chilli fish sauce; and wild mushroom lettuce cups. Many of these options are one-bite snacks, perfect for when you're juggling a cocktail in your other hand.

And to coax local workers and hotel guests up to the rooftop, the team even offers a wicked happy hour deal. From 4–6pm, Thursday to Saturday, you'll get 20% off all food and bevs. Alternatively, take advantage of the The Q's semi-regular bottomless cocktail package. The inclusions of this unlimited booze deal change from time to time, but from April–June 2024, it's all about free-flowing margaritas. If you needed an excuse to head skyward, this should do the trick.