The Arbory Afloat Crew Is Opening a Five-Storey Food and Drink Haven in a 100-Year-Old Building

Melbourne's HQ Group has already left its mark on a section of the Yarra, with adjacent riverside venues Arbory Bar & Eatery and Arbory Afloat proving firm fan favourites. Now, it's taking on another corner of the CBD, revealing plans to transform a historic Lonsdale Street building opposite Emporium into a five-storey food and drink haven.

The as-yet-unnamed venture will feature five distinct venues, including a rooftop bar, together kicking on from morning until well into the night. It's set to deliver a dynamic fusion of art, design, food, drink and nightlife, in what HQ Group Marketing Director Georgie Larkins describes as "a totally new hospitality experience". Unfortunately, you'll have to wait a while before it opens, with the launch slated for some time next year.

Simon Shiff

Details about this ambitious project are still pretty scarce, though we do know the 117-year-old building features lots of historical touches throughout its collection of light-filled intimate rooms. HQ Group have owned and operated the site since 2015, and have been planning this next addition to their stable for quite some time. Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that Terry Clark — former head chef of acclaimed MONA restaurant The Source — will be stepping in to head up the kitchen offering, but we won't know much more about the food situation until early next year, when the team makes its next announcements regarding the venues and their concepts.

HQ Group's next project will open at 270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, at some stage in 2021. Stay tuned for more details dropping early next year.

Images: Simon Shiff