Do You Know Where This Secret Melbourne Bar Is?

Your smartphone won’t help you here. 

To gain access to Melbourne’s newly relaunched secret bar, you’ll need to use an actual phone – a pale yellow, push-button number – in the space’s doorway and dial the secret number before gaining entry. 

Once you’ve stepped through the doors, The Store Room’s fit-out takes its cues from eclectic speakeasies: soft lighting from exposed bulbs, signs in serif fonts, a wall full of different-sized gilded mirrors and a whole lot of curios, including retro lamps and another old-school phone, this one Mickey Mouse-themed. 

On the drinks front, gin and whiskey are the specialities (would you expect anything less of a hidden bar?), the former organised by taste to make selection easier for first timers and tempt experienced gin drinkers into more unusual blends, such as the zesty Australian Green Ant gin from the Something Wild Beverage Company.

There’s also a cocktail list curated by head bartender Madiline Loungran and presented with a theatrical flourish, such as a goji daiquiri topped with an vibrant nasturtium flower and an edited wine list of solid Australian drops. 

And, like all good drinking dens, the snacks at this St Kilda haunt lean towards the nibbly (olives, slivers of prosciutto, aged cheddar) and late-night alcohol soakers such as jaffles. 

2-12 St Kilda Road, St Kilda

SEE ALSO: Our Guide to The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne