Day dreaming about sitting under the scorching Greek sun in a cocktail dress and sunnies, frozé in one hand, the other dipping into a bowl of olives? Yearning to live out your Mamma Mia dream with a summer in the Greek islands? You and me both.
Situated in the social heart of South Melbourne, The Golden Fleece Hotel is a stunning restaurant and rooftop bar that is perfect for post 9-5 work drinks, or the beginning of Saturday night’s shenanigans. Don’t worry, there’ll be no battling sea monsters and Cyclopes to get to this Golden Fleece, even if your name is Jason.
As one of the most instagramable bars within a 50km radius of Melbourne CBD, The Golden Fleece absolutely hits the nail on the head in creating a Greek oasis out of a 150 year old pub. Inspired by the famous white buildings hugging the cliffs of Santorini, The Golden Fleece provides a fun amalgamation of Greek flavours with all of your Aussie pub favourites. What more could you ask for?
The Golden Fleece offers a split venue, where you can choose to enjoy the intimacy of the downstairs restaurant, or head up a set of mosaic-tiled stairs to be greeted by the airy rooftop bar.
This rooftop bar is absolutely a highlight. Soak up those golden hour rays and a stunning view of the city as you enjoy the Greek Island vibes. The white sandstone booths create a bright and summery atmosphere at all times of the year, with a fireplace to warm up next to in those colder Melbourne months. Decorated with native cacti, red brick archways and freckled with vases and pots bursting with greenery, you’ll feel as though the Yarra is the Aegean Sea AND you skipped the 24 hours’ worth of travel to get to Greece!
There are heaps of other places in the venue to choose from including the art booths, which mimic the caves of Mykonos, or the Galleria, a gallery space that doubles as a dance floor at night.
If the summery vibes of The Golden Fleece alone are enough to convince anyone to make their way down to South Melbourne, the food is absolutely not something to miss. The Mediterranean-style menu throws all self-control out of the window when it comes to ordering.
Snack on some zucchini fritters, spanakopita or some eggplant chips dipped in taramasalata whilst you peruse through the rest of the menu. Share a couple of pizzas and sides with your mates, or indulge in your own main course, but I warn you, it’s impossible to pick just one!
Choose between a delicious eggplant moussaka, with lean beef mince, white sauce and kefalotyri (Greek goat’s cheese) or a mouth-watering seafood pasta, where you’ll find squid, prawns, pipis, mussels, and king prawns swimming in a tasty combination of bucatini, garlic and olives.
If you thought choosing food was hard, I guarantee you’ll get stuck on the drinks menu, where The Golden Fleece offers delicious fusions of your favourite cocktail classics, and Greek alcohols and flavours. Some of these combinations include the Mykonos Marg, with chartreuse, agave and lime with a salted rim, and the Balkan Berry, a spiced rum based cocktail paired with blackberry and plum.
If you can tear your eyes away from the cocktail list, make sure you check out the extensive list of Australian and Greek wine and beer made available to you.
Need a place for your 21st? Engagement party perhaps? The Golden Fleece is the perfect place, offering packages to hire out an individual space in the venue, or a combination of multiple where they can host up to 200 people. Within these packages, there are options for set menus, grazing platters, and even a cocktail on arrival! Sign me up!
Pop in on a Thursday after work for a $19 parmie and house wine or beer, or sit down for a drink any day from 3-6pm for golden hour specials!
Whilst you might not see Meryl Streep singing and dancing to ABBA, The Golden Fleece Hotel is the perfect venue for your next girl’s night, work drinks, or function.
