Embla is getting sky-high this summer: owners Christian McCabe and Dave Verheul are opening a pop-up bar and cinema on the rooftop of the 1920s building next door on Russell Street.
The building, currently home to the Melbourne Theosophical Society, is soon to be demolished to make way for a boutique hotel, Verheul tells Broadsheet – “so we wanted to make use of the rooftop over the summer before that happens”.
“We’re going for a bit of a mid-century Mediterranean vibe,” he adds. “It sort of feels like standing in the middle of a drained swimming pool.” The space has been splashed with pastel-blue paint, and it’ll be kitted out with retro striped deckchairs, sun lounges and picnic tables.
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SIGN UPMenu-wise, it’s all about levelled-up snacks: think lemony crab-and-fennel toasts; raw kingfish with pumpkin-seed miso, cucumber and cumquat; and stracciatella with cimi di rapa (an Italian brassica), golden beets and walnuts. A “simplified” version of Embla’s regular Sunday lunch will be dished up on weekends too.
After sunset, a 5.5-metre screen will light up the space. The program will run the gamut genre-wise – expect Pulp Fiction, Bohemian Rhapsody and Mean Girls – so there’s something for every cinephile. Up first: True Romance (1993), written by Quentin Tarantino and starring with Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. Weekly programming themes will focus on food and wine, the ’80s and Patrick Swayze.
On the cinema snacks menu: cultured-butter-and-sea-salt popcorn, Piccolina gelato pops and Embla’s take on an ice-cream sundae.
Embla Rooftop Bar and Cinema opens at 126 Russell Street, Melbourne on January 30. It’ll operate from 3pm Wednesday to Sunday and for weekend lunches. Buy a movie ticket here.
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