An open-air rooftop as special as the one at Zero Gipps shouldn’t go to waste. But that’s largely what was happening atop the new-ish co-working building in Collingwood. Friends Gabe Neri, Brad Wynne and Dustin Hefford got hold of the fourth-storey space two years ago and started building their ideal bar from the ground up, without outside designers or investors.

“Every single thing you see here, from graphics to materials, has been touched, manipulated and embedded into this space by us,” Wynne says. “It’s something borrowed, something new, something old and blue.” (They used contractors for more technical work like plumbing and electricity.)

The al fresco result lets the nearly 360-degree views speak for themselves, while custom-built furnishings, soft lighting and wall-mounted candlesticks create a warm, intimate feel. A bright, comical sign reminds guests to “Enjoy the view”, as an antique chandelier casts a soft glow and custom light boxes add to the ambience. As night falls, LED lighting deepens the mood around the balustrades and the bar counters.

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The owners come from backgrounds in event management, brand development and immersive experiences with brands such as Tsu Lange Yor and Daybreak festival. It shows.

The drinks menu is small but deliberate, with a particular focus on cocktails. They’re by turns classic (Martini, Negroni, Kir Royale), kitsch (Cosmopolitan, Japanese Slipper) and original. The Slowpoke Picante mixes reposado tequila, chilli, coriander and house-infused honey. A Summer Negroni pairs spiced gin with sweet rosella vermouth and elderflower liqueur.

“We’d rather have two drinks on the menu done a thousand ways, rather than a thousand drinks done one way,” Wynne says.

Seven wines from exciting young labels like Vanguardist and Konpira Maru are available by the glass and bottle, and there are yerba mate sodas and other decent options for non-drinkers – like Wynne and Hefford. For them, Slowpoke is less about what’s in the glass and more about the atmosphere it creates. “It’s about the feeling and the connection, and it just happens to be a bar,” Wynne says.

Music is also key to that. Four days after opening, the bar already has several international and local DJs booked, with a focus on quirky, eclectic selectors such as Melbourne’s Earl Grey. A kitchen will also launch later this year to host occasional pop-ups with local chefs, making the absolute most of the site’s enviable endowments.

Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout
Level 4, 50 Gipps Street, Collingwood
No phone

Hours
Thu 4pm–11pm
Fri 4pm–11pm
Sat 2pm–11pm
Sun 2pm–10pm

slow-poke.com
@slowpokebar