A simple Martini requires only two ingredients. Three parts gin or vodka, one part vermouth. It’s a simple duo that must be expertly balanced. “You have no room to hide,” Joe Jones tells Broadsheet. “There's nothing more complex than simplicity.”

Like the Martini, Purple Pit has two very dynamic (and acclaimed) ingredients: Jones, of the now-closed institution Romeo Lane, and Maurice Terzini of Sydney’s Icebergs. The duo has finally opened the doors to the anticipated subterranean drinking den beneath the grand gothic building on the corner of Queen Street and Collins Street, which also houses Reine and La Rue. “We’ve been working on it for so long now. It’s actually come together in such a way that it was originally intended,” says Jones. “It’s fucking miraculous, actually.”

The easily missed door is marked only by small white lettering and a red velvet rope. While upstairs at Reine, the Cathedral Room is grand and brightly lit, Purple Pit has a moody and romantic atmosphere. Theatrical curtains are illuminated from the bottom up, enclosing the cavernous space in a swathe of grey velvet. The roof is black, as are the floors, seats, and the bar. Some of the only flecks of colour here are in contemporary artworks by Steve Leadbeater and Marty Baptist, leaving the focus on what’s on your table and the person at the other end of it. “It’s like sensory deprivation in a sense. When you’re sitting down here, you almost don’t know where you are,” says Jones.

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Terzini and Jones collaborated with Daniel Dalla Riva and Filip Bjazevic (Latitude Group and Studio Massive) to create a space that strikes a balance between brutalist edge and luxuriously soft textures. It’s the pair’s first Melbourne venue since they opened the short-lived trattoria Cucina Povera with chef Joseph Vargetto in 2022, which closed after a month of service.

Some drinks have made the journey from Romeo Lane, including a peach Negroni, which subs vermouth for peach wine, finished with a single drop of smoked vinegar. “Tastes like biting into a ripe peach,” says Jones. Although he flexes his cocktail expertise, he’s also not one to mess with a classic formula. “Our menu is going to change a lot, but it’s also a place you can come get a good Margarita. Some drinks don’t need reinvention. I don’t think every cocktail needs an instruction manual.”

For food, expect small plates that are “broadly complementary” to the cocktails. “It’s food to go with drinks, it’s a little bit salty and little bit spicy,” explains Jones. There’s a Big Mac-inspired calzone served with pickles, lettuce and onions; a tomato tartare brushed with shio koji; and a spicy tuna loin that pairs best with a Martini.

In true Terzini style, the food pairs with the music as much as it does the cocktails. The closely curated soundtrack spans post-punk to modern country (when Broadsheet visits, it’s an Orville Peck party), and there’ll be new music programming in 2024 that’ll cover everything from DJs playing electronic beats to jazz trios. The musical genres might sound like they would clash, but at Purple Pit they don’t. The same could be said for its brutalist design and plush suede banquettes, but they complement each other. Like the perfect Martini, everything at Purple Pit is miraculously balanced and finds comfort in contrast.

Purple Pit
Shop 2, B1 380 Collins Street, Melbourne
No phone

Hours:
Tue to Sat 5pm–1am

purplepitbar.com