Once upon a time in early 1900s Melbourne, the area of Southbank where the Southgate complex now stands was inhabited by an entertainment precinct which included a waterslide that propelled Gold Rush era Melbournians into the Yarra River.
Taking inspiration from the Yarra's playful history, Southgate's Waterslide Bar is a luxurious watering hole with views of the Melbourne CBD skyline and Princes Bridge. Fred Siggins of Black Pearl and venue manager Tim Wastell (Rockpool Perth, The Blue Diamond, The Saint St Kilda) are behind the creative concept, cockail menu and drinks list, which feature a range of signature and classic cocktails as well as an extensive selection of wines and spirits. There are nine pages dedicated to a hefty lineup of American whiskeys (including rye and bourbon) and other international varieties. If in doubt, go for any one of the signature cocktails, but definitely get a tipple of the good stuff straight up.
For a venue with an almost bafflingly long (though well-curated) drinks list, Waterslide Bar has a comparably succinct food menu – which features appropriately alcohol-absorbing items like the roast pork Cuban sandwich, deep fried gnocchi, soft shell crab po'boy and arancini balls. Though menu items clearly aren't all Italian, food orders are passed along to neighbouring Italian restaurant La Camera.
The team behind the interiors of MoVida and Jimmy Grants,Techne Architecture and Design, are responsible for the bar's modern fitout, which references old-timey Melbourne with its lushly dark colour scheme and framed clippings of old newspaper ads from the turn of the century.