Dolly Restaurant & Cocktail Bar

Hidden beneath Bourke Street, Le Méridien Melbourne’s underground bistro and cocktail bar has become one of the city's trendier after-dark dining rooms, the kind of place people slip into for dinner and end up staying longer than planned.

Executive Chef Hervé Borghini — originally from Bordeaux and trained in Michelin-starred kitchens — brings a relaxed French sensibility to the menu. His signature steak frites has earned a loyal following, joined by slow-cooked confit duck and the flaming bombe alaska that sells out every night. The drinks list keeps things classic: Champagne, thoughtful wines and creative cocktails.

True to Borghini’s vision of an approachable, European bistro, Dolly has become a natural choice for casual date nights, group dinners and private events. It has also found an unexpected place in Melbourne’s wedding scene. The restaurant’s iconic spiral staircase offers a cinematic descent that has quickly become one of the city’s more distinctive modern aisles.