Here’s a unique venue to try in Melbourne city. Arbory Afloat, as the name suggests, is a floating bar and restaurant on the Yarra River, in the heart of Melbourne. Each year for the past five, this floating casual bar has been operating on the river and this year the décor has been altered to recreate the feeling of an Australian beach house.

Sitting on this floating deck, you do feel the movement of the river and can see the boating traffic going by which makes it all the more interesting.  The feeling is one of sitting in the backyard of your favourite holiday shack with outdoor umbrellas providing shade for the sunny days but also providing cover along with gas heaters for the days like our visit, when Melbourne is at its wettest and coldest. The deck is over one hundred metres long and is made of an old railway platform that sits on the north bank of the Yarra beneath a row of leafy plane trees. It would be an ideal spot on a warm summers evening, but it’s worth a look at any time.

Apart from the ambiance and views of the Melbourne skyscrapers across the river, I absolutely loved the coastal décor which included a series of old photos on the walls, showing typical Aussie beach scenes of the 60s and 70s including the cars, fashion and surf culture.

While you’re admiring the views you can enjoy a wide range of food which is available all day. The choices include sandwiches, burgers and small sharing plates, to banquets for large groups as well as cheese platters and desserts. They also have an extensive list of wines, beers and signature cocktails.

Arbory Afloat is open every day from 11.30am until late.

Cheers

Glenys