By Rebecca Harris
The Match Bar group is set to open its first Australian venue in Melbourne tonight (19 September).
The eagerly anticipated venue will be the eleventh bar opened by London drinks industry entrepreneur Jonathan Downey.
The group consists of six cocktail bars in London, two in New York, one in Ibiza and the Clubhouse boutique Hotel in the French Alps.
The Melbourne venue will feature a 75-seat restaurant, a large balcony, a bar area for DJs and a stage for live music. Staff will be trained by leading industry experts Dale DeGroff, Matt Skinner and Jonathan Downey.
The first Match bar opened in London in 1997, with the aim to create a more sophisticated drinking culture.
With an emphasis on fresh ingredients, the menu states that there will be “no alcopos, no energy drinks, no chocolate martinis, no VIPs, no peanuts, no Sky Sports, no flair bartending [and] no awards wall”.
Match Bar will host four more opening parties next week.