New Review: 1806

It seems Melbourne can't get enough of 1806 at the moment, thanks to winning the world's Best Cocktail Menu they've managed another high-profile review. Michael Harden has reviewed 1806 (Exhibition Street, CBD) for Epicure and concludes: "This bar takes itself seriously but never loses sight that drinking cocktails is fun. It is, unlike [Tom] Cruise and [Bryan] Brown, a winning combination." Click here for the full review.

1806 has the world's best cocktail list

First we heard about it from Deck of Secrets, then The Shout picked it up, and now The Age is talking about it too. Melbourne's cocktail bar 1806 (Exhibition Street) has taken out the prestigious Best Cocktail List award at the sixth-annual Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans, USA. The award puts the amazing 1806 cocktail menu - containing a drink from every decade since 1806 (when the word cocktail was first recorded in print) - as the world's best cocktail menu. It makes 1806 the first Melbourne bar to receive an award from the festival.

According to The Age, Owner Sebastian Reaburn thought the win also highlighted Melbourne's growing reputation in the cocktail business. "People in the industry now talk about New York, London and Melbourne as the best cocktail cities in the world."

New Bar: Locanda Cucina Bar

It appears CBD bar has been replaced by Locanda Cucina Bar in the Rydges Melbourne. Operated by the DiMattina Family (who also run DiMattina's, Il Gambero and Blue Train Cafe in Melbourne), it is billed as a "premier new Italian restaurant and bar" serving both traditional and modern Italian cuisine.

Deck of Secrets reports "The dazzling floor-to-ceiling wine racks give away Locanda's specialty, and the bar serve[s] the extensive list in 150ml, 250ml and 500ml sizes, or opt for the bottle and linger over a grazing plate."

Source: Official website & Deck of Secrets