The party doesn't stop at El Coco – on Saturday mornings, anyway, when it kicks on until around 4am. King Street's Exchange Hotel has been kitted out in Caribbean colour as a vibrant Cuban pop-up bar, named after the palm tree planted at the first Bacardi distillery in Cuba in 1862.
Cuban-inspired food from the Hammer & Tong team plus a list of authentic rum cocktails put together by cocktail historian Sebastian Raeburn keep the party jumping.
Chase down a beef-rib "stackwich" (smoked ham, egg, provolone, pickles) with a rum negroni, pina colada or a lime-crammed Cuba Libre. Bedidas – shots of upmarket, subtly spiced Bacardi – cater to the daring.
The venue is staging several thumping weekend parties in the lead-up to Christmas.
Open Mon-Thurs noon-late; Fri noon-very late; Sat 4pm-late.
120 King Street, Melbourne, 0434 396 921, elcoco.com.au
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