Photo @nadinecresswellmyatt
After Melbourne's lockdowns, when you venture out again everything old seems new again because you haven't seen it for so long. Such as the city at night.
And while we were all home watching Netflix, places in our city reinvented themselves. Case in point - the Eureka Skydeck rebranded as the Melbourne Skydeck.
Photo supplied
Quite a makeover. Before it seemed a bustling tourist attraction. A lot of hype and people. Now with its soft carpets, music and intimate spaces it has become the perfect place for a date night away from the crowds.
Yes, it is the highest observation platform in the southern hemisphere. But now there is so much more to love. What could be more romantic than having a bejewelled city - laid out at your feet.
The Bolte Bridge lit up in purple. The Art Centre Spire glows a vibrant peacock blue. The trains with light streaming from their windows appear like shiny snakes slithering home. Endless reams of traffic also swerve toward Westgate Bridge with endless jostling and bobbing lights. So much better to be up here.
We sit at small round tables on barstools having a tete-tete-tete and sipping fine cocktails, mesmerised at having Melbourne's night lights laid out before us.
Photo @nadinecresswellmyatt
The cocktails are spectacular. We choose a French number that is topped with freeze-dried raspberries. The Espresso Martinis and Negronis looked equally spectacular.
We chat over a fabulous cheese platter for two with poached pear, grapes, seasonal cheeses, lavosh, spicy nuts and other delights. All the time mesmerised by the view.
Cocktails in the Clouds is available on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The area is called Bar 88, so fittingly it is $88 for the 'Cocktails in the Clouds' special.
The price includes two cocktails and a cheese platter, plus your admission for 2 adults to Melbourne Skydeck - think of the views!(The normal adult cost to go up to the observation tower is $28 per adult, so this date night is also value for money).
Photo @nadinecresswellmyatt
On date nights, it is nice to have some activities to share. So consider other add-on experiences. Part of the remodelling of Skydeck was that it now boasts a massive virtual reality theatre where visitors can sit in one of 24 Positron Voyager VR chairs that take guests on an 11-minute immersive journey through Melbourne and Victorian experiences such as feeling the air in your face as you swoop over the Great Ocean Road for a bird's-eye view.
The plank is also fun. You don't really walk the plank. But the virtual reality (VR) is so compelling it convinces even the bravest they're balancing on a narrow plank at dizzying heights above Melbourne. And they act accordingly. Worth the giggle. And a fine night out with your heads up in the clouds.
Here is where to book.
