An ornate and lavish taste of the oriental resides in the heart of the Melbourne CBD.
This city-edge establishment takes a little 1920s Gatsby decadence, adds a little East-meets-West-fusion interior aesthetic and brings it comfortably into the noughties. Named after the inter-connected trade routes that once linked Asia to the Mediterranean Sea (routes frequently travelled by Marco Polo), the venue drips with the kind of opulence evoked by tales of travel and trade, in times long since past.
Silk Road's lofty ceilings are home to more sparkle than the ancient route would have had silk to trade, dominated as they are by massive spinning-top-shaped chandeliers. Spattered throughout the curved main bar are various gold statues, one in particular of the aforementioned Venetian explorer himself.
The venue spreads out across three flours, comprising of eight different bars, each an experience unto itself, offering an extensive range of beverage choices. The dress code here is a little stricter than your average inner-city haunt: denim in any form is not allowed so it's advisable to leave the thongs and singlets at home and don some of your finest threads. You know the ones: they can be found lovingly stored in the back of your walk-in and are brought out for a night of luxury and excess.
Kat Hartmann
