A new burlesque bar is opening on Smith Street, with cocktails, cabaret, pizza and live entertainment all priced at a steady $15.
Hospitality veteran Rio Olivetti will open Flair at 125 Smith Street on Friday, 21st August, transforming the Fitzroy address into a crimson-lit cabaret cocktail bar built around live performance, shareable food and late-night drinks.
Flair brings together the spectacle of European cabaret and the anything-goes spirit of Melbourne nightlife, creating a venue that moves from dinner to performance to late-night drinks.
A new kind of late-night bar is coming to Fitzroy
Behind Flair’s velvet curtains, guests will find a deliberately theatrical space inspired by the nightlife of Paris and Italy, with a custom-built stage at its centre.
The ground floor places high tables around the stage, while an upstairs balcony looks directly over the performances. A bar runs along the rear of the room, with low lighting and deep crimson tones designed to give the venue the feel of an old-world cabaret.
For Olivetti, the idea goes beyond opening another bar or restaurant. “I’ve spent my career in hospitality, but I always knew I wanted to create an unforgettable venue that goes beyond dining or food,” he says.
He says the venue takes cues from his travels through Europe while embracing Melbourne’s creative side. “I wanted to capture the spectacle and theatre I’ve admired throughout Europe while embracing Melbourne’s creative, slightly grungy spirit.”
Burlesque, circus & cabaret will take over the stage
Flair will run a rotating entertainment program throughout the week, with as many as three live performances each night from Thursday to Saturday and two performances on Sundays.
The line-up, curated by Corset Entertainment Creative Director Holly Mouat, will move well beyond traditional burlesque. Here, you’ll get to bask in the glow of cabaret performers, circus acts, fire artists, hula hoop performers and other live acts, with the program changing regularly.
Then, from 9pm, the night takes another turn. A rotating selection of DJs will take over the room, turning Flair from a dinner-and-show destination into a late-night club. Their intention is to keep the night flowing instead of dividing dining, entertainment and dancing into separate experiences.
Everything on the menu is $15
Flair is keeping its pricing refreshingly affordable, with every dish and drink on the menu set at $15.
The drinks list combines familiar cocktails with more playful signatures, including the Gold Rush, Yuzu Blush, Byron’s Haven and Three Wishes. There will also be Australian and European wines, Champagne, large-format cocktails for groups and a selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
On the food side, Head Chef Mehmet Akbass brings experience from Melbourne Winery, Fancy Hanks and Tulum to a menu designed for sharing.
The offering includes burrata with heirloom tomato, toasted garlic and beetroot; Anguria e Feta, pairing watermelon with feta and togarashi; zucchini fritta balls with Marzano sauce, feta dust and dill; and pizzas ranging from margherita and prosciutto to four cheese and diavolo.
There’s a hidden beer garden, too
The dining area gives way to a hidden undercover beer garden, tucked out of sight at the rear of the venue. The beer garden can accommodate up to 40 people, giving groups a quieter place to settle in for drinks or book private events away from the main stage.
The venue’s main room, meanwhile, has been designed so guests can keep an eye on the action from almost anywhere, with the balcony overlooking the performance area.
Flair opens at 125 Smith Street, Fitzroy, on Friday, 21st August 2026. They stay open from 4pm–1am, Thursday to Saturday and from 1pm to midnight on Sundays.
