Oriental Teahouse in Chapel Street now hosts an (almost) secret bar upstairs called , named after its owner, the well-known Melbourne tea specialist and David Zhou.

I was invited to check out the on opening and after some confusion about the entrance I climbed the stairs from the brightly lit Oriental Teahouse to enter a dim Shanghaiese drinking den. The décor was moody and dark with timber floors and murals of Shanghaiese ladies in cheong-sam and touches of Chinoiserie and kitsch Asian paraphernalia dotted around. 

serves over 50 Asian inspired craft beers, which apparently was quite a feat of research for David Zhou, a self-professed tea man. The drinks list is rounded out with wine, sake and Asian-inspired cocktails such as the Hello Vera – a mix of West Winds Gin, peach, aloe vera and mint, or the Mekong Hijinks of lychee, lemongrass and hibiscus tea and more West Winds Gin. I preferred the latter cocktail for the balance of sweet and tart and it was served with a lychee sherbet lolly for a comical twist.

The kitchens of Oriental Teahouse provide the savoury and sweet snacks, mostly dumplings, all for sharing and to match your drinks.

I tried the fat and fluffy pork buns and the chilli dumplings, always a favourite with their slippery pliant skins and kick of heat. But there’s lots of choose from so you don’t just have to stick with dim sum.

The relaxed vibe and hidden nooks of create a cosy counterpoint to the noisy street life happening downstairs on Chapel Street. It’s a place you can linger as you’ll be fed and watered in comfort and style while the rest of the populace fights for parking spaces. And if you’re at with a larger group I recommend commandeering the room across the hallway for your own private party!

, 455 Chapel Street, South Yarra

Wed-Thu, Sun 5pm-11pm Fri-Sat 5pm-2am