The Understudy is back, and she’s had a very stylish glow-up. Reborn as The Understudy Ski Lodge, this hidden subterranean cocktail den is now a full-blown alpine fever dream without the altitude sickness.
Slide past the unassuming wood cabin door (yes, there’s a stag knocker) and descend into a world of vintage ski posters, flickering candles, fur throws, and the sweet scent of ‘log cabin’. It’s all the romance of a snowed-in lodge without having to drive to Mt Buller… or go outside.
And the drinks are guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out. ’Winter’s Orchard’ arrives steaming, spiked with spiced syrup and pink lady cider, while ‘Chalet Noir’ tastes like bourbon met a hot chocolate and never looked back. And if you’re into Biscoff (who isn’t?), ‘The Midnight Slope’ is basically dessert in a glass.
A fondue that could make you cry real chocolatey tears.
The food is equally extra: baked camembert, halloumi with a Moroccan twist, sliders with truffle chips, and a fondue that could make you cry real chocolatey tears.
Walk-ins only. No bookings, no pretension, just good times in soft lighting. If you’re looking to escape the cold while leaning dramatically into it, The Understudy Ski Lodge is Melbourne’s answer to your winter daydreams.
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Hot dogs. Beer pong. Thong tossing. Alexander Volkanovski working the grill. America, we’ll take it from here.
On the wild east coast of Tasmania, where the ocean doesn’t politely lap the shore so much as dramatically slam into it, you’ll find a whisky distillery that feels like it’s clinging to the edge of the world.
Out in the rugged red expanse of Western Australia’s Pilbara, there’s a place where the rocks tell stories older than just about anything else on Earth. And now the rest of the world is officially paying attention.
