Polēpolē Bar

Melbourne, Australia

4.1

11 reviews

Contacts

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Telephone:
+61 3 9650 2811
Website:
www.polepolebar.com.au
Address:
267 Little Collins St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000
Melbourne
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
360 ftStop 6: Town Hall, Swanston Street
600 ftStop 6: Swanston Street
610 ftStop 2: Collins Street
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Today

Today –
Local time (Melbourne) 05:53 Thursday, 19 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

polēpolē bar is a new watering hole in the heart of Melbourne.

Inspired by travels through East Africa, our bar is named after the Swahili word polēpolē (pronounced pol-​eh-​pol-​eh), meaning ‘go slowly’. Commonly used by locals to remind people to take it easy and live in the moment, the term perfectly captures the essence of our bar.

With a menu including imported African beers, signature cocktails and delicious food designed for sharing, polēpolē is here to help you enjoy the journey — wherever it may take you.

Open daily from 4pm until late

History

Established in 2014.

Previously occupied by Tony Starrs Kitten Club, the space has been ingeniously reimagined in a rustic light, pairing raw materials such as timber and concrete with an earthy colour palate of burnt oranges and charcoals.

Meet the Business Owner

Dean M.

Business Owner

polēpolē, Swahili for «take it easy», is a word commonly used by locals to remind you to slow down and enjoy the journey. Owned and operated by husband and wife team, Dean and Jeanelle Mariani, polēpolē is inspired by travels through East Africa.

polēpolē is a family affair, with the bar managed by Dean’s brother Adam, former co-​owner of award-​winning café The Petty Officer.

Nearby

Near this location:
1
ft
Glamp Cocktail Bar
Level 2 267 Little Collins St
1
ft
Lorna Jane
267 Little Collins
1
ft
Tony Starr’s Kitten Club
267 Little Collins St
60
ft
MigiTech Precision watch repair
125 Swanston St
60
ft
South Sea Pearl Australia Pty Ltd
Suite 402, 125 Swanston St
60
ft
Platinumsmith
Suite 808, 125 Swanston St

11 reviews of Polēpolē Bar

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Place rating: 5
Melbourne, Australia
What a great spot to catch up over dinner and drinks with friends!
Food is a good variety and there is also an assortment of African style beers.
Atmosphere is cool and the music is great! Definitely worth trying!
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
Madcap joint where the dancing is wild and people are friendly! Decent prices drinks means you’ll stay all night!
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
It’s Comedy Fest time and that means discovering new spots budding comedians can entertain the hoardes.
Off I went to Level 2 @ Glamp Bar. Apparently it has a different name up there but I liked it a lot.
It’s set up with like a white tented section with bench sofas hugging the walls. It was rather chic and matched the crowd. Young. Attractive. Well dressed. Quite a few couples and groups of ladies on nights out.
No beer on tap and I was worried the Kenyan bottle I had (Tusker) would taste like piss but I needn’t have. It was light and refreshing. Anyhow I think cocktails are the specialty here and they seem to have a great selection but cocktails aren’t my bag.
It’s a quirky place… like a giant rhino at the bar, and down on level one it’s a bit of a maze but they have a quaint restaurant.
Overall I really liked it. I’ll head back again for sure. In the meantime, more laughs to be had.
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
PolēPolē is a great find for any meat lover, myself included. I love trying different types of meat, whether it is the cut, seasoning or animal and this place offers a wide selection of not so common ingredients.
From ostrich cigars packed with pulled meat to the goat ribs on their standard menu this place is a must try.
If you feel a bit adventurous head down there on Thursday night for a flavour packed 3 course menu featuring game meats with an array of sides including pumpkin dip, pickled watermelon and gerkins to name a few.
Tonight’s menu featured succulent camel sausages with a mustard sponge and grilled corn, a ‘crocodile nest’ — spicy croc meat sitting on a bed of salad encased in a fried ‘nest’ and compressed boars neck. It was a mighty feed for $ 49pp and if you get there before 7 you can make good use of their happy hour with $ 6 beers and ciders and $ 25 cocktail jugs.
A must try for those hunting for their next best feed.
Place rating: 5
Getzville, NY
When you stumble into a restaurant/​bar as good as this, a Unilocal review is a must! The service was spectacular! The waitress was knowledgable about the menu and had great recommendations for meals and drinks. The cocktail list is unique and creative. A dinner for two split two smaller plates and one larger. The flavors were perfectly balanced and the proportions left us comfortably full. The atmosphere was eclectic and edgy. Overall, you will not be disappointed!
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
Cool place for a few drinks, with a great cocktail lounge up top and dining space in the main level, the décor food and beer selection all African influenced (though quite subtly in many ways). Good selection of said African beers, and Australian wines also.
Food was okay. We went to meat-​town and shared a bunch of plates and nothing really blew us away, but having said that we all still left full and satisfied, and it was pretty decently priced in the end too.
Place rating: 2
Stony Brook, NY
I went here before, I loved the vibe. However I went tonight as their website said they were open and I was greeted by someone who said, «ohh where do I know you from?,… oh yeah thats right, I don’t!» Then said the place is usually open sundays but not tonight, private function. Loved the venue, not the rudeness.
Place rating: 5
Melbourne, Australia
ALL YOU CAN MEAT! Every Tuesday, get there now!!! WOW what a party in my mouth and it is very easy on the wallet. $ 40 per person and they just bring you all these delicious food. Ribs, wings, ribs, wings, and well some more ribs and wings. Scrumptious salad like dishes, that well lets be honest are not really salads but I am going with salads.
Very funky drinks list to chose from, friendly staff and a sensation atmosphere. I have raved to everyone I know about this place and have now had multiple people thank me for the recommendation so I advice you all head down there on a Tuesday (Unless you are a vego then avoid, avoid, avoid) They don’t take bookinigs, and the all you can meat begins at 6.30pm.
Place rating: 4
San Jose, CA
Popped in on a Friday night for some bar hopping. The narrow staircase seems like it could be a bit dangerous if you’ve had one too many of their famous punch bowls. Overall, the dim lighting definitely set the tone for a «welcome to the weekend vibe». It was fairly easy to find a booth to accommodate the three of us, thought with the dim lighting it was still pretty hard to read the menu. (Is this the sign of old age!?) We all agreed to share their infamous punch bowl which was pretty generous in serving. Definitely like a punchbowl should be: a deadly creeper. While having its elements of sweetness and fruitiness, I can tell that it’s poison is easy to go unnoticed which can leave some people stumbling out.
Definitely a cute new addition to Little Collins Street! I can’t wait to try their other cocktails!
Place rating: 4
Melbourne, Australia
The food was beautiful, very delicious ingredients that combine together so well. I enjoyed the small dishes designed to be shared. The chick pea and corn cakes with okra and kasundi was such a great choice for a vegetarian to share with a meat eater, as well as the cauliflower and lentil fritters with whipped tahini! Seriously yummy!. It was a great atmosphere in a well designed funky intimate bar. The cocktails were to die for, and knowing they have happy hour now I’ll definitely be back during the week!!. Great place for a date or a after work drink.
Place rating: 4
Ashburton, Australia
Quick and attentive service and an intriguing drinks list definitely makes me want to come back here again. As a new place with plenty of critic reviews, it was a good crowd for a smallish place on a Saturday. Unfortunately there was an issue with the chicken ribs being undercooked (all restaurants have this moment), but the staff completely owned up to it and gave us a free round of drinks. Otherwise, great place for a shared meal or light snack and the food was flavoursome. Eggplant chips are a must, and one should try an imported beer or cider upon arrival.