5 May 2019 :

What was once Miettas in Alfred Place is one of those CBD interiors that should be protected but isn’t, though when Council issued a permit for a skinny office building on top, it included a requirement to retain the stairs and main upstairs rooms, though how they’d do that I’m not sure. The building has quite a varied history; it was originally built as the German Club, designed by JAB Koch, with the large room upstairs used for lectures and events. They were forced to close in 1915, selling to the Naval & Military Club, who installed the grand stairs in 1937. They moved out in the 1960s, then i think there was nightlclub. Then from 1985-85 it was Mietta’s, a very sophisticated hangout, the first comfy bar in Melbourne really, I remember downstairs was like a lounge, with antique and cafe furniture and little tables in casual groups, open late, and sometimes performances too, with a more formal restaurant upstairs, and many of my Insta followers have fond memories. Since then it’s been a succession of venues, currently Rockpool Events. All photos the internet.

Update 2024 : no office tower, phew ! Is it still Rockpool ? Sounds like not used much. Im told Suzy Forge, who was a pioneer in restoration of Victorian interiors in the 1980s, designed the interior for Mietta, and purchased the furniture too. Many comments on Instagram saying they loved Mietta’s, and that was 30 years ago now.

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