Chin Chin & Go Go Bar
Chin Chin is arguably the most successful restaurant Melbourne has ever seen. It opened in mid-2011 and quickly gained cult-status, with hours long queues snaking Flinders Lane from its early days.
When its downstairs sibling GoGo Bar first launched shortly after, it wasn’t much more than overflow for Chin Chin to keep punters off the street. The bar was fine for a drink to wile away time waiting for your table, but not particularly notable for a city over-endowed with options.
By mid- 2016, both had earned a refresh. Chin Chin’s was mild. GoGo’s wasn’t.
Upstairs we designed new seating, bathrooms and an enlarged kitchen to serve Chin Chin’s hungry followers, but it’s downstairs that became a destination in its own right.
Booths now run the length of GoGo’s back wall. Small round cork tables line a long banquette – offering both intimate tables of two and breakout spaces for planned or impromptu groups. There’s new brass lighting, a banging sound system and the hero bar made of stone, copper and leather.
GoGo’s floor plan now allows for a 30% increase in total patrons across the split venues, while retaining the exclusivity of Chin Chin’s coveted seats upstairs. The revamped GoGo is now not only a stimulating prelude to dining at Chin Chin upstairs, it also acts as a proud standalone Melbourne bar.