Arbory Afloat Unveils Its Eleventh Season with Yamas Greece
Melbourne’s floating summer institution is back on the Yarra, and for season eleven, Afloat has traded its passport for the Greek Islands.
This year’s incarnation, Yamas Greece, takes its name from the Greek toast to our health, bringing whitewashed blues, sun-warmed terracotta and the easy generosity of a long lunch by the water to Birrarung. Interior designer Emily Jamieson has shaped the space around the colours and textures of the islands, giving Melbourne’s most recognisable floating bar a decidedly Aegean outlook.
The menu follows suit. HQ Group Executive Chef Paul Dunlop has drawn on time spent travelling and working in Greece, moving between the food of beach clubs, tavernas and street vendors. Fresh local seafood, grilled meats, meze and gyros sit alongside Greek sweets and returning Afloat favourites.
Drinks might be even more fun. The wine list now dips into native Greek varieties, from bright whites and rosés to aromatic reds, while the cocktail menu takes a more irreverent route: a Greek Long Island Iced Tea made with mountain tea, Moschofilero sangria and, most importantly, an ouzo frozen cola.
It is unmistakably Afloat, only with the dial turned towards Santorini: cold drinks, grilled seafood, blue skies overhead and Melbourne rolling past from the river.
Afloat: Yamas Greece is now open for the 2026/27 season, with table bookings, banquets and Beach Club lounges available throughout summer. Photographer credit: Jake Roden.
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