Gilt Lounge is tucked away above Gowings Bar & Dining in the quirky QT Hotel, Sydney. It is luxurious, it is exclusive, but don’t take that as bywords for a lazy bar program – this place has invested seriously in doing drinks and drinks service well.
New Bars
New Bars
It seems Bob Hawke is having a bit of a renaissance in the eyes of Australian drinkers – first, by christening the Workers in Balmain, and now as a part of the Print Hall venture that took over the The West Australian newspaper’s former headquarters (and including a $2.5m wine program). Bob’s Bar is adorned with the wise words muttered by the man himself: “Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up to work today is a bum!”
The team behind Sydney’s successful Grasshopper bar – one of the first small bars to brave the CBD – have opened their second venue with wheels already in motion for a third. Boston as the café cum bar is called is nestled at the base of the Gateway building just a stone’s throw from Circular Quay.
Molecular mixology, modernist mixology – call it what you will, the fad became a trend which has now become a permanent part of a bartender’s repertoire. And at The Rabbit Hole, they’re doubling down on modernist techniques, which form the basis of a lot of their drinks.
The Honourable Julia Gillard MP finally has a local small bar and restaurant in which to drown her polling woes. The Botanist Kirribilli has just opened its doors in the old Milsons restaurant site thanks to owners Ben Carroll and Hamish Watts – the duo behind Bondi Hardware.
Though vinyl records have gone the way of the dodo, Walkmans, and car-phones, there will always be a place for intimate bars where you can get a good drink with good service. It’s not rocket science and Mojo Record Bar doesn’t over-complicate things.
The old Rambutan site on Oxford Street has come alive again. And, just as in its previous incarnation, good food goes hand in hand with great drinking at Kaya Sydney. “It’s loosely based on an izakaya, which is a Japanese bar that serves good food,” said owner Tim Lackey.
“We created a venue that we’re passionate about and that we love,” Hemmes stated, “we just hope to hell it works out!”
If you were at cocktail joint, Bar None, in Camberwell and got a little restless and went exploring, you might be surprised at what you find…
It looks like a budding food truck entrepreneur became disheartened and ditched their caravan in a Melbourne laneway. But take a closer look. There’s 5L kegs of Heineken and Little Creatures for sale, paella being served from the counter window cut into the caravan, a licence plate that reads “CHUCKIES”.
This new bar appeared in the September issue of Australian Bartender. The Cottage Bar &…