This new bar was featured in the March edition of Bartender magazine.
32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
http://thecommons.com.au
A great new subterranean addition is ready to visit, set beneath the cool sandstone walls of The Commons in Darlinghurst. Downtown is described by the team as a ‘classics bar’ and set in its 160-year-old sandstone larder underneath The Commons dining room, it is hard to argue. ‘Downtown takes you back to the roots of good music and liquor. Our bar menu and music are inspired by the golden age of cocktails, jazz and blues, from the turn of the century until 1950,’ says the team. The sleek little wine bar/ restaurant used to be pop-up bar called ‘The Pond’, but now existing in its own right it is the perfect chance for you to come and enjoy some time in your own underground hideaway.
Serving a range of treats, including cocktails, beers and a tight little spirits list it might not be the place for a big night out – rather a classy night in with a few close friends. There is a nice little nudge of regional wines from the fair plains of NSW – the Freeman Rondinella Rose would be a good refresher, or perhaps a smart little white from Adelaide’s Chain of Ponds team. If you are feeling footloose, then perhaps nip across to the Loire for a glass of Sancerre. Red is not a big focus at the moment (with the obvious heat), but the Margaret River cabernet should be soft enough to enjoy on a warmish day, after all you’re sitting in a sandstone cellar to keep cool right.
The beers list is short and sweet, but shows itself well with a few good examples of craft brewing; White Rabbit, Little Creatures Original Pilsener and the Lord Nelson’s Three Sheets Ale should keep you happy.