Sussex Ln (btw 275 Kent & Sussex sts)
Sydney CBD
02 8068 8222
shirtbar.com.au
If Sussex Lane, Sydney hasn’t made it onto your radar just yet, get set to pick up something new and exciting. The last 12 months has seen this strip blossom into a CBD haven, brimming with small bars and cafes and becoming one of the newest and certainly more dynamic sites in town. Bolstering the ranks of the likes of Small Bar and Balcony Bar in this part of the world is Shirt Bar; one part café, one part bar service and one part retail shirt boutique mixed together and served straight up.
The creative concept is the brainchild of husband and wife team, Justin and Louka Marmot who together with Adam Hofbauer have created a store that specialises in Aussie shirt labels Ganton, founded by Justin’s father Allan Marmot in 1974, and Justin’s own label, Jensen – as well as knocking out a few delightful drams of your favourite tipple.
The bar and café boast similarly stylish brands and combine to create a unique tippling environment. The house roast, FAT (For All Things) Coffee, is a hearty blend of five arabica beans he have been custom roasted for Shirt and should be a good bet to get your day underway if you’re feeling the pinch from the night before.
Post midday you may feel the need for something a little stronger however, not a problem. The Shirt Bar have your size in malts too, and rums. The Glenfiddich 21-year-old single malt Scotch is finished in Cuban rum barrels for a slightly exotic touch on a classic Highland dram and the Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva is a full bodied, buttery rum from Venezuela that’ll do very nicely over some ice or sipped neat.
Australia’s own Bakery Hill single malt is on offer too, and while a little prohibitive with the price tag it’s certainly worth a taste. Rich full sweet malt flavours that balance out nicely with the wood. It’s a clean dram, fresh and kicking with life and sparkle – a trait often lost in whisky that’s spent more time in barrel.