This new bar appeared in the September issue of Australian Bartender.
The Cottage Bar & Kitchen
342 Darling Street, Sydney
02 8084 8184
thecottagebalmain.com.au
Walking past the weather-vane and cast iron out front you might think you were at a farmhouse in the country. But you’re not in Bendigo or Ballarat, but at the Cottage Bar & Kitchen amid the urbane surrounds of Balmain.
The bar is owned by three mates and designed by Luchetti Krelle (the firm behind fitouts for Hinky Dinks, Lo-Fi, and Momofuku Seiobo). The idea for the bar, like all good ideas, came together over beers. “We’ve known each other for around 10 years, and worked together on and off during that time,” said Chris Cornforth, one of the bar’s owners. “So when it came to opening we knew each other’s style and idiosyncrasies, both good and bad.”
As you might expect, Australian wine and beer play a big part in what they do here. There’s a swag of quality local craft beer (including Balmain Pilsner) and a lengthy list of wines from throughout the country that is peppered by a handful of notable imports.
Classic cocktails are available on request, but you might opt to share a bowl of punch: the Batlow Can You Go mixes cider, vodka, grapefruit, lemon and – one you might not expect to see on those old trips to the farmhouse – lychees.
The bar is finding favour among the locals and is a result of getting the groundwork right. “We did a lot of research in Balmain before we took on the lease, because it is such a tight knit community,” said Cornforth. “But it is very much a locals bar now, so I guess that means they like us.”
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