Bar Peripheral, 447 Pulteney St, Adelaide
Story by Nick Focareta
Bartender’s choice is a concept that can be daunting to even the most experienced revellers, something owner and (sole) bartender Vini Wang at Bar Peripheral in Adelaide has vowed to change. His first solo venture, Bar Peripheral is a bespoke 12-seater cocktail bar with a no standing policy and no menu. Located in the quieter residential half of the Adelaide CBD, the windows are blacked out by ceiling length blinds. Downlights illuminate the bar top immediately in front of each guest and drinks assembly is in full view. All of this to create a controlled environment for the guest.
Vini’s ethos is simple: refined classic cocktails in an intimate atmosphere. Once guests are seated, they are guided through the usual questions about drink type, spirit and flavour profile. The point of difference, however, is the bartender taking the order is the bartender making the drink. And with only 12 patrons at a time each guest receives an unparalleled level of quality and service. If a chat about your signature serve is what you are after, Vini will be more than happy to elaborate; if it’s a quiet drink with another guest, he fades quietly into the background.
The aim here is to give more power back to the guest. “We try and explain everything in simple terms, so the guests learn how to effectively describe what they taste and feel,” says Vini. This ties in with Bar Peripheral’s unique digital engagement: posting a new cocktail to Facebook daily. “[We’ve found this] encourages guests to be as expressive about their tastes as best as possible… and it challenges me, so a mutual growth is achieved.”