Story by Cara Devine.
Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters
56 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne
pearldiver.com.au
Pearls of wisdom on oysters, genuine hospitality and opening a venue during a pandemic from the guys behind Melbourne’s hottest new cocktail bar.
In the heart of the Melbourne CBD, on bustling Little Bourke Street, a wordless sign elegantly marks the entrance to Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters. A circle and a line is all that’s needed to evoke the setting sun and hidden treasures of the sea, a clever motif which sets the tone for the attention to detail and understated sophistication of the venue within. Unsurprising, given the calibre of hospitality professionals involved with the venture.
Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters (affectionately known as PDCO) is the first establishment to open under the auspices of the Speakeasy Group’s ‘Pathways to Partnership’ programme, an ambitious project which could dramatically affect the face of Australian hospitality by lowering the barriers to business ownership for aspiring hospopreneurs like PDCO’s Alex Boon and Pez Collier.
“What we were creating in essence was a modern tropical list of drinks. Pez was the one that said Pearl Diver would be a great name for a bar as it speaks of the rich tradition of Pearl Divers so as to have a tie in to the oyster trade, along with being a cult Tiki classic cocktail by Don The Beachcomber…”
When asked about the benefits of having the well-renowned Speakeasy Group as a partner, Boon says, “there are many! First of all we have access to a wealth of knowledge and experience from two of Australia’s great hospitality operators… If it was just Pez and I working on this I’m sure we would have made some big (and expensive) mistakes by now.”
Not that Boon and Collier are hospitality slouches themselves; both are bar veterans with strong showings in cocktail competitions and massive industry respect. Boon, a multi award-winning bartender, is the driving force behind the cocktail list at PDCO, while Collier’s focus has shifted more to wine in recent years, reflected in a much more interesting and fun wine list than one might expect from a self declared cocktail bar – the Sigurd White Blend by the glass is a textural delight!
But, it is in the name, and the cocktails here are real show stoppers. The Sea and Shell is a martini using oyster shell gin and coastal vermouth, and it is the perfect starting point for the night – savoury and more-ish with an olive oil ‘oyster’ (an olive oil bubble with a similar texture to the mollusc itself) served alongside injecting playfulness and whetting your appetite for the real thing.
The majority of the rest of the list is tropical leaning, with a clear focus on seasonality and simple but striking serves. The eponymous Pearl Diver is stunning in it’s signature glassware, crowned by fresh flowers, and dangerously delicious. This trademark drink is an embodiment of their concept, though, rather than the inspiration.
“We had the initial idea that we wanted to create a cocktail and oyster bar but were genuinely stumped with what we wanted to name it. When we broke down what the bar would be like and the drinks offering it was all about vibrant, fun and fresh flavours.
“What we were creating in essence was a modern tropical list of drinks. Pez was the one that said Pearl Diver would be a great name for a bar as it speaks of the rich tradition of Pearl Divers so as to have a tie in to the oyster trade, along with being a cult Tiki classic cocktail by Don The Beachcomber. We then knew we had to come up with a banging recipe for the drink and make it our signature cocktail,” says Boon.
The room itself embodies a similar ethos; modern and relaxed but with nautical and period touches to liven it up and tie everything together conceptually. Personally, I found the brass diving helmet I was sitting beside great company.
And these guys are shucking serious about their oysters, seeing themselves as sommeliers of the sea (not that they seem too upset at the taste testing requirements). Piled in fisherman baskets in the oyster fridge, drawing the eye from wherever you are in the room, it’s hard to imagine anyone not ordering some. Boon advised me to try the Merimbulas, and they did not disappoint – gently sweet and creamy with a whack of briney freshness at the end.
But, the big question: why oysters? “When coming up with what would become PDCO, myself and Pez noticed quite a gap in the Melbourne market for a cocktail bar that championed oysters. For many restaurants and bars, oysters are just a snack at the top of the menu that everyone feels is sort of a requirement. Usually they are always the same, Sydney Rock Oysters accompanied by mignonette and lemon,” says Boon. “We really wanted to champion Australia’s diverse oyster farms/culture and show our customers how much variety there is when it comes to this amazing mollusc. We aim to always have four oysters on from around Australia, two ‘rock’ and two ‘ pacific’. We also offer oysters dressed in a rotating assortment of flavours and oysters cooked.”
And these guys are shucking serious about their oysters, seeing themselves as sommeliers of the sea (not that they seem too upset at the taste testing requirements). Piled in fisherman baskets in the oyster fridge, drawing the eye from wherever you are in the room, it’s hard to imagine anyone not ordering some. Boon advised me to try the Merimbulas, and they did not disappoint – gently sweet and creamy with a whack of briney freshness at the end.
The ‘Not Oyster’ section of the menu takes inspiration from New Orleans and French wine bars with tartares, terrines and salt cod setting the tone, although the mussels in XO sauce could be seen more as a nod to nearby Chinatown. The menu, like the room, is inviting – elegant but down to earth (talking about you, waffle fries!).
That PDCO is a lockdown baby makes sense – this is clearly a venue where everything has been thoroughly thought through to provide the best possible guest experience and execution of their concept.
“During the first large Melbourne lockdown we used PDCO as a way of keeping our minds busy which did wonders for our mental health. Then when we signed our lease and started working on the space we were dragged into yet another lockdown, this meant we had all the time in the world to work from the space, painting, tinkering and refining the venue,” says Boon. It shows. As does their golden rule: “treating your guests the way you would expect to be treated if you were sitting in their place. Pez and I believe genuine hospitality is well trained people delivering great service in a fun and relaxed environment and that’s what we do at PDCO.”
With an attitude like that, the world is pretty clearly their oyster…
Cara is our Melbourne-based drinks writer. She is the manager of Bomba in Melbourne and the face and talent behind the cocktailing youtube channel Behind the Bar. You can email her at behindthebarchannel@gmail.com