Sydney’s Inner West has just introduced a new go-to wine hub – Bar DEMO. Located on Enmore Road, Bar DEMO is ditching pretension and bringing experience, the new bartender-run wine and cocktail joint offers a curated drinks menu, vinyl, and no requirements to book ahead.
The project comes from industry duo Claudia Morgan and Oliver Churcher, who met behind the bar at Sydney’s Double Deuce Lounge and have since worked their way through venues like Bentley, Bar Louise and Café Paci.
Bar DEMO was born from imagination. The paid often searched for a venue that felt like home – the type of place they always wished to drink in, walk-in friendly, open late, sharp on wine, and loose on rules.
“We wanted somewhere you could pop in after work or a gig, try something new without overthinking it, and leave after one glass – or three bottles,” Morgan says.
Around 60 bottles are sorted by mood and energy, not varietal. It’s a mix of natural and low-intervention producers from Australia and overseas. There are a dozen or so by-the-glass options, and the team regularly rotate through rare finds and specials, offering both 100ml and 150ml pours.
“As relative newcomers to the world of wine, we wanted to create a place where anyone feels welcome to try something new—even if they don’t know much. We’re not experts but enthusiasts, and we hope our enthusiasm is contagious,” Said Churcher.
Cocktails are stripped back but inventive. Expect freezer Martinis sitting at -15ºC, a two-sip ‘+/- Colada’ – featuring a cold pineapple rum base, topped with warm white chocolate coconut foam), and the Full Bush #2 – a bourbon, mezcal, yuzushu and hot honey drink with proper heat.
The venue offers bar snacks with a concise menu, including anchovies, cheese plates, and the kind of stuff you actually crave whilst drinking. Once a month, Bar DEMO will hand the bar over to guest chefs for Sunday pop-ups – the first being Pasi Petänen on July 27, with James Tai and Jade Gilmour lined up next.
Music is strictly vinyl – no playlists or algorithms. The hi-fi system, custom-built by Translate Sound in Marrickville, sets the tone, with staff sometimes spinning full albums every night depending on the mood, from jazz to disco.
Bar DEMO is the kind of place that slots into your night with zero thought– No bookings, just a bar built by a team who know what drinkers want.