When you walk down into Sakura House, the new late-night basement izakaya from the team behind The Waratah, you immediately feel like you’ve stepped out of Sydney and into the backstreets of Shinjuku. That’s exactly what co-owners Evan Stroeve and Cynthia Litster wanted – a venue that doesn’t just reference Japan but feels it.
I sat down with Litster during the venue’s opening week to talk design, drinks, late-night culture, and what it really takes to open bar number two.
Litster wanted full immersion – the kind where you walk down the stairs and forget you’re in the CBD at all. “We want people to walk in and feel transported” she says. “You don’t really get that in Sydney.”
A big part of that comes from the details – the obsessive, lovingly overthought ones. Melbourne calligrapher Junko Azukawa hand-painted the walls after Cynthia spotted her at an event. “She was writing English words in Japanese, and I had a lightbulb moment,” she says. The finished work frames the room: “At the top of the bar you have the 72 micro seasons of Japan, and behind the spirits there’s poetry about cherry blossoms.”
“Japan uses space so well,” she says. “Tiny izakaya’s, everything tucked away, coat hangers because everyone comes straight from work. I wanted that – practical, small touches that make sense.” Much of the colour palette and fabric comes from vintage Japanese textiles “It’s meant to feel warm, sexy, dim.”
And yes – the 4am licence is coming. “We’re waiting for the final tick,” she says. “We’ll trade to 2am for now.” When it lands, this will be one of the few spots in the CBD where you can walk in at 2am for some food and a drink – not just a regretful drive-thru situation.
The drinks list
Co-owner Evan Stroeve publicly champions the Sakura Sour, and for good reason – featuring Haku vodka, Lemon, Yuzu, and bubbles, this boozy lemonade is what Stroeve recommends trying first, although Cynthia has her own favourites.
“The Nagano Sour – I’ve never tasted anything like it,” she says. “It’s got wasabi, tequila, apple… they spray this wasabi aroma over the top. It’s one of the coolest drinks I’ve ever had.”
Then there’s the Fizz. “It tastes like a mango milkshake – mango, passion fruit, condensed milk, slushy vibes. Total crowd-pleaser.”
Bringing nightlife back from the dead
Cynthia wants Sakura House to be part of something bigger – a nudge to get Sydney staying out late again. “When I was in Japan, we were eating ramen at 5am,” she says. “And I kept thinking, why is there nothing like this in Sydney?”
“Maybe my little bar won’t revive the whole city, but I hope it’s a seed. Bring a little bit of life back.”
Opening bar number two
“I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I had a sneaker business before hospitality,” she says. “I always loved bars – the craft, the food, the drinks – as a customer. Eventually I thought, okay, let’s actually do this.”
Her advice for others thinking about expanding? “Don’t skimp on technology,” she says immediately. “If something makes your venue more efficient – fridges, glass washers, anything – pay more. Otherwise, you’ll pay twice.”
And second: stop waiting for the perfect moment. “You’re never ready. You just have to go for it. Be open to feedback, adapt fast, and trust your team. You can’t grow if you’re doing every tiny thing yourself.”
Sakura House wasn’t the “easier second venue” people promised. “Being in a strata building made everything harder. More approvals, more layers, more people to answer to. The Waratah didn’t have that.” Lister said.
The bottom line
Sakura House is atmospheric, vinyl-driven, warm, and proudly late-night. It’s the kind of bar Sydney used to have and needs again. As Cynthia puts it: “I just want people to come in, feel transported, and stay up talking until late. Bring your friends, have a yarn – like it used to be.”