Beneath Manly Corso, a new Irish-inspired basement bar is opening this week, with The Gopher launching on 15 May. Created by Manly local and co-owner Matt Clifton, the late-night venue leans heavily into atmosphere, live music and a drinks list built for long nights underground.
The cocktail offering balances classic Irish pub drinking with sharper modern serves. Signatures include the Hells Bells, a butter-washed martini built with a richer, savoury edge, alongside The Sinner, a pineapple and habanero margarita that pushes sweet and spicy flavours. Guinness and Kilkenny sit on tap, while a rotating UK beer of the month keeps the beer offering moving beyond the standard Irish pub formula.
Rather than recreating a traditional pub, The Gopher takes a darker and more cinematic approach. Guests descend below street level into a low-lit basement filled with worn textures, reclaimed century-old lighting and vintage fixtures sourced internationally. The venue draws influence from early 1900s Ireland but filters it through New York dive bar energy and late-night music culture.
The name itself comes from the Gopher Gang, an Irish-American street crew from Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, with references threaded throughout the venue through storytelling details, an honours board and its own “100 Pint Club.” Live bands will play most nights from early evening until late, leaning into the venue’s focus on bringing proper late-night energy back to Manly.
Despite sitting metres from the beach, The Gopher feels intentionally disconnected from the outside. The space is designed to feel discovered rather than obvious – more basement drinking den than polished coastal retreat.
The food offering follows the same approach. Irish pub staples are reworked into smaller share-style dishes designed to keep people drinking and staying longer. Pulled beef yorkshire pudding pies, black pudding scotch eggs, slow-cooked roast lamb shoulder and Irish spice bags all feature across the menu.
With live music running most nights, cocktails built for late sessions and doors open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays, The Gopher is positioning itself as a proper late-night venue beneath Manly Corso rather than just another beachside bar.