A new restaurant lounge bar has opened up in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs – Kong’s Jungle Restaurant. “Kongs Jungle Lounge is a Tiki themed restaurant lounge right in the middle of Bondi Junction (jungle), in the heartland of the Eastern Suburbs,” says Sean Finlay co-owner of Kongs.
New Bars
New Bars
“The Brix is based on the foundation of a contemporary French Bistro,” says co-owner Emma O’Mara, who is running the venue with Keir Vaughn. “We wanted to create a space that was a thoughtful and beautiful experience for people.”
The Brix offers an experience through the flavours and textures of the food they deliver, and the duo aim to showcase the quality and detail of the Brix in everything that they do. “We are about having a whole lot of fun and taking away an experience that you think about for some time after you leave,” explains O’Mara
Got a time machine? Me neither, but don’t let that stop you heading back to the post-war cocktail period by visiting Hinky Dinks, Sydney’s latest take on trendy tippling. Embodying the cocktail culture of the 1950s, when then a well stirred Cobbler was an essential accessory one’s image and a cocktail ‘hour’ wasn’t dependant on keeping an eye on the clock, Hinky Dinks is setting a new trend in ‘old fashioned’.
El Capo was started by husband and wife team, Omar & Dianna Andrade who have previously run Transient Diner – an underground dining concept that focused on featuring young, new talent. The duo came across loads of talented young chefs and decided to put their money were their mouth is by appointing one of them as head chef. Joey Astorga (previously at Bentley Bar and Galileo) heads up the kitchen team and is cooking Latin Street food, Puerto Rican, Colombian and Mexican classics while being sure to steer well away from any sort of menu cliché. “We simply didn’t want to be another Mexican restaurant with wrestlers and sleepy donkeys!” said Dianna Andrade. There’s Char-grilled Swordfish, Duck Three Way(s) Grits & Pork and fresh made Torillas to munch on, and a smart little Chilean Carmenere for red, or a lean Pinot Gris from Mendoza for white to help wash it all down. The trendy restaurant also features street art by talented artists Numskull and Roach along with portraits of infamous ‘Narco Cinema’ stars for added effect.
Don’t get confused with this place and turn up with your linens, but be sure to come packing a thirst and an appetite. This lill’ old darlo special is a gem once you’ve located it, and once inside there’s a good selection of treats to keep you from leaving.
The Carlton Wine Room is a welcome addition to the stomping ground of the Navy Blues and this elegant little space hugs the corner of Drummond and Faraday Streets.
Dan Knight (ex Cut Bar & Grill, & The Corner House) and Jeremy Shipley (ex Longrain & current Bacardi Brand Ambassador) have launched their much anticipated bar – Hinky Dinks.
Newtown – perhaps Sydney’s inner-city Bohemian heart – has all but avoided the cool wave of new bars opening up in recent months. The team behind Bench Wine Bar are not letting this stand however having recently opened their doors to a strong reception. Joining the likes of Corridor and the Moose, local identity Robyn Thomas, the venue’s founder, decided to convert an underused dining space into a bar.
While the style of the venue’s name might loose some of it’s Italian gusto with the Australian drawl, Il Patio is adding a touch of southern Italy to Sydney’s after hours scene. You’ll find this little gem nestled at Bourke Street’s Centre Courtyardand Naple-born chef, Francesco Armillis, is offering up some eclectic and modern Italian style fare.
The north side of the bridge continues to hot up with another tippling haunt recently opening. Honey Rider is located just down from the Pickled Possum and is sure to bring a finer touch to the area.
The boys from the Local Taphouse have recently added to their already award winning venue with the opening of their own bottle and provisions store.
“This is like the Japanese equivalent of the local pub,” says Charlie Ainsbury (ex Duke Bistro bartender) and the man in charge of my dinner. It’s not hard to disbelieve, and although I’m one of the early ones this place would be a great venue to kick back with a group and enjoy a few ice cold beers and some of the great food on offer.