Experiential venues
Bars are atmosphere masters, but some venues are taking transportation to a new level — one where bigger equals better.
Moon Dog Wild West has gone all out on its new Western location in Melbourne’s Footscray. The three-level venue is the largest yet for the brand, which is pouring house and rotating brews across 100 taps for 800-odd patrons. You could easily spend a few hours in a venue of this scale. Start by lining up for a turn on the mechanical bull located in the middle of the saloon floor before heading up to the rooftop for a few drinks and finishing up at the ‘secret’ Pianola bar.
“We’re hoping to create somewhere for people to enjoy the outrageousness of it all,” says CEO and Co-Founder Joshua Uljans. It’s safe to say the brief has been met.
Vinyl bars
Record bars are rapidly mushrooming, and you know the concept is here to stay when some of the largest hospitality groups get behind it. Second-hand vinyls are hot property with venues snapping up as many as they can for DJs to spin through the night. Sydney’s Ante was an early adaptor of the concept followed by Busby’s in Paddington and Swillhouse’s late-night CBD venue Caterpillar Club which is open
until 4am some nights.
Merivale has recently opened the doors to pint-sized JAM bar in the Ivy Precinct. The pink plywood-walled bar has a collection of more than 15,000 records and has gone with a Japanese-inspired cocktail and food program. Sushi E’s Michael Fox has put together a snappy menu with every dish priced under $21. The Filet-O-Fish-inspired spring rolls are proving popular, as is the house soft serve which changes each day.
Taphouses
The humble taphouse has experienced a lull of sorts as small bars became part and parcel of the landscape, but there’s been some movement in the way of breweries coming back to claim some territory. The founder of Hahn himself Chuck Hahn
has come out of retirement to open Chuck & Son’s Brewing Co. in St Peters alongside his son Scott.
The pair have come to market with four products (Two-World pale ale; American amber; Touring Radler; Original pilsner) and are continuously working on limited runs that will be available at the 100-seat Tap Room. “With this brewery, we’re adding to and complementing [the] space with only the best,” says Hahn. “I’ve spent more than 50 years perfecting the beers. They’re refined, they’re sessionable, [and] they are my proudest work so far.”
Multi-cuisine menus
Fusion has been shedding its sour reputation over the past year thanks to a new guard of chefs who are taking influences from two or more cuisines and creating cohesive dishes. We’ve seen Asian–Italian at Lana in Hinchcliff House, French–Korean at Funda, and a pan-Asian approach at Lilymu, which has appointed a new head chef.
Roy Park has unveiled a new menu at the Parramatta eatery previously helmed by Brendan Fong, who has been incorporating Asian elements into Restaurant Hubert’s culinary offering since he took on the role of executive chef. Like many of his peers, Park has worked in an array of kitchens each specialising in a singular cuisine, which means his strengths are varied and best demonstrated by dishes such as Hokkaido scallops with red nahm jim, ginger, and Makrut lime as well as Kiwami Wagyu beef with galbi emulsion and sambal.
Japanese snacks
We’re well in truly in saturated territory when it comes to strawberry matcha and onigiri, which is far from a bad thing as the two continue to trend on TikTok. The snack foods of Japan have long remained staples, but were previously the domain of smaller operations and of course, convenience stores overseas. Now, larger venues are offering snack bites to guests who are looking to minimise their spend or just enjoy something light with a drink.
Solotel’s House Bar at Barangaroo House recently rolled out Katsu Kanteen, a spin-off concept from upstairs restaurant Rekodo. There is a dedicated sando section of the menu that lists a prawn and crab combo as well as the classic pork and chicken options. “There’s something about sandos that are so comforting and can be ordered at any time of day,” says Head Chef Michael Dabbs. “We’ve had a lot of fun riffing the incredible Japanese flavours we know well at Rekodo to create a delicious, casual menu.”
Closing the loop
There’s no better example of innovation in drinks than Matt Whiley’s Re. The World’s
50 Best bar has moved into a new home in Redfern’s The Norfolk Hotel and is now part
of Public Hospitality’s growing portfolio. Generating as little waste as possible is the
MO at Re, which bases drinks on fresh but leftover ingredients from Public Hospitality
venues.
The Hot Pink Tortilla is made with tortillas from Ricos, corn chips, and pineapple skin combined with Grey Goose, Mexican vanilla, tomatillo vinegar, and prickly pear soda. There’s also a Dirty Bore, which teams gin with salted focaccia butter vodka, Chardonnay mignonette vermouth, and tomato water. The team is using a
neighbouring former barbershop as a cocktail lab, which has allowed bartenders
to push the boundaries when it comes to sustainable practices.
Canberra calling
Our capital city has caught the attention of some of Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs. Matt Moran opened two venues in Canberra earlier this year after
spending some time scoping out potential opportunities in the capital city. Sandwich deli &Sando and Italian steakhouse Compa are now up and running in the heart
of the CBD, with Melbourne restaurateur Chris Lucas announcing his group Lucas will open Mediterranean eatery Carlotta in the Scotts Crossing precinct this spring.
It’s the second collaboration between Lucas and Queensland Investment Corporation, with the two forces delivering Society, Yakimono, and Lillian Brasserie at 80 Collins Street in Melbourne. “I’ve witnessed from afar how exciting and energetic the Canberra food scene has become,” says Lucas. “I can’t wait to open Carlotta and work with the incredible array of local producers, growers, and hospitality talent.”
