DRINK > BARS Archives - ALMANAK MAGAZINE

DRINK > Bar Tilda, Sydney (15/20)

Sydney has finally rediscovered the hotel bar, and Bar Tilda makes a persuasive case for why it matters. Just off Phillip Street, on the ground floor of the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, it is a burgundy-walled, marble-topped, whisky-lined room that trades on 1960s jet-set nostalgia, a tableside Martini and one of the most serious Australian whisky…

ByCrispinOctober 10, 20260Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > McRae Bar, Capella Sydney (16/20)

Sydney has no shortage of hotel bars, but few of them are named after the man who drew the building they sit in. McRae Bar, tucked into the north corner of the lobby at Capella Sydney, takes its name from George McRae, the Edinburgh-born architect behind the Queen Victoria Building and the grand sandstone Department…

ByCrispinOctober 10, 20260Comments

DRINK > AUSTRALIA DRINK > BARS DRINK > MELBOURNE EAT > AUSTRALIA EAT > MELBOURNE EAT > VICTORIA WHERE TO EAT >

DRINK > Woods Yard, South Melbourne (16/20)

Translating the perfect European wine bar experience to Australia rarely works. Predominately because we have all had so many amazing experiences at perfect little local venues in Italy, Greece, Spain or France. But Woods Yard have nailed it with all the bits you love and retaining a little Australian edge. AMBIENCE > Woods Yard…

ByCrispinSeptember 15, 20260Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > ITALY DRINK > SICILY

DRINK > Fratelli Burgio, Ortigia, Italy (15/20)

There are lots of bars in the beautiful historic town but the Salumi and wine at Fratelli Burgio make for a perfect combination and of course it is in the perfect location, combine it with the harbourside bar Alporto you have it all sorted. AMBIENCE > In the beating heart of Ortigia’s open-air market, Fratelli…

ByCrispinMarch 13, 20260Comments

DRINK > AUSTRALIA DRINK > BARS DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > Death & Co, Melbourne (18/20)

Slip behind the velvet curtain on Flinders Lane and Melbourne falls away, replaced by a low-lit room that feels like an edit of the world’s great cocktail bars: a little East Village swagger, a lot of CBD polish, and a level of detail that rewards staying late. This is Death & Co’s first international outpost…

ByEd ItorFebruary 28, 20260Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > JAPAN DRINK > SENDAI

DRINK > Great Dane Brewing, Akiu, Sendai (15/20)

Set against Akiu’s pine-lined hills and onsen steam, Great Dane Brewing brings Midwestern brewpub heart to one of Tohoku’s most storied hot spring valleys—a Wisconsin-born, Sendai-brewed outpost where craft beer, wide-open views and a low-key road-trip energy converge. It feels less like a side-trip from the city and more like a base camp for slow…

ByCrispinDecember 23, 20250Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > Conte, Sydney (17/20)

Conte in Sydney’s CBD is grand, an unapologetically Italian, ode to the Negroni. Part bar, part ristorante, and all about drama, detail and la dolce vita energy. With more than 30 (and climbing toward 40) Negroni riffs, serious Italian wines and a full dining menu, it feels less like a pre-dinner pit-stop and more like…

ByCrispinDecember 7, 20250Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > Gracie Melbourne, Hardware Lane (15/20)

Hardware Lane is a place that many Melburnians stay away from (largely given a bad reputation by the touts that stand outside the largely formulaic but popular tourist restaurants that fill most of the laneway). Gracie Melbourne is a stylish little venue in a part of the city that has almost too many…

ByCrispinNovember 22, 20250Comments

DRINK > ATHENS DRINK > BARS DRINK > GREECE

DRINK > Brettos, Athens (17/20)

The oldest distillery in Athens, in the middle of the Plaka, selling cold drinks and snacks. What’s not to like? . AMBIENCE > Operating since 1909, Brettos has had time to produce and collect lots of bottles. Two walls are lined with coloured glass bottles, a kaleidoscope of colour and alcohol with enough brightness to remind…

ByPaulaOctober 11, 20250Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > BURGUNDY

DRINK > Caves de l’Abbaye, Beaune, Burgundy (18/20)

Step from Beaune’s winding, cobbled heart into Caves de l’Abbaye, and you’re greeted by the cool hush of a centuries-old cellar—a true Burgundy hideaway shaped from vaulted stone. Beneath low arches, the glow is candle-soft, shadows flicker against wine-streaked walls, and every table feels like a private alcove ready for pure vinous discovery. AMBIENCE >…

BySimonAugust 2, 20250Comments