DRINK > BARS

DRINK > Mikkella Bar, Shibuya

Sharing the same space as the About Life Cafe (read our review here) in the evening they pull down some venetian blinds that cover the coffee shop and pull up the venetian blinds that open the bar. The rest of the space is the same… It is tucked in a back street of…

ByEd ItorMarch 30, 20240Comments

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Bar Soul B, Tokyo

Bar Soul B is a bar we have walked past more than a dozen times, each time thinking we must go down and check that place out, never doing so. But last night we decided it was time, a rainy night in Shibuya and we wandered down in the damp from a delightful…

ByCrispyMarch 29, 20240Comments

DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > Busby’s Bar, Paddington (Sydney)

Busby's feels a bit more like a bar you might find in Tokyo or Kyoto rather than Paddington and that is due to the resurgent popularity old vinyl and enjoying those good tunes in a funky dark space. But Busby's is in Paddington, Sydney not Japan so it has a focus on wine…

ByLulu MasterdonFebruary 16, 20240Comments

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Gen Yamamoto, Tokyo

You have eaten an omakase (degustation course) before but have you experienced an omakase cocktail bar? Probably not. With only 8 seats this bar has a slightly reverential experience as cocktails are elevated beyond mere libation to fine palate experiences. You have to make a reservation (at least a week in advance) as…

ByEd ItorFebruary 15, 20240Comments

DRINK > TOKYO

DRINK > Bar TRENCH, Tokyo

Bar TRENCH, Bar TRIAD and Bar TRAM are all part of the Small AXE group of bars found in Ebisu, Tokyo. Each of them offer something a little special and make the region a great place for a night of bar hopping. Ebisu might not have been on your list for a night out,…

ByCrispyFebruary 12, 20240Comments

DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > Fix Wine Bar, Sydney

The team at Fix Wine Bar love their wine. It doesn’t really matter to them if you are drinking a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, or a Grand Cru Barolo they show the same enthusiasm. Led by Stu Knox who was recognised as sommelier of the year in 2012 and has been a wine…

ByLulu MasterdonFebruary 7, 20240Comments

DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > Caterpillar Club, Sydney

Editors Note (25/8/24): We are saddened to hear the recent media reports and claims about Swillhouse venues. The accusations are extremely disturbing. As a result we are removing the review rating we gave for the venue. The Caterpillar Club was created as an association of people whose lives had been saved…

ByJames CampbellFebruary 5, 20240Comments

DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > The Central Club Hotel (North Melbourne)

The Central Club Hotel sits on Victoria Street in North Melbourne, it is right on the city fringe close to Elizabeth Street, across the road from the Queen Victoria Markets and a stones throw to Carlton. The convenience of the location makes this a popular venue but it is the combination a smart refreshed fit-out,…

ByJames CampbellDecember 18, 20230Comments

DRINK > MELBOURNE

DRINK > Apollo Inn

Apollo Inn opened in the heart of Melbourne's Flinders lane restaurant precinct in 2023, it was ostensibly a good place to have a quick cocktail while waiting for a table at Gimlet or one of the other nearby restaurants. But it was so popular that the queues to get in for a drink at this…

ByJames CampbellDecember 7, 20230Comments

DRINK > SYDNEY

DRINK > Cantina OK! it is tiny but it is also fabulous

At the end of a dark alley off Clarence Street, not far from the Sydney Town Hall you will find a micro mezcal bar that you are probably going to want to make your regular. Cantina Ok! opened in 2019 and it really is a tiny bar, it probably could fit 20 (small)…

ByEd ItorDecember 5, 20230Comments

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