Obituary – Das zimmer hobart

As i was awaiting my flight home from an all to brief holiday in Cairns I was saddened to read of the imminent passing of what was my favourite cocktail bar in Hobart, Das Zimmer. This boutique cocktail lounge come supper club, run by Sean Buekes and Anthony Smith, was one of those hidden gems that you only stumble across through either good fortune or a word of mouth  recommendation.

Located in the mezzanine of the Barcelona European Bar and Restaurant in Salamanca square, it started life as part of the bar downstairs with a view to providing an upscale alternative to the bistro & beer offerings. After its initial run did not live up to expectations, it closed for a couple of months as Sean & Anthony negotiated to take it over before finally reopening as a separate entity.

As for the decor, sumptuous leather lounges abound, arranged in a series of alcoves, each with their own table, greeted guests as they climbed the stairs from below. Each alcove then being separated by curtains, providing additional privacy if desired. The exposed wood of both the ceiling and the large architectural beams adding a rustic feel, that could come off as contrived, but instead added to the exclusive club feel of the venue.

Once you reached the table, you would then be greeted by either Sean or Anthony. The multi talented pair playing the roles of waiters, bar tenders and chef as they advised patrons as to the food offerings for the evening as well as the drink specials. 

With an array of exquisite local food offerings, dinner at Das Zimmer did not disappoint. The herb encrusted beef Carpaccio on offer during my visit was particularly memorable! For those so inclined, the wine selection is reported to be excellent, but for me, the array of Antica Formula on one of the tables boded well for the mixed drink offerings, and Sean did not disappoint.  Originally from South Africa, with experience through out Europe and Africa  before arriving in Australia, Sean obliviously enjoys his craft, and his drinks did not disappoint.   

Both Sean & Anthony showed a great passion for all aspects of Das Zimmer and it is a great loss to Hobart to see this fine establishment close.

I wish them both well in their future endeavours, and will definitely be keeping an eye out to see what they get up to next.

so those melbourne bars …… (pt 1)

A few months back I had made a trip to Melbourne and did a brief post that contained a list of bars I had accumulated for Melbourne from a couple of different sources, but I have been rather remiss in actually following up on that, thus I find myself back in Melbourne on a very warm Thursday night and seated at Der Raum.

Melbourne is a funny place, the past couple of weeks have been witness to an early onset of summer, so lots of temps in the high twenties, low thirties (high 80s for my Fahrenheit conversant friends) mean that Melbournites are sitting at homes worshipping their air conditioners as opposed to heading out to the quality bars and enjoying something in a tall glass with lots of ice & rum, and maybe some mint or fresh fruit.

But I am not one to complain about such things as it means that I get sample some of the great bars without the noise and crowds, but I digress….

So here is the first part of what will be a multipart series on bars in Melbourne. 

1806

1806 was the first Melbourne bar that I was told about, and as the recommendations came from multiple sources it really only seemed fitting that it be the first one I talk about.  Located on Exhibition St in Melbourne, not far from Chinatown and just next to Her Majesty’s and opposite the comedy theatre, it is ideally placed for a pre or post show drink.  For me though, it provides entertainment enough, though you may be advised to go else where for dinner before hand as while the toasted sandwiches are tasty, their food is not at the same level as their drinks (see Seamstress below for food options as they are just around the corner).

 

Given that it is surrounded by theatres it does seem fitting that 1806 has been decorated in the style that seems reminiscent of a turn of the centaury vaudeville establishment.  The bar is framed by a stage curtain and if you stick around for last drinks then you will get to see the theatrics in full flight.

The bar itself appealed to me immediately with its bar stools and rich wood finish. Behind the bar there is in an impressive array of spirits and depending on when you visit, a signature spirit will be showcased.  Of late the signature spirit has been Chartreuse and if you are  lucky enough to wander in on a night when Merlin is behind the bar, then you can get a full run down on the history of this interesting herbal liquor.

In addition to the bar stools, there are also two levels of tables and leather couches on offer, again both in keeping with the spirit of the establishment, the upstairs effectively a mezanine that over looks the bar and provides a great view.

Enough of the surrounds though, the primary reason for visiting 1806 is the drinks, and here they don’t disappoint.  The name of the bar is a reference to the year in which the cocktail was first acknowledged in print, so a perusal of the menu will take you from the early days of spirits being combined through to the modern era. The signature spirit idea also provides a little variance as you will find a collection of drinks built around the spirit being highlighted.  As the current spirit is Chartreuse you will find a collection of offerings based around both the green & yellow variants.  It is also worth nothing that at the 2008 Tales of the cocktail conference in New Orleans, 1806 collected an award for the best cocktail menu, which is no small feat in itself.

As far as the drinks the go, two that stand out for me at 1806 are the Cartrusian flip and the margarita custard.  The Cartrusian flip being a combination of yellow Chartreuse, islay malt whiskey and egg yolk, while the margarita custard being cuervo, cointreu, lemon & egg which is then steamed and served with a spoon.

One of the other interesting offerings that 1806 has is their cocktail deconstruction event. This 4 hour offering on a saturday provides great foundation in the history of spirits as well as the evolution of mixed drinks.  The Saturday I attended I was fortunate enough to have Sebastian Reaburn deliver the course, which if you can arrange, is something I definitely recommend.  His combination of an encyclopaedic knowledge of spirits and drinks with his humility and his passion to share make for a thoroughly engaging event which if you are interested in cocktails is definitely something  to add to you calendar.

If I am to level any criticism at 1806 it would be that on occasion the staff can come across as a little cool, and potentially a little elitist.  I have been to 1806 on a number of occasions though, and always endeavour to drop in at least once on any visit to Melbourne, so don’t let this really put you attending this quality Melbourne bar with its well deserved reputation.

 

Seamstress & Sweatshop 

Growing up with a mother with a love of sewing and crafts, Seamstress seemed to welcome me from the moment i ascended the stair case and was greeted with an array of bobbins on the wall and then a ceiling resplendent with an array of silks of all colours and again that familar warmth of sofas and tables and a bar complete with water & glasses & bar stools to welcome the thirsty patron.

Seamstress itself is the bar on the top floor of the building, with the first floor housing a great asain fusion restaurant that is described as bringing “a contemporary Australasian perspective to traditional Cantonese cuisine” so think small plates and shared dishes with fresh ingredients and a nice balance of flavours.  The ground floor houses the kitchen while the basement contains the second bar sweatshop, but more on that in a moment.

Like any decent Melbourne bar, the menu at Seamstress provides a good mix of drinks.  I have now been there for both their Winter & Spring menus.  On both occasions I was quite pleased with the array on offer, not a crazy amount either and good to see a mix of both sweet and sour, the staff are also quick to offer suggestions and whip up a classic or two.

Being connected to the connection downstairs, they also offer a selection of bar snacks that can definitely suffice for a light dinner if the mood takes you.  For me, the not so vegetarian wok box is my pick.

The sister (ugly step sister?) to Seamstress then is Sweatshop. You’ll find her toiling away in the basement, surrounded by raw concrete & brick, exposed beams and industrial wire mesh, a stark contrast to the oppulence & splendor of Seamstress. But like any good fairy tale, this sibling has her own hidden beauties waiting to be discovered, and they are worth discovering.

Don’t let the industrial feel or unpolished appearance put you off though. Great drinks are definitely the order of the day, with bar staff who know their product and care about what they serve, sweatshop is definitely worth visiting.

Be aware though they are not open every night, so my first visit on sunday night found me heading upstairs to Seamstress, in no way a bad thing, just something to note if you are planning a visit.

A flying visit to Hobart

Another week see me on the road again, and this time the destination was Hobart.  The last time I visited Tasmania was in 99 and I left with fond memories of the scallop pies and a visit to a local distillery that produced an array of apple & peach brandy’s, so I was looking forward to returning.

As always, the trip was started with a couple web searches looking for cocktail bars that might be of interest as well as any other options for my brief visit.  The resulting list really only had two entries, Onba and the Lark Distillery. So for this first post I shall discuss Onba, then follow it up with posts for Lark, IXL, T42 & Das Zimmer.

ONBA

First up then is Onba.  Located in North Hobart it is a kilometre or so away from the waterfront and is located in a nice old building which according to the menu, dates back to the early days of the colony.  The layout is very much that of a restaurant/cafe with a small bar with 4 or 5 seats being located in what I gather was originally a hallway or entrance, but is now home to a array of tables.

Obviously some thought has gone into both the cocktail and the food menus.  My initial reaction to the drinks menu though was one of derision. Once you make your way through the array of coffees, beers & wines you are then find the cocktails broken down by their base spirit, starting with Vodka.  This is one of those areas that I struggle with.  I can appreciate that reality of cocktail consumption is that the primary consumer is probably younger females who’s taste lends more towards fruity & sugary with any alcohol present being  deftly hidden. So in this regard, Onba doesn’t disappoint. The vodka drinks utilising lots of syrups & fruits.  From there the menu continues in a similar vein with the theme appearing to be that any drink can be improved by the addition of berrys, infusions or honey.

The menu does acknowledge the classics though, so I was pleasantly  surprised to see the Sazerac listed, and also encouraged by the note on each page stating that the original variants were also on offer for the asking.

When it came time to order though, after having initially been asked twice in quick succession if I was ready to order, I was then apparently forgotten for what seemed like 15 minutes (maybe 10?) a waitress from another section asked if I had placed my order, so a Sazerac was ordered along with some bread & olive oil and a main to accompany.

For the sake of brevity I will focus on the drink. As I have previously mentioned, the Sazerac is one of my favourites, so I also find it a good measure of any bar.  In this case it did really sum up my experience at Onba.  It had all the right elements, but the execution was lacking and everything was just a little off. First off was the presentation, as you can see, the drink came out with a second glass filled with ice and an instruction to add ice as desired.  This in itself is not big deal, but when the glass that the drink was served in was warm, and the drink itself was barely below room temperature then this is not a good start.  As for the drink itself, garnishing a Sazerac with a twist of lemon is traditional and is done so as to release the oils into the drink and give it that extra edge.  In this case the rind had been poorly cut and the I would guess that it had been placed in the drink without either wiping the rim nor squeezing it to extract the the oils.  The other notable addition was the maraschino cherry, again not in keeping with either the traditional drink nor the drink advertised on their menu.

As for the rest of the experience, the bread was stale, but the chicken breast stuffed with chorizo was well done.  With these consumed though, I had no desire to seek either a second drink or to look at the menu, instead my desire was to head back to the waterfront for a return to Das Zimmer (review to come).

Given my visit to Onba, I can’t say I would be I am in a hurry to return.  From what I observed, they do have some talented & diligent staff, but they would appear to lack consistency and some short cuts in the kitchen leave some basic elements wanting.

note: an email was sent to Onba detailing my experiences so  I am curious to see their response, so will update this post with any developments on that front.

A brief sojourn to Perth

Once more I am on the road, so a revisit to Perth presents the perfect opportunity to dust of the keyboard and update the dear old blog. For this post, I thought I would discuss a couple of small bars in Perth that are newish to the scene and come at it from slightly different approaches.

First up is 399 Bar. Located at 399 William St, North Bridge. Digging into my fading memory, these guys have been open for about 6 months, but they certainly seem to have things sorted.  I popped in on a Tuesday night and was greeted by a number of patrons already seated at the bar and in a number of the booths. Initial impressions where positive, the simple fact they had stools at the bar is a positive in my book!  Taking my spot at the bar, I asked for a drinks menu and was told that they don’t have a menu and instead like to see what a customer likes to drink and then shape something around that.  Definitely a ballsy move and one that very much places the onus on having bar staff who know what they are doing.  So after a quick discussion with Andrew McIntyre we settled on Vieux Carre. So again points scored for knowing one of the less common drinks and also executing it reasonably well.  From there Andy suggested an Algonquin, so rye whiskey, dry vermouth and pineapple juice. One I hadn’t tried and on the day, not something that grabbed me, so Andy was happy to take it back and he whipped a sazerac in its place.

So 399 gets points for good bar staff, as it was a Tuesday night, they were also running through a training session for their staff, so next to me, a class was being given on techniques and the importance of balance in a drink and what flavours work and those that don’t.  Again more points for 399 for taking the time to invest in their staff to ensure a quality experience.

On the food front, 399 classes itself as doing small eats.  This equates to almost being tapas, but they avoid the tapas tag to set expectations appropriately, so the menu is set on a chalk board and you can choose 3 items from a list of tapas staples like chorizo or olives, alternatively they have a one pot option.  So food while not being their primary focus, is something that is on offer.

I’ll be sure to drop in next time I’m in town.

 

Next up on the list was Ezra Pound.  This small bar has only been open a few weeks now and is located in a little alley just off William St, (189 William St, Perth) a block to the north of the train station. The first big challenge for me with Ezra Pound was actually getting any information about it with regards to opening hours or contact numbers.  The guys behind the venture wanted to create a local pub that focuses on nothing more than being a good local that offers a solid selection of beverages, but doesn’t go over the top. Unlike 399 these guys do have a cocktail list, but it has to be one of the simplest and most elegant examples I’ve come across. On offer, Cuba Libre, Negroni, Tom Collins, Old Fashioned, Sidecar & a Martini.  So they cover all the classics, cover pretty much the spectrum of tastes, and don’t make a fuss about it in the process.

For their spirit selections, again they have kept it simple. A couple of bourbons, nolly pratt as the vermouth, 4 or so whiskeys and the staples necessary to make the drinks on offer. 

In one review I found, they discussed the use of jam jars to serve the drinks, the night I was there they were opting for a classic rocks glass, and I think that is far more in keeping with bar than chasing the gimmick of the jam jars (or mason jars for my north American friends).

With regards to decor, they’ve gone for a classic feel. Old style sofas and comfy chairs, stools at the bar, and a nice talking point in the 1930s cash register that apparently was shipped out from New York.

These guys seem to have a pretty good idea of what they want out of the bar, and they have pretty much hit the mark for creating a great local, and given the passion of the patrons I was chatting to on the night I was there, they have created something the market is looking for.  Definitely glad I made the effort to track down this little gem.

Murray sharing his secrets

A friend recently passed on this link

http://seattlefoodgeek.com/2009/08/murray-stenson-rocks-sorrentos-drinking-lessons/

which has me once more pondering my city of abode.

I also love this pic of Murray from the article

 

If you are a Seattlelite, then it might be worth checking out this link

http://www.seattlemag.com/0p36b8be123/drinking-lessons-at-the-sorrento/

which provides information on the bi monthly event.

A quick update

Am on the road again and avidly exploring bar options as I hit new cities. 

From my previous post you can see the list of bars that I need to write up from Melbourne & Canberra, this week sees me on the other side of the ocean, so expect to see some thoughts on what Montreal and Los Angeles have to offer.

Santé

the mELBOURNE BAR LIST

Recently I was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time in Melbourne exploring the bar scene and I have to say that I came away very impressed.  The sheer number of quality bars staffed with great people who really care about what they serve is something to behold after my largely fruitless searches in Sydney, but that is another story.

So I thought I would start this series of entries with the list of bar recommendations I received and kept updating throughout the week that served as my guide.

melbourne bars
1806
seamstress – city
der raum – richmond
sweatshop
black pearl – brunswick st, fitzroy –
manchuria – good luck
murmur –
gin palace – 1951 martini
madame brussels – bourke st between exhibition and spring near spaghetti tree top 
geralds bar – rathdown st, north carlton
cumulous inc – flinders lane near spring st. 65/65 egg is a must
blue diamond –
melbourne supper club – spring near bourke. between the european restnt  & the wine shop
boozy rougue – 470 bridge rd, richmond
cookie – swanston st, head around to the back of restaurant for cocktails – bar tender to talk is andy
double happiness

The list started with with 1806, Seamstress & Der Raum after chatting with some Canberra bar tenders (hmm, I need to write up Hippo Bar, Knightsbridge Penthouse, and The Julep Lounge suffice to say, they are worth visiting … the Kremlin Bar …. not so much) and then grew based on conversations with the staff & patrons along the way.  I think a telling comment was from Sara at Murmur who asked where I got the list from as it was pretty much a bar tenders list of bars to visit.  She was definitely on the money, I would return to pretty much every establishment that I visited from the list, now I will put in the disclaimer that I didn’t make it to every one, but the ones I did go to lived up to expectations.  Sure some would get chosen before others to return to, and some are definitely more about a summers day with a bunch of friends than enjoying a finely crafted libation(Madame Brussels) but that is one of the great things about the Melbourne bar scene.  It offers options to suit all tastes.

The World’s Biggest Bar Crawl – Or the 71 bars that you should visit before you die.

Whilst perusing a drink blog recently I stumbled across a link to a story from the New York Times that lists the bars around the world that a serious bar tender should visit.

So I thought i should do two things, 1, work out which ones I had been too and which ones i could easily get too, and 2, steal the list and post it here.

For part one, when  i found the list I was able to cross 2 off the list, Zig Zag of course, and Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco, but then after spending the week in Melbourne, I can add 1806, Der Raum & The Tiki Lounge, so I’m now up to 5.

For Part two, here is the blatant copy and paste from the original article.

Bars to Visit Before Your Jazz Funeral

List compiled by Simon Ford and Angus Winchester for The World’s Biggest Bar Crawl seminar at Tales of the Cocktail.

Alibi, 811 Iberville Street, New Orleans; (504) 522-9187

Andres Carné de Res Restaurante Bailadero, Calle 3 No 11a-56 Chica, Colombia, (near Bogota); 011-57-863-7880. (Everything in it is recycled.)

Apoteke, Tromoso, Norway

The Bar Hemingway, 15, Place Vendôme, Paris; 011-33-1-4316-3365

Bar High Five, in the Ginza area of Tokyo

Barfly’s Club, Esterhazygasse 33, Vienna; 011-43-1-586-0825. (The cocktail list is 75 pages long, with 60 different ryes and 600 single malts.)

Bayswater Brasserie, 32 Bayswater Road, Kings Cross, Sydney 011-61-9347-2177

Bel Ami Restaurant & Lounge, 1591 Willamette Street, Eugene, Ore.

Black Friars Distillery, 60 Southside Street, Plymouth, UK; 011-44-1752-665-292

Bix, 56 Gold Street, San Francisco; 011-415-433-6300

Boadas Cocktail Bar, C/ Tallers 1, Barcelona; 011-34-933-188-826. (Hemingway drank here.)

Bourbon, 2348 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, D.C.; (202) 625-7770

Bourbon and Branch, 522 Jones Street, San Francisco; (415) 673-1921

Burj Al Arab, Dubai; 011-971-4-3017-600; (World’s most expensive cocktail.)

Bramble Bar & Lounge, 16 Queen Street, Edinburgh; 011-44-0131-226-6343

Café Tortoni, 825 Av De Mayo Buenos Aires, Argentina 011-54-11-4342-4328

Captain’s Bar at the Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road, Hong Kong; 011-852-2825-4006. (Locale for Hong Kong businessmen; try the gunner — ginger ale, ginger beer, angostura bitters.)

Carousel Bar, 214 Royal Street, New Orleans; (504) 523-3341

China Club, 13/F, Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Hong Kong; 011-852-2521-8888

Churchill Downs, 700 Central Avenue, Louisville, Ky.; (502) 636-4400. (For a mint julep at the Kentucky Derby.)

Constellation, 96 Xinle Lu, Huaihai Zhong Lu, 5404-0970 Shanghai, China

Death + Company, 433 East 6th Street, New York; (212) 388-0882

Der Raum, 438 Church Street, Richmond, Melbourne 011-61-3-9428-0055

The Doheny, 714 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles

door 74, Reguliersdwarsstraat 74, Amsterdam; 011-31-6-3404-5122

Downtown Hotel, Corner of Second and Queen, Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. (Members only; 7,000 members.)

Drink, 348 Congress Street, No. 101, Boston; (617) 695-1806

Dry Martini, C/ Aribau 162, Barcelona 011-34-932-175-080. (Truly wonderful bar for the martini.)

The Dukes Hotel, 35-36 St James’s Place, London. (The naked martini.)

The Edison, 108 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles; (213) 784-3678

Eighteen-O-Six (1806), 169 Exhibition Street, Melbourne; 011-61-3-9663-7722

Felix at the Peninsula, Salisbury Road, Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong; 011-852-2920-2888. (Designed by Philippe Starck, more for the view than the drinks.)

Fifty London, 50 Saint James’s Street, London; 011-44-870-415-5050

Flatiron Lounge, 37 West 19th Street, New York; (212) 727-7741

The Florida Room, 1685 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach; (305) 672-2000

The Gibson, 2009 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C.; (202) 232-2156

Harry’s New York Bar, 5, Rue Daunou, Paris; 011-33-1-42-61-71-14. (A bit touristy.)

King Cole Bar Lounge, St. Regis Hotel, 2 East 55th Street, New York; (212) 753-4500

La Brasserie Restaurant, 118-126 Crown Street, Sydney; 011-61-2-9358-1222

La Floridita, Obispo No. 557 esq. a Monserrate, Havana, 10100, Cuba; 011-53-7-8671300

LAB, 12 Old Compton Street, London; 011-44-20-7437-7820

Le Lion – Bar de Paris, Rathausstraße 3, Hamburg, Germany; 011-49-40-3347-5378-0

The Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel, 1 Beach Road, Singapore; 011-65-6337-1886

Matterhorn, 106 Cuba Street, Wellington, New Zealand; 011-64-4-384-3359

Merchants Hotel, 35-39 Waring Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland; 011-44-28-90234888

Milk & Honey, 134 Eldridge Street, New York; (212) 625-3397

Motel Bar, Level 1/4th Forresters Lane, Wellington, New Zealand; 011-64-4-384-9084

Nottingham Forest, Viale Piave, 1, Milan; 011-39-02-798311. (Bartender: Dario Camini.)

The Old Absinthe House, 240 Bourbon Street, New Orleans; (504) 523-3181

Old Town Bar, 45 East 18th Street, New York; (212) 529-6732

Olive Bar & Kitchen, 14 Union Park Khar., Mumbai, India; 011-91-22-2605-8228.

P. J. Clarke’s, 915 Third Avenue, New York; (212) 317-1616

Paparazzi, Laurinská 1, Bratislava, Slovakia; 011-42-1-25-464-0777

PDT, 113 Saint Marks Place, New York; (212) 614-0386

Pegu Club, 77 West Houston Street, New York; (212) 473-7348

PX, Alexandria, Va. (Todd Thrasher’s place.)

The Quaich Bar at the Craigellachie Hotel, Speyside, Scotland; 011-44-01340-881204

Quo Vadis Club, 26 Dean Street, London; 011-44-20-7437-9585. (Private members’ club.)

The Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York; (212) 632-5000

The Randolf, 349 Broome Street, New York; (212) 274-0667

Ricks, The Taj Mahal Hotel, 1, Mansingh Road, New Delhi; 011-91-11-230-26-162

Ruby, 10 Nybrogade Street, Copenhagen; 011-45-3393-1203

The Savoy Hotel, The Strand, London, 011-44-20-783-64-343

Schumann’s Bar, Odeonsplatz 6+7, Munich; 011-49-089-22-90-60

Sky Bar, Страстной бул., 8а, Moscow; 011-7-495-694-02-10. (Great views of panoramic Moscow and rich Russians.)

Tender Bar, Nogakudo Building, 6-5-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; 011-81-3-3571-8343

Tiki Lounge and Bar, 327 Swan Street, Richmond, Melbourne, Australia; 011-61-3-9428-4336

The Tippling Club, 8D Dempsey Road, Singapore; 011-65-6475-2217

Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, 5929 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco; (415) 387-4747

Vessel, 1312 Fifth Avenue, Seattle; (206) 652-0521

Westin, Calgary, Alberta; (403) 699-9843

Widder Bar, Rennweg 7, Zurich; 011-41-44-224-2411

Zig Zag Café, 1501 Western Avenue, Seattle; (206) 625-1146

 

 

Oh and expect write ups in the coming weeks of my experiences in Melbourne, they definitely know how to do the cocktail bar thing right!

The Marble Bar

A chilly Wednesday night recently found me in Sydney with a friend and as is the tradition, drinks were sought, so after a little discussion we headed towards the Hilton and the iconic Marble Bar. The Marble Bar has always held a special allure for me, since my first visit was in the early nineties, I have loved its ornate decor and it strong links to a classic bygone era.

So back to the present and on this Wednesday night, the Marble Bar was quiet as their was no live entertainment. I have to say i was pleased about this as the last time I had ventured in there was a live band that was fronted by a singer who really should not have been let close to a mic, let alone one connected to an PA that was set at a level that had my party leaving within two minutes of arriving. We grabbed a table and a couple of menus from the bar and proceeded to decide on our drinks for the evening.

This is one area where the Marble Bar does not disappoint.  There are of course the normal array of sweet drinks to satisfy those who want something fruity that doesn’t taste like alcohol, but this is also balanced by a collection classics including proper Martinis, Manhattans and my favorite the Sazerac.

Like any bar, the quality of the drink you receive will depend on the staff that is on, but I have been lucky in my various visits to have received a consistently high standard of drink.

In summary then, the Marble Bar does get a thumbs up. If you are in search of a quiet venue, then definitely check ahead, as while it does work well as a live venue, it can be a little overpowering.

Hemesphere

Saturday night found me at an event that was due to finish about 11ish, and given that I would be in the city, I felt it an ideal time to venture out to see if I could find a locale that would satisfy my desire for an experience that would at least compare to ZZ. 

The initial plan was to venture to Gin Garden but a quick phone call revealed that the venue had been booked by an external company for an RnB night, so a quick exploration of the Merivale website reminded me of Hemesphere which I had heard about and thought it was worthy of some further exploration.

First up then was the menu and I have to say that on my first cursory glance, I was impressed.  For me, an essential ingredient for any great cocktail menu is a more than passing acknowledgement of the classics, so the inclusion of the negroni, the mint julep and of course, a Sazerac hooked me immediately.

I was also taken by the photo of the interior.  The plush surrounds that hark back to elegant days of an exclusive gentleman’s club.

It was decided then, Hemesphere it would be!

Hemesphere can be found on the 4^th floor of 252 George St, so directly above The Establishment.  This means that upon arrival you are more than likely to be greeted by a sizeable queue, luckily, there is a separate entrance to the left of The Establishment for the other venues in the building, so after a brief interaction with the doorman, I was escorted to the lift where I was whisked up to the 4^th floor where the doors open to reveal  the plush surrounds of the fourth floor.

The combination of the dark, rich reds & browns, with the plush seats and lounges definitely exude luxury and the notion of old money.  There are also a series of display cabinets that contain an array of fine spirits, old whiskeys, cognacs and the like as well as some nice nick nacks like old plumb bobs.

The interior though also provided the first disappointment of the evening. The bar.  Where are the bar stools?  Hemesphere is very much about sitting and relaxing, and dare I say, seeing and being seen.  The closest option you have is a couple of stand up tables that overlook the bar, but are definitely not close enough to enable you to interact with the bar staff.

So I took up residence in one of the comfy chairs and waited for one of the friendly waitresses to come and serve me. I did not have to wait long, and after a brief discussion, I settled on a sazerac as I had seen it in the menu before I arrived, and then waited 5 minutes or so for it to appear.

This was also another telling moment for me with regards to Hemesphere.  The great bars I have been too around the world do a number of things in common, one of the simplest being that you are given a glass of water when you arrive. One of my favourite cocktail books, The Art of the Bar, has a great discourse on the merits of doing this, and it is one of those little things that can be done that costs nothing, but works in both the patron and the bars favour. Pacing your drinks with water will stave of the dehydrating effects of the alcohol and it will also give you the option of enjoying an extra drink or two as the night progresses.  For the bar, this means patrons are spending more, and are also less likely to as affected by their tipples.

Upon arrival, I was presented with an immaculately presented Sazerac.  The lemon twist was well formed and was suspended on the side of the glass.  Bringing the glass to my nose, I was presented the familiar anise fragrance of the absinthe and then bourbon notes. The taste also did not disappoint. But at $27.50 it also should not, and that brings me to my next point.  Yes this is a drink that is made with premium spirits, but $27.50 ($25 with a mandatory 10% service charge) is really just obscene when you are dealing with maybe $8 worth of ingredients, and as for the mandatory service charge, why not instil in your staff a belief in your product, a love of cocktails and the knowledge and skill to deliver exceptional service, and then you will find that people are more than willing to tip accordingly?

Speaking of service, my request for a glass of water did require a second asking, and my inquiries with the bar tender for a possible source of Peychauds Bitters were met with disinterest.  For me this is again a mark against Hemesphere, great bartenders come alive when you show a genuine interest in their craft, and at the time I asked, the bar tender was not run of his feet, there were maybe 30 people in the venue and he was standing around, so while he may have been having a bad night, it felt more like asking questions was an inconvenience.

While I was enjoying my Sazerac, I took the time to browse the menu, and I was impressed by the good mix of sour and sweet drinks on offer.  I did take exception to implication that they had their own special barrel aged bitters, when in fact they are using the Fee Brother Barrel aged Bitters, but I guess that is to be expected.

In conclusion then, Hemesphere does score points for a sumptuous decor, a good selection of drinks, but ultimately loses due to the exorbitant prices, so so bar staff and an overly large dose of pretention.