Another week on the road has seen me back in the Melbourne and that of course meant some visits to a couple of my favourite bars and foremost amongst those is the world renowned Der Raum which I had actually intended to write a review of as part of a follow up to my Melbourne Bars Pt1 post from last year, but as seems to happen, time got away from me and it didn’t happen, so I figured I owed them their own review.
So here it is, nine months on from my first visit and I’m finally putting my thoughts into something that is supposed to be at least vaguely coherent.
In what seems to be something that Melbourne bars pride themselves, Der Raum plays it low key from the outside. Located on the busy Church St in North Richmond, it is just on the edge of the restaurant & cafe strip with a rather unassuming front porch with some dark wooden slats across the front windows. As you walk in, the lighting is low and you are greeted by low seating and the bar that takes up the centre of the room. In reading the reviews of Der Raum, I had heard mention of the unusual bar layout but was not prepared for the visual impact.
The story goes that Mathew Bax, the man behind both Der Raum, it’s Singaporean sister The Tippling club and a supporter of local artists, had been looking for a solution to the lack of space to store the multitude of bottles required by any respectable cocktail bar and engaged the services of a Melbourne artist to work out a solution that was both practical but also worthy of artistic merit. The answer … Hang the bottles from the ceiling on bungy cord. Each bottle has a ring attached to the neck and the bottles are simply pulled down & unhooked when required. It is truly one of those solutions that is incredible simple & elegant, but just works so well.
I must admit to not being in a huge hurry to get to Der Raum on my first visit to Melbourne. The stories of the funky hanging bottles and its reputation for molecular mixology were leaving me a little cold. My preference was for a bar to be about great drinks & service, and not so much about gimmicks. Within 5 minutes of arriving at Der Raum for the first time, all my fears were allayed.
A quick glance at the menu and you quickly find a mix of the classics as well as a great combination of house specials as well as signature cocktails from bars like London’s Milk & Honey. Now as you can see from the photos below, the liquid nitrogen definitely makes for a spectacle, be it the Nitro Martini or the Bees Knees with its snap frozen honey. You almost wish they had a few Jacobs ladder and guy collecting glasses named Igor.
But to focus on wafting mists of the liquid nitrogen is to really sell this great bar short. Like any quality establishment, the total experience is a mix of quality ingredients, made into great product by staff with both a passion for their craft and great customer service.
And this pretty much sums up Der Raum. On the ingredient side, you will find all the usual top shelf fare, which is then further embellished with a range of ingredients that are imported by the house. Tequila, Mezcal, Rum or bitters are just some of the ingredients that they source from far & wide. 
Even if your tastes are simpler, little things like the absence of a post mix gun & an insistence on quality mixers highlight their commitment to their craft. You will also find a number of house made ingredients as well. On my last visit I was treated to a camomile infused vermouth as a starter. This house special combined the dryness of a vermouth with the herbal tones of camomile and was topped of with some liquid nitrogen for effect.
The guys are happy to work with you on your drinks as well. The menu provides a great starting point, but if it’s all a little over whelming then Josh & the rest of the team are more than happy to offer suggestions or whip up something based on your input.
As an example, on my last visit I had the idea that I wanted to combine the flavours of chocolate, rum & ginger beer. The result is what you see to the left. A variation on a Chicago Fizz, this time, sans the port with the addition of mole bitters & ginger beer
. Or the mezcal old fashioned to the right (if your wondering why the glass is looking a little low, it was due to the fact that I was enjoying the drink so much, it only occurred to me that I should take a photo after having consumed a few sips).
For those who prefer their drinks more as the maker intended, Der Raum offers an extensive selection of absinthe, tequila, rum & whiskey as well as beer and wine for those so inclined.
Speaking of tequila, Wednesday nights offer 20% all tequilas and mezcals. Der Raum also is home to the Melbourne Temperance Society which providers members with discounts on both drinks and the regular special evenings which Der Raum hosts.
The one thing that is missing from the Der Raum menu though is food. While there are rudimentary snacks available, Der Raum should not be viewed as venue for supper. There are however, a number of food establishments close by, so a little preplanning is advised for those seeking more substantial consumptions.
It is also worth noting that you don’t want to leave it till too late in the evening as arrivals after 1am will be greeted by the sorry site of a closed establishment.
Der Raum can be found at 438 Church St, Richmond.
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