While the area has experienced a boom and bust bar cycle over the past half century,Bar 1880 manager Alex Raclet – who managed the bars atFranca andParlar,and trots outs cocktails with sous vide ingredients and names like Lock Me Up – believes Circular Quay has all the ingredients in place for success.
Anew French-leaning wine bar is tipped to open on the same strip as Sicilian cocktail barApollonia. And an application has been lodged for a liquor licence at a new venue opening at the bottom of Pitt Street.
Chef-restaurateur Joel Best will launch the whisky-featuredBar Besutolater this month,at Sydney Place.
Buoyed by the success of his Japanese restaurant Besuto,Best points to a massive influx of workers to Circular Quay courtesy of several tower developments:“Throw in the newCapella Hotel and the[upcoming] Waldorf Astoria and it’s transforming Circular Quay from an outdated area of the city to the new must-visit destination.”
The Phillip Street end of the Quay,better known for the Justice and Police Museum than bar action,recently addedBar Messenger to its ranks.
Quynh Nguyen,who has worked at Fred’s andMargaret locally and runs an international drinks consultancy,has joined the party at the eastern end,openingCaffe Q’s.
A cafe by day,Caffe Q’swill morph into an aperitivo bar from mid-June,tapping its owner’s considerable experience,with an incoming cocktail list including a creation Nguyen describes as tasting like “a rum and raisin Old Fashioned”.
Inspired by the small bars of Europe,Nguyen hopes the pint-sized Caffe Q’s will punch above its weight:“We pack a lot in 12 square metres. We want to create a community,somewhere you pop in for an early drink … we all go home at 10pm,let someone else look after the riff-raff.”
Bar 1880:Open Tue-Sat 4pm-late
10 Bulletin Place,Sydney
Caffe Q’s:Open Mon-Fri 7am-10pm
R2002/50 Bridge Street,Sydney