About
This reliable Club Street boozer has long pleased the Chinatown night crowd with its casual, no-frills menu and by-the-bottle drinks selection. Essentially a bottle-shop with a series of tables along heaving shelves of wines and spirits, this is a chic and popular place to grab a tipple and some bar bites along this bustling nightlife stretch. With a jovial crowd made up of regulars, it’s also a destination unto itself, not just a trusty pre-game! While you decide what bottle to pluck off the shelves, nibble on some sharing plates and tapas. Sharing portions of succulent Marinated New Zealand Lamb Chops, Mini Wagyu Burgers, and tender Marinated Australian Beef Tenderloin Slices will tick off the meat quotient for the table, while a zingy Fresh Tuna Tartare with Avocado & Ponzu is a lighter, more white-wine appropriate plate.
For some mean shared platters, choose from the kitchen’s list of pizzas, made to order, and featuring various fun ingredients over an artisanal aged pizza dough that will have you eating each slice to the very end. Popular flavours include the Samurai, featuring teriyaki chicken chunks, onion, and green chili for a devilishly spicy Asian-style pizza. Also good is the classic Italian Capricciosa, a medley of Mozzarella, mushrooms, pork sausage, black olives, and artichokes over a tangy tomato base. The grill menu here is unexpectedly big for such an unassuming space, churning out hearty burgers and grilled joints, including a particularly indulgent Roast Rack of New Zealand Lamb, a heaving monster of tender, smoky lamb served with a delicate ratatouille and loads of rich jus. Or, for something a little less fancy but just as satisfying, chow down on the Mexico Burger, a Wagyu patty that’s spruced up with fiery jalapenos, salsa, and melted cheese. Food may not be in the name of this bar and grill, but it’s certainly no afterthought! (Jan 2018)