Time Out Melbourne never writes starred reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills for reviews so that readers can trust our critique.
Melbourne loves a secret bar. From State of Grace’s swish cellar accessible via bookcase to the new speakeasy with a Narnia-esque wardrobe entry Mill Place Merchants, our map of hidden drinking lairs remains a fountainous source of pride and joy for Melburnians – and it’s one we especially love spouting off about when our interstate friends come to town.
But while there’s a tendency to romanticise mystery and intrigue in our fair city, there’s indeed a great deal of substance behind the smoke and mirrors. Solid proof comes in the form of sultry new Latin-inspired bar Santana, which is offering one of the CBD’s most sensual and thoughtfully curated casual drinking experiences above ground level.
Consider puffing away on a Montecristo Short while nursing an El Presidente – a perfect balance of dark rum, dry vermouth, curacao and cranberry grenadine. Or swirling a glass of Emiliana Natura carménère from Chile while you take in moody views of the city’s nightscape.
Carménère is a deep red grape varietal with origins in Bordeaux, widely presumed extinct after a phylloxera plague in 1867 nearly decimated all the vineyards of Europe. Now rarely found in France, the largest grower in the world is Chile and the wine world is taking a renewed interest in its potential for blending with other varietals. Our bartender recounts the grape’s turbulent history as I begin my journey at Santana, coddled by the aforementioned comforts.
Do I smoke cigars regularly? No, but something about this bar just gets you in the mood. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, it’s fascinating to learn about different types of premium tobacco brands on the market and their origins – from Jose L Piedra Petit Cazadores to Romeo Y Julieta Mille Fleurs at the steeper end of the price range.
Cigars aside, you can choose your own adventure here on the drinks front; we particularly love that you can get cheaper 15-millilitre pours of spirits alongside the regular 30-millilitre pours.
A gravelly voice sings over blues scales through the speaker and our table candles are not dainty tea lights but rather thick, wavering flames. Combined with the fiery neon red lighting, the atmosphere is very much giving hot passion and sexy bachata dancers. In fact, it’d be a great venue for such a live performance. On this night, there’s no such action, but the quietude could perhaps be put down to the fact that it’s late on a Wednesday.
You’re also unlikely to find Santana unless you know about it. We’ve had to creep down a laneway and climb up multiple flights of stairs to level three – just one floor up from Bouvardia (the winner of our Best Cocktail Bar Award in 2023.) Santana was launched by the same owners, Abjar Kasho and his team, near the end of March this year. Sister duo team Studio Martin helped Kasho with the design, incorporating weather-friendly touches to account for Melbourne’s cooler months.
It’s a niche offering, to be sure – South American cigars and spirits – and you’d expect it to attract a certain narrow kind of clientele. But our bartender reveals that Santana is far from a lads’ club, recounting a wonderfully diverse crowd on busy nights: groups of women, older folks, CBD workers and solo travellers alike.
You could slip up here for a super intimate date night or even a spirit-tasting sesh with your pals. It’s the cocktail list that’s the most approachable offering, a seductive six-drink menu of bold, brown spirit-based potions. The Dominicana tempts with a decadent blend of dark rum, Okar mocha coffee liqueur and cream – but at 11pm on a weeknight, adding caffeine to create a drug trifecta with nicotine and alcohol sounds like I’m just asking for no sleep.
So I cosy up with the Canelazo instead, which is served nice and toasty. Heaven on a crisp night, it’s a belly-warming concoction of white rum, orange, lime, cloves and cinnamon. Since it’s easy to indulge at Santana, we also sample the fruits of a very juicy San Felipe malbec from Mendoza, Nikka Yoichi single-malt whiskey from Japan and – a favourite of our friendly bartender’s – Bushmills single-malt whiskey from Ireland.
And sure, a little nip of Chairman’s Reserve spiced rum from Saint Lucia before we leave, because why the heck not? As mentioned, Santana’s unique offering of smaller, cheaper pours means you can try more of the menu for less dosh and learn about what you like while you’re at it.
On future visits, we’ll be back to explore the worlds of Scottish whisky, Venezuelan rum, tequila, brandy and Cognac. If you’re down with some vintage-y crooners and don’t mind a bit of smoke on your clothes, there’s a passionate team of experts on hand who’ll be glad to guide you through them.