At Enmore Country Club, there are no midlife golfing crises or standoffish suburbanites allowed. Rather, this hole-in-the-wall boozer on Enmore Road is full of low, vibey light, flickering candles, cosy leather booths and a smattering of extremely exuberant bar staff in matching cream and brown cowboy-style shirts. Upon entering this particular country club, it’s pretty clear you’re in for a good time.
We're wandering the streets on a warm Thursday evening in Newtown. The moon is bright and the locals are out for late-night ice-cream strolls. The unassuming front of Enmore Country Club blends in with the dense cluster of shops that pepper the upper end of Enmore Road, but once we get closer, it’s hard to resist the sultry charms of this urban saloon. Standing outside, we're beckoned in by an abundance of mysterious gold and brown hues, retro fonts and an overall promise of a few hours of good quality, intimate drinking where you can talk freely without anyone bothering you. Sounds up our alley.
Despite the fact that it's quietish, the people behind the bar are full of an infectious kind of sparkly energy that's hard to resist. It's clear that they're all actually happy to be here. The mood is kind of like being at a mate’s place – just with a way better booze selection.
We start off with a glass of chilled Trutta Streamside Shiraz from central Victoria. Crisp, perfectly juicy and refreshingly light, it pairs excellently with a slab of Manchego cheese with housemade onion jam, alongside a surprisingly generous bowl of mega green olives. As a pre-dinner snack, this was affordable luxury at its finest – each glass of vino setting us back $15, and the cheese plate $13. In this economy, getting (actually good) cheese and wine for such a price is nothing short of a miracle.
Enmore Country Club specialises in natural wine (the wine list is projected onto the walls). Their cocktail list (written on the back of their very ‘70s brown coasters) is a living ode to all things nostalgic Americana and Australiana – the cocktail names evoke visions of Grease-era diners, artificial cherries and hazy cowboy westerns – with a little Aussie ocker charm sprinkled into the mix.
We ask what cocktail they’d recommend – we want something that's a bit zingy and not too sweet. We're enthusiastically told to go for ‘The Shaz’. Described as a ‘fire engine for adults’, this pink drink is served in a satisfying coupe, with a fiery red flame stencilled onto the white foamy surface. Made with NSW vodka, Australian cassis and the Enmore Country Club’s very own homemade pomegranate grenadine, Shazzer is tart and spiced with delicious undertones of pomegranate, sweetness and lemon.
With a rather sparse bar-snack menu on offer, we order some fries that comes courtesy of a neighbouring establishment, and their signature club sandwich – a classic hit of quality chicken and fresh salad that sing perfectly with the booze.
Enmore Country Club is an eager and excitable new player in the Inner West. There’s something special about young people taking on relics of the old world and infusing them with new life, and in this groovy bar, that’s exactly what’s going on.
Casual, laid-back and stuffed with multiple cosy nooks that are custom-built for long conversations, this is a bar that makes you feel a little like you’ve escaped the real world. It offers up a hit of funkiness, good drinks and relaxed ambience that are the perfect start (or end) to a night out.
So, pop on your cowboy boots and best vest, and hit it. At Enmore, it's a very pleasant ride.