Nothing soothes the spirits like a fresh and smoky cocktail in hand and Beatles tunes on the stereo. And that’s why we keep coming back to this underground bar tucked in behind a record shop – they’ve got the tunes and drinks that’ll turn your workaday frown upside down.
It can be disorienting going from daylight to the low candlelight of this backroom bar. It always takes us a couple of seconds for our retinas to readjust so we can find an empty booth to sling ourselves into. Or maybe we’re feeling chatty and opt for a seat up at the bar – super-friendly humans are slinging the drinks here.
A Stone Wall is all fresh zing and lingering smoke with Laphroaig, triple sec, lemon juice and whisky marmalade, or if you don’t like a bushfire in your glass, opt for the Breakfast Martini – same idea, but with gin in place of the whisky.
Just in case the name didn’t tip you off, music plays a key part of your session here. Get in early enough and you can browse the shop for that key Zeppelin album missing from your collection, or just kick back and let the bar play DJ. There is a jukebox in one corner that they’re hoping to hardwire into the speaker system, but for now it’s decorative. As are the 45s that line the ceiling, the record gatefolds along the picture railing and enough framed posters and playbills to make a WSFM fan weep with envy. A collage of red Persian rugs and dark wooden furniture completes the ultimate rock rumpus room.
If you’re keeping things low-key, this is also a great spot to sink some local brews from Wayward, Batch and Lord Nelson, snack on the complimentary Cheezels and pick up where you last left off on the Beatles vs Stones debate. When you’ve got the booze and tunes sorted, the rest of your evening will run on greased rails.
