If you needed any more reason to swap your track pants for leather dacks, a 1970s New York-style cocktail bar and a Barcelona-inspired snack bar have opened under one roof in Sydney CBD. And they look sexy as hell.
Called Disco Pantera and Tigra, the two fire-hot venues are founded by brothers, mates and hospo maestros Ross and Gordon Purnell, who have Clam Bar, Charlie Parker’s and Lana creds between them. So it’s likely you won’t find watery, flavourless cocktails and lacklustre plates.
Downstairs, Tigra, which takes its cues from the electrifying laneway drinking and dining culture found in Barcelona and Tokyo, will offer a tight menu of aperitifs and vino alongside share-style dishes. Highlights include Koshihikari ‘cat’ rice with Yarra Valley salmon roe and white soy yolk; anchovy soldier with fennel and chives; blood sausage with gremolata and red chilli; and whipped scallop with bottarga and crudités. Decked out in a burnt-orange colour palette with retro-style furniture, Tigra’s decor pays homage to Spanish artist Joan Miró. Having just returned from Barcelona, I can attest that good times and great drinks (and snacks) reign supreme there. If the boys can capture some of that Catalonian magic at Tigra, Sydneysiders are in for a fun and delicious time indeed.
“We were inspired by our favourite spots around the world, places like Barcelona and Tokyo where unexpected flavour combinations and elevated ingredients come to life in a relaxed but electric atmosphere,” explains Ross Purnell.
Upstairs, you’ll find Disco Pantera – a New York-style cocktail bar inspired by the ones that pulsated in the 1970s. Here, you can expect top-notch cocktails, including a luxe Cleopatra Martini, as well as the Pantera Creaming Soda, which is said to be reminiscent of classic milk punch and disco-era colognes. The impressive fit-out, designed in collaboration with interior designer Cass Siow, features splashes of royal blue, desert-coloured walls and vintage lighting. Plus, with a weekly line-up of DJs and groovy tunes, we’ve got a feeling Disco Pantera may have us tapping our feet all night long.
Disco Pantera and Tigra are both open now, and you’ll find them at 11 Young Street in the Quay Quarter Laneways.
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