11

The

next

round

Whether it’s a late-night dive, a

brew-pub or a cave à manger you

fancy, Australia’s latest wave of

watering holes has it covered, writes

MAGGIE SCARDIFIELD. Time

to pull on your drinking shoes.

NSW

Lvl 4, 199 Clarence

St, Sydney

oldmates.sydney

Old Mate’s Place

When you hear the words “rooftop

bar” in Sydney a dark abandoned

library isn’t what usually comes to

mind, but that’s Old Mate’s Place,

hidden away on the fourth fl oor of

a CBD o ce building, and o ering

an open-air terrace – still an oddly

rare thing in Sydney. Opened in

August thanks to former Ramblin’

Rascal Daniel Noble and his mates

Andres Walters (Lobo Plantation,

Kittyhawk) and Gabrielle Walters

(Black by Ezard), the focus, Noble

says, is on “serious drinking that

doesn’t take itself too seriously”.

Cocktails include a rum and sherry

Pistachia with rhubarb and grape,

and the easy-drinking Corky

Lady Killer No 2 with gin and

roasted peach.

What to order: A VB throwdown

and Old Mate’s version of a classic

Philly cheesesteak: a hoagie roll

packed with jamón.

530 King St,

Newtown

She Loves You

Sometimes you want a bar that’s more about your

conversation than the management’s Spotify choices.

A place where, rather than leaving you to fl ounder through

300 bottles of varying quality and 50 cocktails, the

bartender listens to what you want and pulls out just the

right thing from a list that’s as concise as it is smart. While

co-owner Sophie Otton is one of the best sommeliers in

the state, nothing about this, her fi rst bar, screams “cork

dork”. Instead, She Loves You is the sort of place to curl

up with a copy of The New Yorker from the shelf, or revel

in the company of good friends. You won’t be short

of good things to drink.

What to order: There’s not a bad wine on the list, and star

US bartender Eben Freeman consults on the cocktails.

From top: Bar

Topa; the bar at

Old Mate’s Place.

AUSTRALIA’S BEST NEW BARS

80 GOURMET TRAVELLER