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Bar De The

Rachel Olding

Stunning takes on a dirty classic: Another martini in progress.
Stunning takes on a dirty classic: Another martini in progress.Cole Bennetts

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Two things Sydney doesn't have enough of: French food and good martinis. Other things that Sydney has way too much of: fancy bars and "still learning the ropes" waitresses.

Bar De Thé has all of these things. But you take the good with the bad, oui?

If there was one reason to check out this sexy French balcony bar, it's the martinis.

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On the menu: The 24-carat Gold Leaf Martini.
On the menu: The 24-carat Gold Leaf Martini.Cole Bennetts

The Ciroc Collective, a group of Sydney mover/shaker/model/DJ/fashion types, is behind this venture so one particular vodka brand obviously features but the drinks are stunning, interesting takes on the dirty classic.

The first thing you'll notice is the smell. Each martini is hugely fragrant. They're colourful and feature some wacky, vibrant ingredients but still retain that crisp, clean cut of a martini.

The One Bebe (Ciroc vodka, Amaro Montenegro, apricot brandy, peach bitters, lemon twist, $18) and Four Bebe (Tanqueray gin, Campari, Bar De Thé rosewater, dry vermouth, rose petals, $18) are the standouts; they're strong and flavoursome.

"Some of the martinis are pretty out there but there's no disco drinks," says Paul Wilson, one of the Ciroc Collective guys along with George Gorrow, Dan Single, Michael Nolan and Maurice Terzini. "Nothing is high-sugar, everything is really well balanced and fragrant."

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If martinis aren't your thing, they do short, classics well. Go a negroni or Americano or the signature cocktail of Ciroc, Grace's lavender blend tea and muscadet grape ($18).

The surrounds are heavily curated and suitably Darlo. The bar is white marble, the scents (yes, really) are by Maison Balzac, the playlist is by indie label Multi Culti of Montreal, the room is bathed in a sexy blue light and one wall features a stunning abstract sculpture by Fraser Anderson.

Girls in towering heels screech at the table next to us and scenesters drop by to drop names. The bow-tied bar staff make you feel like you're sky high in Paris but some basic product knowledge wouldn't go astray in among all the high farshun.

Our waitress was sweet (and, yes, beautifully dressed in a Tenpieces.co uniform) but "still learning the ropes". She couldn't recommend any vegetarian dishes, didn't know what the kale martini tasted like and had never heard of the Gold Leaf martini. Considering it's on the menu for $100, she probably should. 

(FYI, we're still not entirely sure what it is. From what Wilson could tell us, it's razor-cheek boned bartender Ana Page's special martini decorated with gold leaf).

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Wines are not neglected and sommelier Rocco Esposito has a neat list of 10 whites and 10 reds, a mix of international, organic and exotic drops with a big French bent. And considering we're taking a trip back to Indochine, it seems necessary to delve into the champagne menu which is all Pommery.

The food game is as intriguing as the martinis. Julien Perraudi's high-end take on French-Vietnamese is garnering much praise in the downstairs restaurant Salon De Thé for its fresh, exotic flavours. 

Upstairs, the half-dozen bar dishes contain nothing vego-friendly but we snag some black bean braised eggplant, silken tofu and shallots ($16) and kale and persimmon salad with goji berries, beets and pumpkin seed ponzu ($16) from the Salon De Thé menu. 

Complimentary goji berries and lotus seeds are our favourite. The sticky crunchiness goes down fabulously well with the fragrant cocktails. It's a refreshing take on scents, flavours and textures that makes this bar worth visiting.

THE LOW-DOWN
YOU'LL LOVE IT IF...
you're craving a fine martini.
YOU'LL HATE IT IF... super trendy bars freak you out.
GO FOR... signature martinis (especially the One Bebe), goji berries and lotus seeds.

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