J&M

The first Bond film I ever saw was Moonraker. I loved that movie and must have watched it at least a dozen times over one summer holiday, entranced with Roger Moore's lapels, beautiful women with feathered hair, and the magic of 1979 Venice.

So in 2015 Sydney, it's a big high-five from 11-year-old me to Merivale head Justin Hemmes for opening a whisky bar which might be the closest I'll ever get to experiencing a late '70s Bond film in real life.

J&M is a tribute to Hemmes' father (the late "Mr John"), his mother Merivale, and the swinging fashion hub they created at Angel Hotel in the '70s. You can find it through a door of no importance and up a flight of ancient stairs in the same area of the Angel once home to the House of Merivale's restaurant and espresso bar.

The disco era Bond vibes come from two main sources. The first is a stunning glass-topped bar of rich and moody wood where waistcoated gents make very good cocktails. The second is how the female staff look like '70s Bond girls by way of flowing, floor length outfits. I ask a waitress wearing a pink halter-neck jumpsuit if the clothes are perhaps original House of Merivale patterns but cut with new cloth.

"Oh, no," she says. "I bought this from Zara."

Oh, OK. Cool. I suppose should just order a drink then.

J&M currently functions as a showcase for Chivas Regal whisky. This means a drinks list featuring high-end champagne, wine and whisky across all price-points, two beers, and a page of cocktails using Chivas 18 as a base.

The Rosetta Sour ($22) is a humdinger; Chivas, mandarin liqueur, lemon juice, honey, egg white, bitters and spoonful of a preserved orange, which serves to balance the drink, rather than edging into the too-sweet territory occupied by most breakfast martinis. It's garnished with fennel pollen which is a nice add-on, even if I do feel like I'm huffing my spice cupboard with each sip.

There's snacks available and they're the kind you might have encountered at an engagement party in early-'80s Mosman. Grilled Agen prunes wrapped in speck (devils on horseback, tally-ho!) are $14 for five but worth forking out for. You also get the same value with a cabanossi and cheese tribute - slices of smoked Polish sausage skewered with Cabot aged cheddar.

Like many other Merivale venues, there's aspects of J&M that feel a little too deliberate, but what the heck? There's probably not going to be a James Bond theme park open in the CBD anytime soon so this Moonraker bar is a damn good substitute.

THE LOW-DOWN
Go for… whisky with a dash of Sydney retail history.
Stay for… a devil on horseback.
Drink… the Rosetta Sour.
And… don't try and sneak drinks up from the Angel. The staff will be well onto it as J&M is table service only.