Raven's Eye

Edison light bulbs hanging at different levels? Check. Barrel-aged spirits on the bar? Check. Industrial swivel stools and matching light shades? Check. A short and easy-drinking wine list comprised of Australian, Italian and Argentinian drops? Check, check, and check.

Toto, I think we've landed in a small Sydney bar circa 2015.

The latest boozer from the team behind Henrietta's Supper Club and Neighborhood (that's Simon McGoram, Josh Franco, Anthony Hughes, Keith Hodgson and Eddie De Souza) also has that other hallmark of many new bars, a small identity crisis. Is it a bar or a restaurant? There's a long menu that you can easily make a meal out of, but there's also a strong focus on cocktails.

It's a smart move. To open a new bar these days it helps to have a strong food offering to get punters through the door, keep them there, and get them snapping photos.

Check out the Instagram hashtags for Surly's bar in Surry Hills. It's all about American barbecue and mac'n'cheese. Likewise Mary's with its burgers and any one of many places selling cheap rolls stuffed with imported lobster (if anyone knows of anywhere selling lobster rolls filled with local crustacean, please email me – will pay $$$). Anyway, the point is no one wants to post pictures of beer.

The Raven's crew wants you hashtagging Italian. The menu lists vitello tonnato ($12), pork and fennel meatballs with cheesy polenta ($21) and hand-made ravioli with Swiss browns, salsa crudo, black truffle, burnt butter and dried ricotta ($17).

We try the orecchiette with basil, ricotta and pangrattato ($19). It's simple, inoffensive stuff, the kind of pasta you used to stay home for. Veal cotoletta splodged with sharp salsa verde ($22) is a similar deal of humble comfort while potato and four-cheese croquettes ($8 for 5) are excellent fodder for a Moretti lager. We really wanted a slice of "mama's meatloaf" with tomato and fennel sugo and savoy cabbage ($16) but mama hadn't been in the kitchen cookin' that day.

But hang on a sec – meatballs, meatloaf and tuna sauce? This is hardly "grammable" food you say. And you'd be right. It's a good thing the boys have brought the royale with cheese ($10) across from their other venues. It's a squat, sweaty little burger with zero salad, maximum taste and a whole lotta cheese and mustard. There's also a peanut butter and jelly ice-cream sandwich ($9) that looks like it could kill a small horse if thrown with force. It also looks delicious.

Even though there was no meatloaf going there was still the "black spot" navy grog ($25) which is the meatloaf of cocktails: it's got everything in it. Sharing similar DNA with the zombie at Neighborhood, it's a one-per-customer mix of house-blended blackstrap rum and Pampero Especial, Appleton Estate Extra, Gosling's Black Seal, Inner Circle Green Dot, McGoram's Fine Old Pimento Dram, lime, pink grapefruit and winter spices. Order this piratical rumbustification at your peril.

Slightly less alcoholic but just as bracing is the dark and stormy bra! (that exclamation mark is theirs not mine). It's unfortunate the dark and stormy mix of rum, ginger beer and lime is not one you want to drink when it actually is dark and stormy but this guy has enough cold-pressed ginger and honey added it'll keep you warm on the coldest Bermuda night.

With all the rum cocktails and a name that sounds like it's from a treasure map ("avoid ye the Raven's Eye on foot and take the 370 bus instead") I start to think there's a swashbuckling Italian theme going on.

There's not. The name is taken from the hooch joint in the above-average mob film Donnie Brasco and McGoram just really likes rum. I'm fairly certain Newtown locals are going to like this new bar, restaurant - whatever it is too.

THE LOW-DOWN
Go for … somewhere new to drink in zone of King Street in need of refreshment.
Stay for … a royale with cheese.
Drink … the dark and stormy bra!
And … a courtyard and upstairs area are coming soon.