GRASSHOPPER
1 Temperance Lane, Sydney (02) 9947 9025 www.thegrasshopper.com.au
Stick a lid on it. Shake it. Serve it. That’s how it got started. Word on the street has it that Grasshopper makes a mean Espresso Martini (and the word is right.) Whatever your cocktail choice, this laneway bar early adopter still serves ‘em up in their signature glass jars. Owner John Toubia lets us in on a secret: “Everyone we employ goes jar crazy,” searching for new ones. Cocktails are the most popular drink here, and every week ten out of the hundred numbered signatured cocktails are listed for on premises. Or try a Grasshopper cocktail class (no fancy bar equipment is required – household objects, glass jars, measuring beakers and tablespoons are used). But there’s more to Grasshopper than cocktails – we like the (Australian, French, Spanish) wine list and the grub. Head Chef Stuart Mitchel has really hit his stride.
FOLEY LANE
371 – 375 Bourke Street, Sydney www.foleylane.com.au
What would a Spanish inspired tapas bar be without sangria? $35 buys a litre – based on white, red or rose wines. It’s twenty bucks for red wine and coke. Step inside the shining white corner bar – you know the iconic building with the glass bricks – for an Oxford Street retreat. Wines by the glass are interesting (choose from about twenty) from a sparkling Cava to a Pedro Ximénez. Estrella Damm is the beer on tap, Alhambra plus by the bottle. Best of all are the cocktails ($18 – $19) named after the local streets: The Riley St. Ruby, The Pamela St. Pancake, The Crown St. Espresso, The Oxford St. Orange. They were named that way because first-time bar owners Julian Marchetto and Nathan Moses wanted to make locals feel welcome. Like all good tapas bars, there’s yummy nibbles on offer here too.
