The Merrywell Corner of Clarendon St & Crown Riverside, Melbourne (03) 9292 7468 or www.themerrywell.com.au “Casual. Unpretentious. High Energy.” That’s The Merrywell, a modern interpretation of a gastronomy-driven pub now open at Crown. Scottish-born, Las Vegas-based chef Grant MacPherson and acclaimed American chef, Sam DeMarco (Sammy D) cherry-picked Melbourne for their latest venture, their first
Bar100: 100 George St, The Rocks, Sydney (02) 8070 9311 or www.bar100.com.au A church, an Institute for Seamen, an art studio… a multi-level entertainment palace. Bar100 has fun with 100 George St. A drag queen hosting a trivia night. In a church. It’s the stuff that Catholic guilt is made of, and precisely what happens on
Half Moon: 120 Church Street, Brighton VIC (03) 9591 0611 or www.halfmoon.com.au Always considered somewhat of a sister venue to The Botanical while Paul Wilson was heading both ships, Brighton’s Half Moon pub is really quite distinct. In full view of the railway station, on a street lined with European cars, Half Moon is open,
The Pier: Cunningham Pier, Eastern Beach Rd, Geelong VIC (03) 5222 6444 or www.thepiergeelong.com.au Photos: Shannon McGrath Endearing himself to Geelong locals is Cameron Ling’s stock and trade. With two AFL premierships under his belt, if it hasn’t earned the footballer keys to the city by now, it certainly has opened a few doors. The
Gotham: 35 Oxford St, Darlinghurst NSW (02) 9283 1891 or www.gotham.net.au The owners behind Gotham Bar weren’t fussed about buying into the idea of laneways. They figured, why hide down a laneway when you can set up shop on one of the most famous streets in the city — Oxford Street. They’ve dubbed it a
XO Lounge: Exchange Plaza, 2 The Esplanade, Perth WA www.xolounge.com.au Hospitality young-guns Sam and Rob Franchina (aged 29 and 27 respectively) have spotted a niche in Perth. It’s the ‘best of everything’ top-shelf niche — certainly a nice niche if you can fill it. The brothers have been on the Perth scene since kicking off
Marble Bar @ The Hilton: 488 George Street, Sydney NSW (02) 9265 6072 or www.marblebarsydney.com.au Sydney’s Marble Bar originally opened in 1893. Funding for the venue was raised from NSW horse racing sweeps – as profitable then as they are now – and the venue cost a staggering 32,000 pounds to build. Marble Bar was
Supperclub: www.supperclub.com Production Audio (EAW): (03) 9264 8000 or www.productionaudio.com.au The latest addition to the international Supperclub group recently opened in Hollywood. The venue features a flown, custom, five-way EAW line array system that covers the dancefloor and a smaller EAW system installed in the bar area. In addition, four EAW MicroWedges provide monitoring for
Neil Perry doesn’t wait around, but he understands that sometimes his customers have to. Situated in Crown Towers is Neil Perry’s version of a hotel bar, The Waiting Room. Designed by architect Grant Cheyne in association with 1:1 Architects, it’s naturally more than a simple lobby bar, but a collection of inspiration from places like
Canvas Club: 16B Logan Rd, Woolloongabba, QLD (07) 3891 2111 or www.canvasclub.com.au It seems Brisbane finds a new pocket of territory to forge a hot spot every few weeks. Canvas Club is one of the first to come together in Woolloongabba under Brisbane City Council’s new small bar license. Forging on from her amazing work