Liquid nitrogen is a key bar tool at The Roosevelt – which might give an idea of what this bar is like. The tank of nitro is kept with decanters on a drink trolley that’s pushed toward you for certain cocktails such as The Martini of Tomorrow or the Nitro Colada. The reason for the liquid nitro and the trolley is to make sure the drink is as cold as possible when it hits your table – but theatrics are also at play. This, after all, is a bar that has glassware located on shelves all around the main dining room so the bartender can just reach behind you for the appropriate vessel.

The Roosevelt is the latest venture from Behind Bars, the guys behind Eau de Vie, and to some degree it feels like they’re taking everything a step further. Even if your drink doesn’t involve liquid nitrogen, there’s bound to be something different about it. For example, I order The Graduate, a drink served in an absinthe flamed balloon that has cognac, lapsoon-infused vermouth and what they call herbaceous liqueurs in it. Aside from the complex flavours – I mean, it’s not every bar that would actually infuse vermouth with tea – the drink is then delivered to my table in a contraption that suspends my glass over a tea candle to keep it at the right temperature.

The Graduate is inspired by the Harvard, a classic cocktail that combines brandy with sweet vermouth, and … it’s frickin perfect. I wish I could pick out a flaw, just so I don’t look like a gushing simpleton, but this is a beautifully well thought out drink. The hints of absinthe and tea blend subtly with the cognac and vermouth, with a thin lemon strip adding a citrus dimension. It’s a warm, soothing, decadent drink, the type that makes you feel like either puffing out your chest or puffing on a cigar.

Ok, I don’t know what that last line meant either. I guess I’m trying to be clever with this review.

Anyway, back to basics: although The Roosevelt will have a back room, as well as possibly an upstairs bar, at the moment there’s just the front room, which looks a bit like a retro (think Mad Men) cocktail lounge with lamp-lit tables, a lot of cocktail shakers on display, and jazz playing quietly in the background. They also have a kitchen out the back that turns out food with a twist, such as vegetarian sushi, cocktail “nuts” that are made with vegetables, a tartare that the menu says is “the evolution of an American BBQ turned raw”, as well as warm berries served with nitrogen mousse. Yes, everything other than the last option scares me too. The nibbles range from $8 for the sushi to $16 for the tartare, plus there are also five-course degustation dinners for $150 (the head chef is David Leitzen. who has apparently worked at Michelin-­starred restaurants in Germany, Japan and Italy).

The cocktails, meanwhile, range from $18 to $26 – which isn’t too bad, considering the floor-show.

The Roosevelt, 32 Orwell Street, Potts Point. Open everyday until midnight, see The Roosevelt website

Now it’s your turn – how do you rate The Roosevelt?

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Never let it be said I don’t listen to readers – and so when someone recommended a new small Italian wine bar in Bar Zine’s forum section (it’s a new part of the site that you can use to talk to each other or me about bars, drinks, events or felines) I took a deep breath, asked my cat to bless me for luck, and headed over to the dark side (aka Cremorne) to check it out.

Vino Bravo is located where a dentist’s office was many moons ago – a piece of boring trivia that I nonetheless point out because I worked in the office above it in the 90s and was madly infatuated with the dental assistant who didn’t know I existed (I’ve always liked women who wield sharp implements). Now, as I sit at the pressed metal bar counter next to two women who also seem oblivious to my presence, I realise that while the liquor licensing laws might have changed, my mojo hasn’t.

The female bartender approaches and, happy to have a friendly female acknowledge my existence, I readily agree to her wine suggestion – namely the Logan Weemala 2011 pinot noir ($9). It’s a good pinot – flavoursome and with a subtle aroma – and the wine list also stocks a good range of Italian vinos as well.

The bar is tiny, colourful and lively. There are tables, red armchairs, bright photos and an exposed brick wall down the back, while the bar counter with naked bulbs dangling above it is up the front, complete with metal stools. Most of the food here is light Italian bar fare – think sopressa plates, crostini with sardines, as well as panini with three cheeses. They also have Italian beer such as the Moretti ($8.5) and some Italian cocktails, including a negroni, bellini, and the Italian screwdriver (citron vodka, orange juice, grapefruit juice, splash ginger ale).

And … that’s all I have to say, making this possibly the briefest review in Bar Zine history. If you think I did a crap job and would like to add to it then leave a comment below:

Vino Bravo, 350 Military Road, Cremorne. See the Vino Bravo website. Open Monday to Saturday until midnight, Sunday until 10pm.

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I’m not sure how to write this review. On one hand I genuinely like this bar – a lot. On the other hand, I’d rest easier if they hadn’t named it after Papa himself. But, before I explain why, I’ll start with what I like:

1. The location. It’s directly opposite Manly beach – so you can have a cold drink while watching the surf. They’re also open during the day, which many other Manly bars aren’t. Quite frankly, if I want to splash around in the water in the middle of a weekday when normal people are working, then I don’t want to wait until 5pm for a drink. This bar respects that.
2. The service. Even though the Amazonian Croatian and I arrive in our daggiest beach clothes (and I look like a drowned rat after coming out of the water), the service is so genuinely friendly that we feel welcome enough to stay and eat despite us only having originally intended to have a quick beer here.
3. The food. I’m impressed that they have pastrami sandwiches ($10) and meatballs ($15) but we opt for the chicken nuggets ($12 – and only $5 during happy hour) and sliders (which are basically mini burgers with bacon, cheese and pickle – you can get two for $14) – which we love. The nuggets with chipotle sauce are DRAMATICALLY better than the fast food nuggets I remember from childhood (to the point where we order a second serve afterwards) and the sliders are perfect.
4. The décor. I like the clean white and red walls and the bookshelf wall on one side, although the book snob in me wishes it held more interesting books. I’m not so keen on the bar counter itself, though, which has a photo of a bookshelf pasted on it. Papa would not approve. In fact, I think Papa would prefer a bar filled with boxing memorabilia, animal heads on the walls and rifles. Then again, on second thought, maybe it’s just as well this bar doesn’t reflect Hemingway’s interests too much.

And so now we come to the cocktail list. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what to write here. You see, Hemingway was a HUGE cocktail fan. He loved mojitos, daiquiris, martinis and sidecars – hard, classic cocktails with a lot of booze and no frou frou. And yet I don’t see any of Hemingway’s favourites on the cocktail list before me (although I do like the menu itself, which is inserted in an old encyclopaedia). Instead, I see drinks such as Hemingway’s Cup, which is made from Hendricks, rose and apple tea, cucumber, sugar and spice (all cocktails are $15) – which is more of a cocktail for girly girls than the man who personified machismo (as well as male insecurities, ego … but that’s a whole different matter). Having said that, when I go home and check their web site out I then see that they do make drinks such as the Hemingway daiquiri and the sidecar – so maybe my menu was missing a page. Or I had sun stroke and missed it. Or they took the manly drinks off the physical menu but left them listed on the site.

Regardless, I still could have asked the bartender to make me a manly drink – but instead I threw a girly hissy fit and only drank Little Creatures Pale Ale ($6.50) in protest at the bar’s desecration of Hemingway’s name, even as the Croatian called me a pedantic bore. I get that a lot.

And on that awkward note that hints at confused notions of male identity in a time of emasculation, I will conclude by saying I still think this is a great bar. I love its laid back atmosphere, friendly and professional service, the great (and affordable) food and the stunning view – even though I still think they could cut the frou frou.

PS There’s also a more formal dining room upstairs that can be booked for private hire.

Hemingway’s, 48 North Steyne, Manly, see the Hemingway’s website. Open 7 days a week from 8am to midnight (and 10pm on Sundays).

Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Hemingway’s?

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I have mixed feelings about the Amaretto Sour. On one hand, it would never make my top 10 list of favourite cocktails and yet – and this is a big yet – drinking one always makes me happy.

This conflict is due to its simplicity. There are only two key ingredients – lemon juice and amaretto – and it’s the balance of the lemon’s sourness and the amaretto’s nutty sweetness that makes this work. I appreciate how pared back this is and yet, as with anything that comes too easily, I don’t entirely respect it.

Amaretto fans might argue there’s more to it, however, since the liquor also has an underlying bitterness that I like to accentuate by adding a dash or two of bitters.

There are a number of amarettos you can use for this cocktail but I’m using Disaronno Originale at the moment (and here’s a nerdy fact: even though Disaronno tastes like almonds and many call it an almond liqueur, it doesn’t contain almonds at all. Instead, it contains apricot kernel oil, burnt sugar, and what the company calls the “essence of 17 selected herbs and fruits”).

The proportion of amaretto and lemon juice varies from recipe to recipe but I like the following sugar-free recipe that results in a tart, sour – but not too sour – cocktail that has a nice tang to it:

• 45ml of amaretto
• 30ml lemon juice
• dash of bitters (Angostura or orange bitters work well)

If I feel like a bit of colour and sweetness and there’s no-one around to judge me, then I’ll also add a tiny dash of grenadine.

Shake the ingredients and either strain into a martini glass or, as the photo shows, throw the lot with ice into a tumbler and voila! If you want to be girlish, you can rim the glass with sugar (a little lemon juice around the rim will help the sugar stick) and pop in a cherry (actually, I’d argue a real man wouldn’t be threatened by a cherry in his glass – but that’s a debate I won’t go into just now).

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I didn’t expect to write anything whatsoever about the Hotel Steyne, an old Manly pub directly opposite the beach – and yet here I am reviewing two completely different bars within it that I both love. The first (and my favourite) is Round Bar, the old circular bar on the ground level that looks like it hasn’t changed in decades, while the second is Moonshine, the cider and rum bar that opened on the top floor.

Located in a separate room to the main ground-floor bar, Round Bar has one of the best examples of a circular middle bar I’ve seen in Sydney, with great old tiles and an old KB clock on the wall (see pic below). To be honest, that’s all I have to say about this place: if you love old tiled pub rooms that have been mercifully left alone by the owners, then you too will want to prop yourself on a bar stool here and sink a few schooners.

In contrast, the Moonshine bar is … well, completely different. Designed to look like a pirate’s hangout, complete with ropes, nautical lamps, lots of wood (including cider crates that act as tables), and dark leather booths, Moonshine serves 16 different ciders on tap, over 100 rums (!) and refuses to serve beer or cocktails.

On paper (or should I say screen?) this sounds contrived – but it works, and works well. The bartender is friendly to us, the cider selection is great, the décor appeals to the pirate-loving kid in me and, best of all, the balcony offers arguably the best beach view in Sydney. I know this is a tough call, but when you sit on the wooden bleachers/steps outside (which alone are a great feature), you have a panoramic view that stretches from Shelly Beach to Queenscliff.

I try the Hills apple cider, which is dry and tangy and great for summer … or winter … or any freakin season, really, while the Amazonian Croatian likes her Gypsy pear cider, which is a little more subtle than the average pear cider although it’s still a bit sweet for me.

Last but certainly not least, there’s also live music here on Thursday and Friday nights – although how the punters feel about being restricted to cider and rum is another matter (only serving the two is a pretty bold move). Still, as a fan of rum, cider and eye patches I’ve got my fingers crossed that others will like Moonshine as much as I do.

Hotel Steyne, 75 The Corso, Manly. Moonshine open from Thursday to Sunday from 5pm to midnight. Sunday from 3pm to 11pm. Round Bar open from 9am to 3am Monday-Saturday, and 9am to midnight on Sundays. See the Hotel Steyne website

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Censorship’s a funny thing. In the American broadcast version of Die Hard 2, Bruce Willis cries “Yippee-kay-aye, Mr Falcon!” instead of “Yippee-kay-aye, motherfucker!”. Never mind the trivialisation of human death – it’s the use of a word that wouldn’t shock a grandmother that had to be censored. Ok, that sentiment sounded much more profound in my head.

The first time I drank in Mr Falcon’s, one of Glebe’s latest small bars, I asked the owner about the name and he told me about the Die Hard censorship, adding he’s also a Bogart – and Maltese Falcon – fan (which explains Bogie’s face appearing both on the sign outside the bar and behind the bar counter). Considering Glebe also sports a Bogart’s pizza place, it looks like Glebe really is Humphrey’s suburb.

Since I waffled so much in the first two paragraphs, I’ll cut to the chase now: the best way to describe Mr Falcon’s is that it’s a low-key, casual small bar where you can lounge on sofas while drinking affordably-priced craft beers.

The décor is … well, let’s call it eclectic: each sofa looks different to the next one (my favourite is the animal print one), there’s lava lamps in the fireplace, plastic faux candles on the tables, milk crates, paper lanterns, a chandelier and a fedora (ala Bogart) hanging on one wall. While I can’t see this place appearing in the pages of Vogue Living any time soon (the best way to describe the look is to call it “uni student chic”) it is comfortable. I know several people who criticise small bars because they feel they’re being judged by the hipster crowd (not that this bothers me – I just assume hipsters have better things to do than think about me for even a split second), but there’s no problem of that here – the crowd tends to be a little older and is relatively hipster free. There’s also a large tree-filled courtyard for the cigarette and nature lovers.

Mr Falcon’s serves cocktails and has some spirits and wines behind the counter, as well as jugs of sangria, but its forte – as far as I’m concerned – is with its selection of boutique beers. The one I keep drinking here is the 4 Pines Hefeweizen, which is a great German-style wheat beer – I hate fruity beers with a passion, but this manages to have just a touch of banana to it without it becoming urgh. And yes, urgh is an official beer tasting term.

Mr Falcon’s, 92 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, phone 9029 6626, see the Mr Falcon’s website. Open Monday to Saturday until midnight, Sunday until 10pm.

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Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Mr Falcon’s?

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As the barman vigorously muddles jalapeno chillies in a glass I see a look of anxiety on my gay wingman’s face. It serves him right – I asked him twice if he was sure he wanted me to order the jalapeno margaritas and, as usual, he nodded his head without having heard me at all.

Then again, as I stand at the bar counter of Tio’s Cerveceria, a Mexican-themed small bar that looks like it ought to be in a small Mexican border town rather than Surry Hills, I probably look anxious myself. After all, a crazed-looking woman has sidled up to me at the bar and started talking about god knows what – and while the old me would have leapt on her without a second thought, my new year’s resolution is to stay far away from women (especially the crazy kind) and be faithful to my cat. After all, you can only have one true love in life, and mine is feline, vicious and faithful.

As soon as the jalapeno margaritas arrive we pay and bolt from the bar to the back wall, where candles are burning in a tiled arch in the adobe-coloured wall with melting wax dripping onto it. The décor here has a retro-meets-South-American–antique feel, if that makes any sense at all, and I particularly like the dark green shutters on one wall.

Although you can wedge yourself in at the bar counter, which is packed on the weeknight I’m here, most of the seating is at the tables and benches. However, this is a bar and not a restaurant and as far as I can tell the only food here comes in the form of complimentary chili popcorn that’s served in a bag.

The jalapeno margarita is well-made, tart and stings like a scorpion – there’s so much jalapeno in it that while the top half has the yellow colour of a normal margarita, the bottom of the glass is a sinister chilli green. I like it, but the GW can only drink half before he feels queasy to the point where I have to drink his margarita as well as mine (not that I’m complaining). They also have a dizzying array of tequila behind the bar plus they serve Rio Bravas beer.

Crazed women aside, I like this place – it’s a bit like a South American version of Shady Pines Saloon and has a vibrant feel about it. Just go easy on the jalapenos.

Tio’s Cerveceria, 4 Foster Street, Surry Hills (a few down from the Hotel Hollywood). Open Monday to Saturday from 4pm-midnight, and Sunday from 12pm-10pm. See the Tio’s Cerveceria website

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Glebe’s nightspots are multiplying like rabbits on ecstasy, with two small bars opening within the same week.

One is a casual, sofa-filled affair called Mr Falcon that I’ll review soon – but for now I’ll focus on The Little Guy, which is just a few minutes walk away and looks as if a landscape gardener designed it.

I say this because there’s a horizontal ladder, a watering can and metal pails with plants growing out of them that hang above the bar counter, while the bar counter top is made from a large rough-edged wooden slab that looks like half a tree. There’s also some tree-thingie (I’m not good with horticultural terms – even cacti die in my care) that’s painted on the wall.

Most of the seating here is at the bar counter, which combined with the jovial staff (they genuinely seem to be enjoying themselves) makes this feel like a friendly neighbourhood bar.

Drinks wise they have the Hangman beer and the Pickpocket cider on tap, both from the Rocks Brewing Company (which is connected to Harts Pub) as well as some craft beers, a number of wines and a short cocktail menu that looks like it’ll change frequently.

After sticking with the Hangman beer (which is served in pints or half pints) on my first and second visits here (it’s a great brew), I try the Tommy’s Margarita on my third visit – and it’s good. I like how they use Don Julio tequila and organic agave syrup, and that they asked me if I wanted the rim salted. For $16, you can’t really beat this.

I also try their Bourbon Bitter and Twisted cocktail, which I like although my gay wingman isn’t as fond of it. Made with a shot of Makers Mark, a shot of American Honey by Wild Turkey, as well as grapefruit juice and bitters, this is like a fresh and fruity take on an Old Fashioned. I try to point out that the cocktail’s name matches the GW’s persona, but that doesn’t appease him either.

Food wise they serve fresh popcorn (the staff are continually popping corn behind the bar) as well as nibbles such as pate, hummus, brie and prosciutto. However, the popcorn’s so plentiful – and addictive – that I stick to that. In addition to the front bar there’s also some seating down the back and an area upstairs, but it’s the front bar that makes this place special. With their predilection for rock and roll (the Rolling Stones was playing on my last visit) and an upbeat vibe, this is definitely a bar I’ll be going back to again and again.

The Little Guy, 87 Glebe Point Road, Glebe. See The Little Guy website. Open until midnight Tuesday to Saturday, and until 10pm Sunday.

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One of my earliest memories is of York Lane, a dirty tiny thoroughfare behind Wynyard Station. My parents used to take me to the city on Saturdays and park nearby, and one day as we passed through York Lane I saw the Paddle Pop lion (or a man dressed up like him) handing out ice-cream.

Why he would be in a dark dirty laneway waiting for children is now, I realise, a little odd – but as an ice-cream-deprived kid with a feline obsession, it was the most magical moment I could remember. Every Sunday for the following year I kept looking for the Paddle Pop lion in that laneway but never saw him again.

Feeling lost and betrayed, I gave up eating Paddle Pops for good.

All of which is a convoluted and self obsessed way of saying that a small bar called York Lane has opened up in that laneway of broken dreams.

What makes York Lane different to most laneway bars is that it isn’t hidden in a basement – instead, you can sit on a milkcrate right by the lane and watch as the 8.15pm garbage truck goes by and pedestrians (including a regular stream of homeless people who hang around the lane) shuffle past.

Then again, there are also lamp-lit tables down the back for those who want a bit more intimacy, with other décor details including a stack of milkcrates that function as shelving in the small kitchen area up the front (believe it or not, this actually looks good), punch-card wallpaper, wooden floorboards and enamel tables up the front. I realise my description makes this bar sound like a hobo’s hideout but it’s actually a stylish little place (it can only hold a maximum of 30 people).

There’s also a great smell emanating from the kitchen and so when I turn up on a Wednesday night with a friend we both decide to order food and wine. We go for the duck pancakes ($12) and the chorizo hotpot with cannellini beans ($12), as well as two glasses of red – the Seppelt shiraz for $9, and the Society pinot noir for $8.50.

The wine is decent but nothing to write about in my opinion but the food is. The duck pancakes are freshly made but come prewrapped – which I prefer, since I hate having to roll things myself – and the chorizo hotpot has a clean, simple taste that’s not overloaded with spices. Actually, I wouldn’t mind a bit more oomph in the flavour but my more subtle friend loves it the way it is.

The service is fantastic, and so when the bartender tells me about his negroni I try it out. This is made with Punt e Mes rosso vermouth, Tanqueray gin and Campari and is faultless. For those who take their negronis as seriously as I do, the bartender shakes them here rather than stirring and uses small ice cubes, all of which dilutes and softens the drink a little. Some would disagree with this but I like this approach.

Despite the indie music and the bike and the helmets hanging on the wall, this is not another hipster hangout. Ultimately, it feels like a genuine little hole in the wall when you can have a drink and a chat while smelling the fragrant breeze from the laneway – unless, that is, it’s 8.15pm.

York Lane, located on (surprise, surprise) York Lane (there is no number), open Monday to Friday, phone 9299 1676

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Now it’s your turn – how do you rate York Lane?

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Even though the most exciting moments in my high school life consisted of wagging class to hang out at the local petrol station with my equally ambitious pothead friends, the thought of getting cocktails at Assembly is appealing. Then again, in this case Assembly refers to a new small bar located in the basement of a mini mall on Kent Street.

It’s a Thursday night when I turn up with the Amazonian Croatian to find an astro-turfed courtyard near the escalator (smoking is still not allowed since it is indoors) and a bar area that looks minimal and industrial.

There’s an old draftsman’s table, naked bulbs dangle above the bar counter, the lampshades would be at home in a factory and there’s a metal spiral staircase leading to a second floor with a chain link balcony fence. This feels more like a sweatshop than a school to me but I like it nevertheless. The one touch of comfort is with the chesterfield sofas but, since the Croatian believes comfort is for pussies, we perch at the bar counter instead.

I order the Deauville, a cocktail that harks back to 1930s New Orleans and is made with cognac, applejack, Cointreau and lemon juice ($19). It’s like a Sidecar with an extra flavour note thanks to the applejack – and it deserves to be made in more bars. The Croatian orders the Bosom Caresser (cognac, Grand Marnier, grenadine – $19), which is served in a steel port glass with a rich egg-white foam on top. I suspect she only ordered it because of the name but it works surprisingly well (I say surprisingly because I’d never normally mix grenadine with cognac).

The cocktail nerd in me likes how Assembly’s cocktail menu lists the proportions of each drink (for example, it says the Bosom Caresser has four parts cognac to two parts Grand Marnier) and in addition to classic cocktails it also has two pages of modern-style ones that tend to have more fruit puree and less liquor in them for those who no doubt like to sit on chesterfield sofas.

In keeping with Sydney’s soul food obsession, the food here includes gourmet hotdogs and sticky ribs. We order the pork belly slider ($12) made with spicy sofrito and pickled red cabbage, as well as the provolone pepper croquettes ($10 – smoked provolone and piquillo peppers), both of which are great (and I especially recommend the croquettes).

For dessert the Croatian orders the For Shizzle My Treacle cocktail (Appleton rum, Angostura bitters, pear puree, white chocolate foam and cinnamon – $19). This turns out to be the best cocktail we taste here and, despite its name, the sweetness is kept to a minimum for balance. It works, much like Assembly itself.

Assembly, 488 Kent Street, Sydney. Open Monday to Saturday until midnight. See the Assembly website

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