Arcadia — Restaurant in Sydney

My time at Arcadia Liquors was genuinely surprising. The first thing I discovered when I walked in was, unlike the name would suggest, it is not a bottle shop, but instead a fully serviced bar! Initially, this was quite a problem for me. My wife – who is of Estonian descent – was preparing a lovely casserole. She had run out of Kvass, an Estonian drink made of fermented bread. As this was a very traditional recipe, the casserole simply would not be the same without this crucial ingredient. And so my quest began. A quick search of the local area revealed a swathe of conventional bottle shops, unlikely to hold any of my precious, desired liquid. But this ‘Arcadia Liquors’ sounded to me like a boutique bottle shop, and so I thought I would chance it.

I entered the bar, initially disappointed, but curious nonetheless. I quickly swept through the venue, and once satisfied that it could not give me what I needed, I made for the door. That was when barkeeper caught me in his gaze. His mullet and enticingly short shorts called to me as the Sirens sang to Odysseus. I was powerless. I sat at the bar. He looked at me, and before I could stammer out a single sound, he placed his finger delicately on my pursed lips and whispered, “I think I have what you need”.

I was captivated, and so I complied. What would the bartender bring? Surely he didn’t have any of this obscure, eastern European bread-based liquor? But the surprises continued. The mulleted bartender made a whistling noise, similar to what you might expect a Kingfisher to make in the depths of the Daintree rainforest. Another bartender slid down the strangely placed pole in the middle of the bar. He was wearing nothing but board shorts, a moustache and a floral print cap that would have provided questionable protection from the sun.

The two bartenders looked first at each other, then at me, before looking back at each other and nodding in unison. They reached out for an unmarked bottle and poured me a nip. It wasn’t Kvass, but it certainly was lovely. I apologized for the effort they had gone to and explained I had to get home to my wife. They told that she had called them already, letting them know that this entire set up was a rouse from the start. She wanted a toastie and had heard that Arcadia had amassed not one, not two, but five Michelin stars for their delightfully cheesy concoctions. No sooner had I understood that I had been played for a fool than my wife appeared at the bar. We were each presented with a perfect blend of roasted peppers, grilled eggplant and melted Gruyere. They were pressed to perfection between two pieces of wholemeal bread and dusted with the purest Himalayan salt. The bartenders slid us their selection of local craft beers that paired perfectly with our humble dinner.

Since that memorable meal, I have frequented Arcadia. In my many subsequent merry-making adventures, I have discovered that three things are guaranteed when you spend an evening there:

1. As the name suggests, there will be ample booze.
2. You will have a great time.
3. You will probably hear the Divinyls 1990 smash hit ‘I touch myself’ at...

I always enjoy Arcadia. It's always laid back. It is a place to sit at a dimly lit bar and enjoy a Tuesday night martini in good company.

For fun, try to invent a back story for the mysterious painting over the bar. Pick you favourite knick knacks from the display, or count the number of barely-hidden racy postcards on the wall.

On Friday nights, the place gets busy, people sit in the courtyard under strings of fairy lights, laughing while they drink great beer.

The toasties are incredible, deriving a gourmet heritage from Arcadia's sister restaurant, Continental. The gherkins are of...

Arcadia was great. It knows exactly who it is. The grungy meets sophisticated vibe is set from the moment you walk through the door. The service was efficient and the cognac, rye whiskey and absinthe cocktail I enjoyed was perfectly prepared, buttery and went down smoother than I could have imagined. The smokers area is cool and cosy but do be cautious if you're asthmatic or sensitive to the scent because it flows right through from the back to the front of the bar. The mulled wine was excellent and perfect on a cold Winter's night. If you haven't already, check...