Asian inspiration sets the tone here. This place is consistently packed with inner-city socialites schmoozing and boozing. Expect stick drinks, strained drinks and skillfully executed cocktails on the rocks.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that you ordered an exotic Thai dish instead of a killer martini at the bar inside Sydney's Longrain. After all, the ingredients that you'd normally expect to find in a tom kha pladuk are being shaken and stirred into a heady mix of eastern inspired cocktails. Wild lemongrass, coriander, ginseng, chilli and ginger are just some of the oriental flavours making their way onto the menu. The drinks menu, that is.
Gin Sin is the perfect cocktail for newcomers. It blends lychees together with ginger pieces, white cranberry juice, lime leaves and gin. Its taste? Think of a Nelson's Special Tanqueray Gin doused in the Forbidden City. Delightfully wicked.
Then there's the longtime favourite, Stick Drink. This concoction of fruit, vodka and ice is pummeled with a thick wooden stick. Simple, refreshing and fresh.
With its mix of friendly staff and warm, wooden decor, Longrain accents its Asian flavours with a bohemian vibe. Arty locals and like-minded urbanites flock here for cocktails with an Asian kick, and much more than a pad thai at the ready.
Assia Benmedjdoub
