Old-world meets new with hip lounge sounds and an exclusive edge on beverages in the red glow of this cocktail bar.
From the first step into Red Violin, the theme is very berry with red roses, romantic mirrors and studded Edwardian-style settees scattering the red carpets. The red walls, themselves adorned with rococo angels, gilt wallpaper and brass sculptures, make the bar a sumptuous example of old-world meets new. Live music six nights a week adds to the contemporary feel - with anything from Latin salsa, hip hop, funk, dancehall and reggae to spontaneous open jam sessions serenading the rouge room. A similarly extensive international flavour is continued in the boutique beer range - Japan, Belgium, Germany, France Italy, Spain, Mexico, and Thailand all get to flaunt their flavours here.
The menu offers a range of snacks and share plates, as well as some rare wines and Margaret River-sourced Berry Farm strawberry and nashi pear aperitifs. A rooftop garden, open on summer nights, is the perfect place to drink in the city skyline and sample a cocktail or two. Try the signature Red Violin, an exotic mix of Chambord, Absolut Vanilia, Midori, Malibu and rum with cranberry, pineapple and lychee liqueur - from which, in a reversal of the common trend, the bar in fact takes its name. The cocktail menu is completed with a continuation of the rosy theme in other blushing blends such as the red midget (Absolut Citron, peach schnapps, cranberry juice) and the blood nut (Absolut Vanilia, maple syrup, fresh citrus, raspberries and Brut).
Maya Linden
