Take a leaf out of Hunter S. Thompson's book; indulge in a bit of booze, then choose your own adventure. This place is candlelit and always packed to the gills. Succumb to rum and graze on tapas.
Restaurant/bar or bar/restaurant? Hmm. It's a sticky one. This pocket-sized local blurs the line so well that I almost feel myopic - and I've only had three drinks. Restaurant-wise, there's table service, attentive hosting by the owners and tapas such as fishcakes, Chilean prawns, wedges and baked barramundi. Nevertheless, I just can't shake the notion that this place is primarily a bar at heart. It just
feels like a bar. After all, it's packed to elbow-rubbing capacity. The lights are turned right down. The music is turned up. And, tellingly, the food just turns up whenever (or not at all, as is the case with a few of our dishes). Plus the bartender is wearing a tilted hat. Uh huh. A
tilted hat. I rest my case. If that doesn't make it a bar, I don't know what does.
Okay so it's a rum joint, but don't order an RSL-style Bundy and cola. This place is too cool for that. Be adventurous instead. Quiz the bartender. See if he deserves that hat of his. Let him take you on a scintillating alcoholic journey through the flavours of Paraguayan rums - and beyond. Get him to shake you up a mai tai, mojito or a daiquiri. Alternatively, let yourself get lightly sozzled on rum that's set on fire and sauteed with vanilla, cinnamon and star anise.
Styled by co-owner and creative director Mark Bowey, the interiors are primarily inspired by old colonial Colombia, but there are also hints of other eras and a romantic romp through the Caribbean as well. It's a random mix, but it's definitely complimentary. After all, this venue's name and nature pays tribute to author Hunter S. Thompson (the godfather of boozing-meets-free-flowing-narratives). Make sure you sneak away from your table at some stage and snoop around the back room, which is decked out with an old-fashioned typewriter and telephone and an upside-down Jesus picture. A bookcase may also soon lead to another secret room. Random? Yes. And therein lies this venue's charm. Have a few drinks and make up your own story. Just like Hunter, you're in charge of what happens next.
Andrea Tomaz
