Shirt Bar: Hanging with the suits and shirts

Another week, another new city small bar. I won’t pretend that I don’t like it and I won’t deny that I’m drinking more often – but it’s quality and not quantity.

Shirt Bar is located in the very corporate Sussex Lane; a pedestrian laneway onto which Small Bar spills out, connecting Kent and Sussex Streets behind Erskine Street. On a Friday evening, the suits almost outnumber the shirts; the latter being the ones hanging for sale in half the space that is the retail side of Shirt Bar (brands on sale currently are Ganton, Jensen and Louka & Sabina).

Mojito at Shirt Bar, Sussex Lane, Sydney

The front page of the menu consists entirely of whiskies; and there are quite a few bourbons, rums and tequilas to follow; just one each of gin and vodka; two each of white and red wine, and bubbles; and two Peroni beers. Nothing like a strong hand to guide you towards dark spirits.

Cocktails are limited to two on the menu, but the bar staff were also happy to do a mojito of Havana Club Anejo 7 dark rum and raw sugar syrup, stirred in a short, mint-rubbed glass with soda, lots of ice and mint garnish.

Espresso martini

One of the menu cocktails is the espresso martini – made with FAT Coffee which is served in the café. I’m not a decaf person but after a buzzy morning coffee, I went for the caffeine-free to the endless amusement and chagrin of the barista/barman.

The espresso shot is shaken with vanilla-infused vodka, Illy coffee liqueur and sugar, and ends up in the glass with an airy crema intact. And for the garnish, frothed milk (forgot to ask for skim, but not sure if that may have gotten me thrown out), a few shakes of nutmeg and three coffee beans – a work of caffeine and alcohol art.

For a coffee it was a bit watery, but for a cocktail it had just the hint of alcohol beneath the coffee flavour and creamy top – quite the ideal pick-me-up-and-put-me-down-gently drink for after work.

Olives with grissini

The peckish among us chose from olives, cheese or charcuterie to nibble on. A dainty teacup filled with savoury olives – black and green – of all sort of sizes was just the thing, the miniscule ones just as satisfying too.

The grissini seemed to be home-made and simply fabulous – like miniature, super crunchy baguettes – and so adored that it warranted another order of olives to help down the next round of drinks and shirts/suits watching.

The suits seemed bemused with the shirts on sale as they stood around with their Peronis, while the staff were equally well-shirted and extremely obliging. I’m not a fan of shirts at work, but I’m certainly a fan of Shirt Bar after work.