Bar Planet is here to share the stories of incredible Aussie producers and distillers, set to the backdrop of a unique bar space that marries ‘classic bistro’ and ‘psychedelic’ vibes.
Any true Sydney epicure will be no doubt familiar with the work of Mucho Hospitality Group. Cantina OK! (named amongst the Worlds Best Bars 2021), Tio’s, The Cliff Dive & OK! Sparkling Margarita Seltzer are all brainchildren of the endlessly talented co-owner and beverage director Jeremy Blackmore.
Blackmore has once again teamed up with long-time business partner Alex Dowd and marketing whiz Daisy Tulley; both of whom are inner west locals. “We’ve wanted to add to this amazing strip for years. Really, we just opened the bar we wanted to see in the area. We hope it brings joy to the Inner West.” Tulley explains.
The restrictions of the last 2 years inspired the team to think about how to provide people with a real connection to the products that made Cantina OK! so successful. The newest addition to the group – Bar Planet, shifts the team’s laser focus from margaritas to martinis as part of a strictly, locally sourced beverage list, inspired by our own beautiful backyard.
The drinks follow a distinct philosophy; championing local growers and producers in Australia and New Zealand. Collaborating with local gin distillers Poor Toms, the base spirit is what Blackmore terms an infinite spirit; a gin flavoured with seasonal, local produce with a story. The first iteration is made with heritage apples that were the passion project of the late ‘Borry’ Gattrell of Borrodell Winery fame. After the first litres are nearly done, Blackmore and General Manager Harrison Kenney will work on a new flavoured gin that will be added to the existing one – essentially making a living, constantly changing martini. ‘It’s the mother stock of martinis’, says Kenney.
“Cantina OK! is so powerful because it tells the story of mezcal and its producers. We figured that the same stories within arms reach, too. So we started contacting farms, growers and learning the most amazing stories. It’s a privilege to share them.”
The bar itself has been designed with a distinct Newtownian twist, brought to life by the team behind the fit-out of Hubert and Alberto Lounge. Interpreting a design brief of ‘twisted bistro’, Bar Planet is a subtle, psychedelic re-imagining of mid-century bistro and martini ephemera lost in time. Stirred by the once opulent café bar shopfronts of the past, the design acts as an anchor between place and time through its texture and analog interactivity.
Tulley explained – “We wanted to tweak and twist every little bit of the venue to have that transportive power – to flip reality a little bit and really give people the chance to have that once in a lifetime experience”
‘We’re just trying to make good drinking fun’, says Dowd. He follows, ‘as the world changes, people are still looking for that connection. Bars will always be an important part of our social life’. For the team at Bar Planet, drinking a martini while listening to Gang of Four is the perfect antidote for the uncertainty of the last few years.
