From restaurants to pubs, and bars to Zanzibar, Newtown’s nightlife precinct has it all. Now it can add one more tick to its name, with the recently opened live music venue and cocktail bar, Upstairs at The Bank. As the name suggests, it’s the upstairs area in The Bank Hotel. It’s quite a small space, with a retro-vintage feel; you’ve got your circa 1960s diner booths and pin-ball machines, a pool table (because what Newtown bar isn’t complete without a pool table?) some noteworthy animal skin print and skulls lining the walls and a live music space set-up down the back.

The cocktail menu is certainly eclectic and creative, I’d definitely suggest trying the Adagascar Manhattan with vanilla and citrus infused bourbon, sweet vermouth, agave and chocolate bitters. Strong and sweet – the best kind of cocktails. With a range of wine, beers and ciders available as well, your wallet will run dry before your mouth does.

Whilst the kitchen fixins’ aren’t the best food you’ll ever eat, I can imagine the fried chicken with kewpie mayo and kim chi, duck sausage rolls and shoestring fries in all their crispy and fried goodness would go down a treat after a few cocktails at Kulettos or beers at the Marly.
My top-secret Intel (in the form of a friendly bartender) has told me that the best time to head on over is between 10.30pm and 3am, or just when you’re tipsy and ravenous and want to chill out to some cool, live tunes.