Alberts – North Sydney
I’ve been sitting in the Corner Bar of Alberts for 15 minutes and I’m still not sure where to look. On one side there’s a painting of several naked women in a scene reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut. Underneath it there’s a sofa with retro cushions and two career women sitting on it who studiously ignore me (and I can’t help noticing that one looks worryingly like an an ex of mine). Further along the wall there’s the bar counter that’s placed underneath a bizarre cylindrical column that looks like it came from the set of Star Trek and, on the other side of the room, there’s an odd-looking man sitting by himself who’s cackling like a jackal.
The Corner Bar is the swankier part of Alberts and whereas in the next room there’s a TV, jukebox and large groups of men eating steak and wedges underneath bright lights, the Corner Bar is a little more sedate. The window is open, allowing a breeze from the intersection of Mount and Walker streets to blow in while office workers rush past, and both the lights and sound system, which is currently playing an 80s pop song, are on low. Even the women in the erotic painting look relaxed, as if their nightly exertions are already over with.
To be in tune with this laid-back vibe I ordered a caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail with cachaca (a spirit made from sugar cane), muddled lime and sugar, that the friendly barman insisted on bringing out to me. As I now sip it I decide it’s good but should have more sugar in it. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t like cocktails to be sweet – but this is too sour for a caipirinha (and at $17, you expect a premium cocktail).
I’m just about to order a glass of red when the two career women get up to go and a John Farnham song starts playing – which collectively forms my cue to leave. I still think the Corner Bar is one of the better bars in North Sydney, and certainly one of the most intimate, but it’s time for me to re-enter the real world again.
Alberts, 100 Mount Street, North Sydney. See the Alberts website or phone 9955 9097.
Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Alberts?
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