What do you get when you cross a tiki bar with a Thai restaurant? The answer is Rambutan (and we’re talking about the Oxford Street restaurant with an underground bar, not the spiky red fruit).

We could talk about the Missoni furnishings and Florence Broadhurst wallpaper (which, to be honest, doesn’t mean that much to us) but to be frank there are three different reasons why you might want to check this place out:

1. How many other bars set their cocktails on fire and serve them in coconuts, which is what Rambutan does with its take on the pina colada (it’s made from Mount Gay rum, coconut cream, ginger and lemon bitters and without any pineapple juice)?

2. It has a sazerac made with single malt Laphroaig Islay whisky to give it some smokiness, as well as Remy Martin VSOP, peach and Peychaud bitters and vanilla sugar.

and

3. The food – especially the tea-smoked duck with roast garlic and black pepper sauce – puts most Thai restaurants to shame.

Before we go further, it’s worth mentioning that we don’t actually want to sound so complimentary – after all, a basic rule of journalism is that if something sounds like an advertisement then it normally is, and Bar Zine takes pride in being free of bias, even if it means forgoing trips to Monaco and Cannes in order to buy own cocktails. But we digress – the point is that if you try the duck and the sazerac then you’ll know we’re not exaggerating.

Our only quibble is that, despite the subdued lighting and quirky décor (which includes a walled-in saltwater aquarium and wild ferns), the downstairs layout makes you feel somewhat exposed and visible to everyone else in the bar. However, this is made up for by the surprisingly friendly staff (considering this is, after all, Sydney) and the cocktails are made with more knowledge and skill than you usually find, as the great sazerac alone indicates.

Talking of drinks, we also try the rambutan and lavender lollipop martini (vodka, gin, parfait amour liqueur, lycee liqueur and a rambutan skewered on a bamboo stick, hence the cocktail’s name) which works well and is more subtle in flavour than the name might suggest.

For those after the full-blown tiki experience you can also try Dr Phil’s famous flaming rum punch, which is served in a large ceramic mug complete with a tribal face carved on it. Made with Appleton VX rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, falernum (an almond-based syrup used in tropical drinks), passionfruit and bitters, this was set alight and then extinguished just before serving. There’s nothing subtle about this but it is easy to drink, is full of fruity flavour and should please those who like punches — or pina coladas.

Lastly, you can order food from the downstairs bar that’s served in tapas-sized portions, such as the roasted crispy pork belly with Sichuan pepper and lemon ($15), Thai steamed dumplings with chicken, prawn & sweet corn in plum sauce ($12), and the aforementioned tea-smoked quail ($16) – which for us is the stand out dish. If you haven’t been here before then we certainly recommend it.

Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Rambutan?
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5)
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Rambutan, 96 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, NSW. Phone 02 9360 7772 or see the Rambutan website. Open Tuesday to Thursday 6pm – 11pm, Sunday 6pm – 11pm, Friday & Saturday 6pm – 2am.

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1. The Victoria Room – Darlinghurst