Rum Diaries – Bondi
The Rum Diaries has been running for a long time but up until now I’ve never reviewed it for a simple reason: every time I go there I’m told they can’t make me a cocktail because I’ve arrived too late.
I’ve gone on a Saturday night, a weeknight, a Sunday night, but all to no avail: they can pour me a glass of wine but not make a cocktail.
Now, normally I’d give up by now except for three things:
1) I’m as stubborn as a mule
2) Other reviewers seem to like The Rum Diaries (and I won’t even use the word “hacks”) and
3) I love the Hunter S. Thompson novel of the same name.
As such, picking up what little self esteem I have left from The Rum Diaries’ previous rejection of me, I go on a Wednesday night with the Fiery Redhead to try my luck.
Taking a deep breath first, we enter and as the Fiery Redhead picks up the wooden palette that has the menu on it I hear the now familiar refrain from a bartender: it’s too late for them to make cocktails.
A nervous tic starts up above my left eyebrow, my hand begins to twitch.
Oh no.
Not again.
Unable to hold back my cool I splutter with indignation what a fiendish trick this is to play.
“You know,” I say in a girly high-pitched yelp, “I’ve come here like (when exasperated I sometimes suffer from Valley Girl speak by saying “like” too often) four or five times before and, like, I’ve never been able to get a cocktail! Hmpf!”
At this a bartender retorts – possibly with attitude – something along the lines of “Mate, it’s a Wednesday – and we don’t serve after 11”.
This ticks me off since my watch says it’s only 10.40 – hell, I can consume three cocktails in 20 minutes time and responsible service of alcohol be damned – but the other barman calms things down by suggesting in a friendly way that we try a non-cocktail drink – and the Fiery Redhead, despite her moniker, also provides a calming influence by suggesting we try an aged rum, considering they have a large selection to choose from.
When I then look around and, sure enough, see an impressive array of rum, I decide it’s time to wave the white flag in defeat.
On the advice of the Redhead (who it turns out is a bit of a rum expert) I order the Ron Zacapa, which at the ripe old age of 23 years old is beautifully complex, deep and rich. The interesting thing about rum is that most people assume it’s inferior to spirits such as single malt whiskys or cognacs but a great aged rum can be just as beautiful and, as far as the Ron Zacaba is concerned, possibly more layered in terms of flavour.
The Fiery Redhead orders the Holey Dollar Silver but isn’t as impressed with it. I give it a try and don’t mind it – the flavour actually reminds me a little bit of cognac – but it certainly doesn’t pop in your mouth the way the Ron Zacapa does.
Because I do like the rum selection (and the old record player that sits out on the footpath for those who want to drink outside) I’d probably give this place a fifth shot if I were a local – but for now I’m going to give in to my indignation and leave The Rum Diaries be, at least for a while. However, I would love to know what other people’s experiences of The Rum Diaries were like, so feel free to leave a comment below.
The Rum Diaries, 288 Bondi Road, Bondi. They say on their website that they’re open from 6pm until midnight every day of the week except on Sundays when they’re open until 10pm but from my experience I wouldn’t rely upon getting a cocktail after 10.30. Phone 9300 0440 or see The Rum Diaries website for more info.
Now it’s your turn – how do you rate The Rum Diaries?
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