Zanzibar – Newtown
When I think of this late-night Newtown bar, whose main attraction is its rooftop area that looks likes a suburban patio that underwent a Kath and Kim makeover, I always think of the feral punk I was once infatuated with in my youth who lived two doors away.
Back then I was young and stupid, she was cute and dreadlocked, and after playing pool in the back room of the Oxford Hotel, a low-rent but atmospheric pub that later became the Zanzibar, she invited me back to her squat where she volunteered to tattoo me with a home-made contraption that looked like it came from a horror movie (“Don’t worry, I washed the needle with soap and water,” she said). Luckily I declined.
But I digress.
The Zanzibar is really three bars in one. The ground floor has an attempted urban punk feel thanks to a graffitied bar and a wall papered end to end in music flyers. Some nights, when the video jukebox plays indie and rock music and the crowd is suitably pierced, this works. Other nights, when the music is more poppy and R&B inspired, it feels a little confused – at least to me. However, other than the Town Hall, there really aren’t many alternatives past midnight.
The second floor has a whole different feel, complete with some of the Moroccan style décor that remains from the Zanzibar’s last renovation. Think bright colours, lots of patterns and a separate lounge area with some great stained glass windows that can be booked for functions. Depending on the night, the second floor is where to go if you want to boogie. We suggest several shots of tequila first.
And then you have the star of the show, the rooftop. Regardless of who I drink with here, they always suggest the rooftop and I agree – on a nice day or night it’s one of the best spots to have a drink in Newtown.
I’m currently here on a Thursday night to meet up with the vicious vixen and her boyfriend, who are both bitching about their meals. They ordered the soft shell prawns and claim the little critters look like bait. I’ve got to say I wouldn’t have been happy with the prawns either – they’re tiny and I’m not game to try them – but to give this review some balance, the last time I was here (with some of the VV’s more mellow friends, as a matter of fact) the friends were happy with their meals (one of which, from memory, was a risotto).
Nevertheless, I opt to avoid food and give the cocktails a go instead. The rooftop bar tells me they don’t serve cocktails, so I go down to the second floor. It’s happy hour (6PM -11PM on Thursdays) and so the cocktails are only $8 – and even the VV is impressed that it isn’t the usual two-for-one deal, allowing us to get two different drinks. As such I order a margarita while the VV gets an apple caipiroska and they’re not bad – for the price. My margarita is a little too sour and the caipiroska is a little too sweet, but overall I recommend them for those on a tight cocktail budget. Talking of happy hour, on Wednesdays it runs all day, on Fridays from 6pm to 7pm and on Saturdays from 6pm to 8pm.
Zanzibar, 323 King Street, Newtown. Phone 9519 1511 or see the Zanzibar website
Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Zanzibar?
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