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Drift

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

If the alchemy of luxury and location is what lies at the heart of Sydney's social cocktail, then Drift has fortified the concoction with its premium mix of sea views, sunlight and a luxuriously spare elegance that captures the serious magic of Bondi's glittering panorama. Stirred into the upper arches of the heritage listed Ravesi's Hotel, the cotton daybeds, white champagne cork stools and chairs woven from Italian bamboo are quite at home beneath that coral chandelier.

The cocktail list and glamorous garnishing of trend-setting guests and lightly bronzed locals doesn't hurt either. By nightfall the bar indulges its natural tones with a soft touch of orange lamplight, while the ruby red gin and campari - shaken into Drift's Southside Seduction - works effortlessly at earning its title. If you've got more to spare, continue getting into the spirit of proceedings with a Lub-U-Longtime - lychees shaken with lime, lemongrass syrup, green tea liqueurs and iced quince green tea.

In keeping with the running theme, the local seafood has also been worked into something special. A spiced tequila slammer with blue fin tuna and cucumber, for example, is normally quite hard to find. The oysters are treated with reverence, and arrive in a range of arrangements including Chardonnay vinegar and trout caviar. There is also an excellent selection of exotic pizzas.

This new venue raises Bondi's chic quota even further, but all its ingredients - including the patrons - comfortably provide a glittery finish to one of Sydney's most effortlessly fashionable bars yet.
Geoff Stanton, January 2008