An obsessive vinyl collector. Check. Whisky by The Elysian’s head honcho. Check. A sake program signed off by Flower Drum’s drinks boss. You bet. And it doesn’t hurt that two of the co-founders also run a hospitality branding and interior design studio by day. The team behind Bar Selecta make a strong case for Hawthorn’s first and only listening bar, a cosy 10-ish seater designed with the audiophile in mind.
“It’s kissatan style, really intimate. You can hold hands with the DJ if you like,” says Tan. “We’ve got some crazy JBL speakers and Yamaha monitor speakers going in, and that’s all been sourced from Japan.” Tan and the team have put just as much thought into the rest of the venue as they have the sound system, and the drinks, acoustics and the DJ in the booth make for something that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
“We really want to be particular and curate the music with the drinking experience and the programming,” Tan says. This is great news for anyone whose idea of a good time translates to savouring a whisky sour while a Miles Davis 12” spins in the background. You might also like to try the Midnight Cowboy. It’s a signature cocktail involving whisky, cold-drip and dried figs, and was inspired by a hangover cure found on the shelves of Family Mart.
Bar Selecta’s Midnight cowboy (image: @barselecta.au)
Other highlights include a bounty of highballs, smart sake choices care of Bar Selecta’s sake sommelier, and the fact that it’s filling a gap in the market for this part of Melbourne.
“It’s a response to the demographic here,” says Tan. “There’s quite a number of wine bars across Camberwell and Hawthorn, and we’re hoping that this is solving the missing piece of the puzzle.” And Tan is already thinking ahead for the neighbourhood’s next hot thing, with plans for a J-barbecue in the Bar Selecta courtyard during the warmer months and a BYO record night for the locals. The only thing left for you to do is match a highball to your mood.
Bar Selecta opens Wednesday 2 July; rear entry of 717 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, barselecta.co, @barselecta.au.
By Rick Stephens