“Good evening. May I offer you a cocktail with the compliments of Richard Branson and Virgin?”
This must be a dream.
Or an opening line from a movie or a setting for a lavish fantasy. I blink and remind myself that we are at Vessel, a swanky new venue in Sydney’s King Street Wharf.
Our cocktail is aptly named High Altitude, deep purple in colour, made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, chamomile liqueur, pomegranate and pineapple juice, served in a sugar-rimmed wine glass. The drink goes down well on a cold and wet Sydney night.
Steel and rivets make up the impressive bar with sweeping curves and fluoro blue lighting where an after work crowd is gathered.
Strong beams and timber lines add to the industrial and nautical theme throughout.
The bar is stocked with an extensive range of spirits, wines and mixers.
We are offered a couple of dishes to share, thinly-sliced melon with prosciutto presented in a delicate flower arrangement (left) and beef carpaccio with char-grilled asparagus and greens (right). Both dishes are light and elegant on the palate.
Away from the cool steel ambience of the bar, Vessel Bar offers a dining experience with Modern Australian cuisine under warm and welcoming tones.
The fishing net design of the chairs takes the maritime theme into the dining room.
Like modern pupitres, wine bottles are displayed in parallel lines surrounding the kitchen.
The nautical design continues throughout with attention to every detail.
The dark steel interior and cold lighting spills onto the amenities.
Steel and timber bar stools and tables take the theme outdoors.
To the left, Vessel Café is adjacent to the Bar and serves breakfast and lunch.
Vessel is located in the state-of-the-art Macquarie building at King Street Wharf which on a wet winter’s night resembles London’s Canary Wharf.
Part of Vardis Venues, Vessel incorporates Vessel Dining, Café and Bar, a stylish new establishment destined to draw the Sydney crowds particularly during the summer months.
Gourmantic attended the Cocktail Preview at Vessel Bar as media guests.
Vessel
One Shelley Street
King Street Wharf
Sydney NSW 2000
Goodness – what an opening line. If only eh?
I expected him to appear any minute after the intro given by our waiter. One can dream… 🙂
What a great place!! Your drink sounds wonderful and the starters look delicious! 🙂 I hope to be in Australia next year and when I make it down to Sydney will have to check this place out. 🙂
Isn’t it a fabulous place! I hope you get to visit Sydney and come for a drink there. Totally worth the experience 🙂
Juuuuust for a moment there I thought you might have turned around, blue cocktails in hand, so see Dicky himself subtley nod his head and raise his glass from a reclined position in a large leather sofa over by the large plate glass window. 😉
Looks like a swanky spot though!
That would have been more amazing! And he’s be appearing in a photo here in Gourmantic 🙂
Wow… Can’t wait to go there in summer with my girlfriends! Thanks for your review.
Thanks Tamara! Bring on summer. I’m sure it’ll be buzzing!
Stunning looking place. The bar looks awesome!
It does make the place stand out from the rest! The blue and steel combination works very well.
Looks nice and, indeed, swank! I’ve not had chamomile liqueur – one more thing I’ll have to get around to trying. And, i love the flower arrangement for the melon/prosciutto – a nice twist to a great flavor combo.
Chamomile and alcohol seemed contradictory to me but they worked well in this cocktail. I’d be keen to try it in something else, just to get an idea of the taste. If you ever make it to Sydney, would love to take you there for a drink 🙂
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