Harbour Bar and Kitchen
437/2-10 Darling Drive
Sydney, NSW
The Harbour Bar and Kitchen is Darling Harbour’s newest and brightest addition. Its located on level 2 of the Harbourside shopping centre, a great spot, especially if you like uninterrupted views of Sydney’s iconic skyline.
The setup is chic and modern with lovely wooden furniture both inside and out. The bar stools are unique and the deck outside is so lovely, its perfect for al fresco dining.
We arrived on a Friday night ready for a cocktail and at the Harbour Bar and Kitchen, they have quite an impressive cocktail list.
With no delay, we started with a Harbour Fresh. A beautiful infusion of lychee and strawberry liqueur, raspberry puree and sugar lemon juice. It had a lovely combination of flavours, all light and fresh.
Our next cocktail had more of the same, beautiful colours, great presentation and great flavours, not to mention a unique name. The Lychee flyover boasted a sweet mix of soho lychee and Chambord mixed with pineapple juice and a splash of strawberry puree. It was smooth and colourful and dare we say, the perfect summer drink.
Moving on, we decided to go for something stronger. Is a long island ice tea too much? Well, if its is, why not try the Harbour Bar and Kitchen’s signature short Island ice tea? It’s a tropical marriage of vodka and tequila mixed with passionfruit, grapefruit and lemon squash. Its definitely a strong cocktail (but not as brutal as a long Island Ice Tea) and one we recommend If you like Tequila.
All this alcohol was making us hungry, so lucky the canapes were coming out pretty much as fast as the cocktails. Mouth watering cured meats wrapped in rocket and parmesan, tantalising duck spring rolls and some very interesting prawns served on a potato chip with guacamole were being delivered tray after tray.
Our next cocktail literally had no name, it was a sweet and sour mixture of vanilla vodka, pink grapefruit juice and sugar. It was a strong cocktail and one the staff make with lots of love. We can certainly attest to that.
By this time the sun had set and the city lights were sparkling over Darling Harbour and although we knew we should call it a night, we just had to fit in one another drink. Why do you ask? Well, the Harbour Bar and Kitchen offers Espresso Martini on tap. Yes, you read correctly, a perfect espresso martini on tap, ready in less than a minute. And if you are wondering if the quality is as good as a shaken one, we can assure you it is. We tried a few, just to make sure.
The Harbour Bar and Kitchen gives you a reason to visit Sydney’s iconic tourist district and with a luxe outdoor bar scene, it’s the perfect spot for your next outing. But don’t think that cocktails and finger food are the only things on offer here. Their full menu offers the finest rotisserie meats, seafood and beautiful share plates as well. Be sure to check it out.
The Counts were guests of Harbour Bar and Kitchen. Thanks to Fallon from Platinum Restaurant Group for organising this visit.