What a cute speakeasy-ish type place. I first came here 10 years ago and glad to see they are still around on my latest visit. Their cocktails are innovative while still holding true to the Caribbean vibe. I'm generally not into tiki type drinks but really get a kick out of this place. read more

The Lobo Plantation - Grabbing drinks in speakeasy making new friends in the eye of the storm outside. - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Amazing vibes and very extensive drinks menu. Really cool decor and was not too expensive!!! Great bartenders

lovely bartenders were friendly and a joy to talk to! They made sure we had water throughout the night and refilled our banana chips as we polished them off quickly. The cocktails were pricey but fun and delicious. We had the goodbye guava, white negroni daiquiri, and the montclair - all wonderful! read more

The Lobo Plantation - montclair on the right (finished lol) - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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First visit last Saturday and so far I was impressed. We arrived after 9pm and there was no queue of hipster peoples.... so straight down the stairs we dashed as the bouncy was busy talking to a cop i think the convenient store a few doors down may have just been robbed! Yikes Place was half full (everyone else was probably still at the Mardi Gras parade) and the lovely couches were empty so we made a beeline for the bar. Was not in the mood for cocktails so i ordered a glass of Shiraz from a friendly blonde waitress. Thank goodness it was palatable as i would of been disappointed for getting a glass liquid that resembled the taste of vinegar for $10! Atmosphere was good, Ambiance was good. Ever so often they would make a cocktail that had flames so that was always entertaining and i made a promise that i would indeed attempt this flaming cocktail on my next visit. We did not get to try the food but the menu looked tasty! read more

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Danny P, you're getting soft, is what they'll be saying... This is a 2.5, but since Yelp won't empower me with half stars I've erred on the lighter shade of pale. As we descended the stairway to heaven, we found ourselves in a frills and fronds space resembling some fancy old English establishment... then the next song came on and it was high tea meats Led Zeppelin... Ramble on! I nearly dialled up the Cuban Pay Phone but opted instead for a Quilmes, followed by a White Rabbit x 2. If I'd stopped there this review would be a 4, but we ordered food, which turned out to be a Cuban carnivore car crash. Non-crispy wings with negatory flavour, followerd by way-too-much-pastry + not-nearly-enough-meat empanadas were harsh lessons in seasoning and quantities. But, the total wreck of the night was the taco. This thing looked as bad as it tasted. It was tepid, the filling had less-than-zero flavour, and the tortilla? Holy hell what was that thing? It had the consistency of play-doh and was about as edible - now I know how my parents felt when I "made" them things to eat as a kid. The staff totally know the food stinks, because they give you a small liquor bottle (sadly devoid of liquor) containing hot sauce. If you drown everything in that, you can probably get through it all. The best thing on the plate was the guatemalan insanity pepper. I bit off half of that to cleanse my palate and had steam whistling out my ears and fireball breath for the next half an hour! Huzzah! The music was actually of a good volume to conduct a conversation, so they must've listened to previous feedback, and have remedied this. And didn't we just gossip up a storm. Spying on cute and innocent couple whose distant behaviour had us all speculating on whether this was sandwich night, a breakup, a bad tinder date or just a really boring relationship... My initial impressions screamed Tinder tantrum, but after some additional information was added to the pot, I'm leaning towards the boring factor - sorry kids, you really were. I'd give the food a 1 (cute and innocent couple also hated it), drinks + atmosphere gets a 4. Cutting it down the middle gets us to 2.5 but since most people will come for the drinks not the food, I'm going to kick it up to a 3, instead of down to a 2. But you're perilous Lobo, don't become a plantain. read more

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Came on a Friday night and expecting the place to be packed, we tried to arrive early and got there a little before 6:00 PM. There were no more free tables by this time, but luckily some people decided to leave early and we managed to secure two small tables beside each other on the upper section near the steps and railings. We were expecting nine people in our group, but it was just three of us who came first. There was already a queue when the rest of our group arrived but they all managed to get in after a short wait outside. The cocktails were priced at upwards of $17 and reading the descriptions on the menu, I felt like I wanted to try all of them. I settled for the Plan-ting (Plantation OP rum, Jamaican Ting soft drink, lime, grapes) which is said to be their specialty drink and had a taste of my friend's Shore something drink which was meant to appeal to rootbeer lovers. The Plan-ting was really strong and good value if you intend to get drunk but taste-wise it wasn't the best. For someone like me who likes my cocktails strong but taste juicy and sweet, it was a bit hard for me to drink this one. My friend's cocktail tasted like a weird sour ginger beer, I was expecting it to taste more like a sarsaparilla or an A&W rootbeer and was very much disappointed. The food was actually quite good and very reasonably priced. We couldn't get enough of the pork crackling and the pastellitos. The pastellitos appear to be quite popular as when we tried ordering at around 10PM, they said they had already run out. The brunette server/waitress seemed to pick on our group and had this very grumpy air about her. I did not see her smile the entire time we were there. First, she scolded me for putting my drink on top of a stool which really looked more like a side table, so excuse me for not immediately recognising that it was actually a stool meant for sitting. Second, she scolded the guys in our group for blocking the steps, when there were another group behind us who were also taking up space but did not get told off. Third, when we were sitting at the booth, one of the girls in our group took a chair and sat on the edge of the table. She was told she needed to swap to a stool because the chair is meant for the nearby table, even though that table she was referring to was not occupied and there wasn't a group needing or wanting to take the table. The blonde waitress was the complete opposite and was very friendly and always had a smile. If not for her, I would've given this place one star for the rude and unfriendly service provided by the brunette. The small bar concept is pretty cool and interesting as I'm not really a big fan of too trendy or too upmarket big name places with expensive fancy-shmancy drinks and with a clientele consisting primarily of people wanting to be seen. Having read some reviews online, I had high hopes that this bar would satisfy. While I truly enjoyed the food and the ambience and the crowd being a bit low-key, I wasn't too impressed with the drinks (they're the expensive fancy-schmancy types which I don't like) and the service could do with one less snotty brunette. read more

The Lobo Plantation - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

In a past life I was a plantation owner. I'd sit on my porch in a creaky old rocking chair sipping a mint julep squinting off into the distance muttering "it's good to have land" to nobody in particular. So I already knew I'd like this place. Hit it on a Thursday night and it was pumping like a horny dog, people up the wazoo all rocking and rolling to the beat of killer cocktails. We sat on the little mezzanine verandah bit doing a spot of people-watching, then migrated to the plush leather couch booth thingies when one of them kindly made itself available. The bar dudes are aces, I went to order a drink and ended up shooting the shit with them and forgetting about my friend. Whoops. But eh, rum, right? read more

Go down a set of stairs down to a really dark bar lit by candlelight. It has a nice atmosphere but what seemed like a promising evening became quite a disappointment. They have a lengthy cocktails menu all starting from 22-24 bucks. I had a lengthy conversation with my bartender about getting fresh watermelon juice with a shot of vodka and he recommended that i get their Clementine which was essentially fresh watermelon juice with liquor. I told him that the description said it was watermelon syrup and i didn't want sugar in my drink. He promised that he would make it with fresh watermelon. When i got my drink, it had syrup in it and the waitress told me she added more lime to reduce the sugar syrup taste. So it wasn't fresh. And that's the only reason i ordered the drink. Fail. The empanadas we ordered weren't classic empanadas with the thick flour crust pastry but were squishy fritters. Disappointment. Not nice. The pulled pork dish which was more expensive was more mushroom than pork. Disappointment again They also take your credit card and id from you at the start and hold onto it. Seriously you can't run away without paying as the place is super congested and you can't really run up the rickety stairs. Dont like it. read more

The Lobo Plantation - They took my card - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

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Back again! The Lobo Love continues. Super cool staff, love the ambiance, good mojitos, the best amaretto sour of the night and they make a kick ass, fancy tamales! I LOVE THIS PLACE! read more

My friends who live in Sydney knew all of the underground bars, so this was somewhere they just had to take us. They had me at "speakeasy" . To me, everything in Sydney seemed expensive, but at least here, you get beautiful decor and ambiance. Because I was travelling on a budget, I stuck with a local $9 beer, but really wanted one of their fancy rum cocktails. However; my friends ordered a few and I got to sample some. My favorite being the banana old fashioned. We'd already eaten, but the nibbles on the menu sounded good and we more reasonably priced than drinks in this town. We ended up with a table near the wall with the giant mural of a compound. It could have been somewhere in the US south (like Georgia) or Cuba. Either way, it takes you to another time and place. We also ended up taking numerous photos of ourselves on the swirling staircase. The rails looks to be paper-mache'd with vintage wallpaper. The steps; adorned with a floral printed tile. Being here felt like I was on a movie set. If for no other reason, come here for a rum cocktail, so you can take in the scene and feel like you've left Australia. read more

Come for the incredible atmosphere, stay for the incredible drinks! It's been ages since I was this impressed by a restaurant, though I confess I was mostly blown away by the bar! Popped in for some "sorry you got dumped" drinks with a friend and ended up staying almost three hours due to the amazing cocktails, delicious empanadas and clever decor. You know it's gonna be good when even the bathrooms are done up! If you can't pick a drink off the lengthy menu, give the bartender your requirements and then ask him to make you something that to suit; I guarantee you won't be disappointed! Two words of warning though, aside from the possibility of getting addicted to this place--it ain't budget friendly, and it's gonna get loud. But make your peace with that, and then start drinking! read more

The Lobo Plantation - The grand entrance - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

I was pretty excited about Lobo Plantation. It's only up the road and I have had it bookmarked for ages. There I was with my "fiddle-dee-dees" and "Oh Rhetts" and various other references to Gone with the Wind. I was there two hours before I realised this place is not in fact Carolina Plantation themed, it's Cuban themed. Awkward. I should have clicked earlier with all the revolution and communism themed cocktails. Lobo Plantation is a great little below street level bar. There are a few small bars down this end of town where you'll get a good spot if you arrive by 5.30pm or so while all those silly saps are busy lining up at Baxters Inn. The best spot for people watching is right at the bottom of the stairs. The bartenders here are pretty friendly. My cocktail of choice was an Old Grogran. A lovely mix of rum, lemon and burnt (as in roasted in front of you) cinnamon. Judging by the number of times the bartender lit up the blow-torch it was everyone else's cocktail of choice too. The drinks selection here is pretty good. Cocktail heavy though. I didn't order food (had been warned off by Dan P) but the all you can eat plantain chips are a winner (and a killer when you try to get a Harry's Cafe Hot Dog into you at the end of the night. We ended up staying pretty late and watched the crowd turn from after work casual friendly people to Friday night, high maintenance types. Remembering I was due to hand out political stuff at a street fair the next morning, I threw back that last shot of Irish Whiskey and though "I'll think about that tomorrow." After all, tomorrow is another day. read more

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I was taken here on a Tuesday night for a tipple and it was hard to find this place because of the strange numbering on Clarence Street. I walked down the stairs to this charming place and there I was. The place is dark and dimly lit, and the vibe invokes a Latin American feel. I realize this place specializes in rum, but my poison of choice of gin so a random gin cocktail it was then. The cocktail wasn't much to shout about, but I love the ambience. Dark and dim, underground, reminds me of an illicit speakeasy... read more

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Love the setting and the decor - so many fun things to look at. The drink menu is extensive, creative, and so delicious. Very eclectic so it's easy to accommodate any kind of alcohol preference. The bartenders definitely look like they have fun when they work. I think this was my favorite bar while visiting Sydney. read more

Absolutely. Brilliant. I continue on my quest to collect cocktail bars around the world and while rum cocktails aren't my typical choice, so glad I chose it tonight. Excellent ambiance, as if Hemingway set up a satellite office in Sydney CBD. Not difficult to find (as more than a few of the Sydney and Melbourne speakeasies are) and nice little selection of Cuban inspired snacks. Highly recommend - as far as rum based bars go, this is probably the new high water mark. As far as great cocktail bars go, regardless of spirit, certainly in my top 15. read more

Thanks to intel from a traveling companion - we sought this place out and found it - and it was FANTASTIC - Great, old world feel, classy interior, great lighting, nicely selected music that crossed a few different genres - but maintained the same feel throughout. What a find. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and were enthusiastic about their work and what they knew this place had to offer. I ordered the "Shipwreck" and "The Grogram" - two of their classic cocktails. The presentation was superb. We only sampled the Chicken Empanadas and they were very tasty - easily could have eaten 10 more!. All up - a wonderful spot for Rum Aficionados. And for people just like me who aren't all THAT - but know what they like. read more

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Loved this place! Such a cool atmosphere and vibe! The lighting was very cool and had a real buzz about the place. Cocktails were pretty fancy and drinks fairly expensive but it's worth going just to be there. I'll be back when I come to Sydney next. read more

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I should have ordered a rum, I guess. Stumbling in off Clarence St of a Friday evening - rejected from Baxter's by a queue that wasn't worth it, Chinatown refugees with a pocketful of money unspent on vinyl at Mojo record bar - the Lobo was at first a welcome sight: a palm-fronded oasis of cool tunes and picture frames, not to mention hotsauce painstakingly re-filled into minibar-size Rum bottles. It was hidden down a dark stairway with nought but a doorman to mark it, like many cool bars around Sydney, and it was on that promise alone that we entered. The truth was underwhelming. You can buy a sixpack of Sierra Nevada at any bottle-o in the state these days but apparently if you want to drink it in a new and overcrowded bar it costs $9.50. It's not even a great beer; it's just American with a vaguely Latino name. It sort of represents the vibe here; vaguely exotic, if you're ignorant, but not enough to justify the hullabaloo. The rum selection was noticeable, as it should be in a bar with a Cuban theme; there was no way I was going to order a gourmet mojito only to have it knocked out of my hands by Cheryll, bustling in from Mt. Isa on business and Just. So. Impressed. Yeah... That kinda vibe. No doubt I'm giving this place a hard time for a short visit to a new establishment, and the soundtrack - bluesy and noticeable - is enough to make me want to be proven wrong. It's the sort of place that might work. Should work. But if it does ever work it's probably only on, like, a Tuesday afternoon.... The theme is too generic, the location too central and the venue too hospitable to large and unkempt parties to make for an interesting clientele during peak hours. But maybe this review would be different if I'd only thought to order a rum. read more

Um, oh. I have a little bit of an obsession with Cuba. And rum. Let's just blame Hemingway for this, shall we? So upon hearing that a new cuban themed rum bar had gallantly swung open its doors on Clarence Street I just had to go. I came, I drank, I went. Yeah, it was crowded and that's fine but waiting 30 minutes for a cocktail is a little too much to ask, especially when said cocktail (I think it was called Sugar by Jam) is poured inconsistently before you. We ordered three, one glass was decently full, the other two? Not so much. The bartender also torched some star anise to garnish, which was all theatrical and would have been mildly impressive had he not dropped each piece before they made their way into our glasses. I did enjoy the music and the drinks were yummy when we finally got them but were also over way too quickly (mine in particular, considering my cocktail wasn't as generously poured as my friends). One drink in and we decided to set sail. Who knew the Caribbean could leave you feeling so cold? read more

I was pleasantly surprised at this joint. The vibe and drinks were right up my alley. We arrived at a suitably late hour and there were still comfy seating available. It's another of those basement hidden bars that are all the range in the Wynyard area, so watch your step descending those unfriendly-to-heels stairs ladies. You can choose to pay at the bar or supply a credit card and start a tab. Apparently there's none to limited table service, but we were served our drinks at the table anyway. You can expect the funky house designed cocktails here, always worth trying some despite the usual Sydney prices ($20 average per cocktail). They go heavy on rum styles here, so if that's your thang, come on down. On our third round of drinks my partner got into an unpleasant altercation with a particularly rude and outspoken patron at the bar, the bartender witnessed the exchange and then waived all charges on our drinks telling my partner that he wants us to have a good time. And due to the patron being at fault, poor bartender had to cop the flack. Which I felt was very generous of them. Either way, we still had a good experience and I definitely plan to return here with mates. read more

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Nice set up going on down at The Lobo Plantation. Good music and atmosphere, cocktails are sublime, good mix suits and hipsters alike. Pleasant crowd overall. One let down, the bar food is a disappointment. Tried the Pork crackling, Baked Cheese balls, Empanadas, Salsa and all three were pretty, but that's the only positive I have to say about it. I would go back again for drinks and a good time but probably won't be ordering anything to eat. Not even the free banana chips did it for me. read more

I just got home from a couple of hours at this bar, and I must say I really enjoyed my experience. Despite it being a Wednesday night and the entrance very easy to walk past, this place was packed! My friends had managed to get a table in the corner by the time I managed to arrive, so I said a quick hello and popped off to the bar to get myself a cocktail (Sugar for Jam, $18). It was a great blend of sour and sweet for me, and I enjoyed the show of the star anise seed being set on fire and then dropped still flaming in my cocktail. I'm not sure that I enjoyed that flavour in my drink so much though... I didn't have to wait too long to order, or for my drink either. I also bought myself a snack, the cheese balls ($4.50 for 6) which were surprisingly light and fluffy, so not exactly what I was expecting. But, I still found them quite tasty and I really like the tangy tomato salsa that they came with! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the decor and the comfy seats, I had a great night. I think the main issue for me with this place, and a few of my other friends commented on it as well, is that the music is much too loud! We found it super hard to hear each other, and had to yell to compensate. I got home with a bit of a sore throat. Usually I don't mind that if it's from laughing, but it's not so good if it's just from trying to talk to people! read more

This place is really cool! The entrance is kind of hidden. The drink menu is long and everything sounds delicious! I order the drink called No Artificial Colours. It was made with rum, agave, coconut cream, lemon and fresh strawberries. It was really sweet but good! The service was really good. I loved the plantain chips that they bring out for you to snack on! read more

The Lobo Plantation - No artificial colours drink. Yummy! - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

I absolutely adore this place. Sleek, swish, funky but most importantly I don't have to wait for 30 mins outside waiting like other places. I've had a few of the drinks on the menu but without a doubt my favourite is the communist sour. I've recommended it to all my friends and colleagues,,,, read more

Perfect if you're going on a date........if you don't want to hear the person talk. Perfect for meeting coworkers after work.....if you don't care what they're saying. Seriously, I was hoarse after leaving this bar for all of the shouting I had to do to hear myself talk. It could be they pump the music up on a Friday evening, but I found it difficult to chat to the friends sitting mere inches away from me. Beyond that though, you can't fault the awesome overstuffed chairs, funky decor and adorably hipster bartenders, but they need to turn down the beats a bit for a more enjoyable experience (or am I just getting old????) read more

Well tickle me with palm fronds and call me nanny, this place really is a step back in time to an age of exotic plantations, wooden and cane furnishings and safari suits. I was slightly affected while patroning this fine establishment at 10pm on a Friday but I thought there were actually a number of things done very well. From the low lit and expensive looking décor to a long and involved cocktail menu and drinks that had me languishing over which friends drink to steal a sip of next (hint it's the Queen Bee or the Sugar for Jam), this place has got soul. Surprisingly we were able to find at table at 10pm and eventually a space at the bar to buy a drink. Unsurprising as people have mentioned, the bar tenders seemed to be on tropical island time. Between joking around with each other, to taking 5 minutes to find glasses and ingredients it was a while to wait for a cocktail (both times I ordered). Nevertheless it had soul, style and a bar line up of beards and mustaches that would make the World Beard and Mustache Championships (http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/) envious. So 4 out of 5 for me. read more

This place matches my flavor profile since I love rum and citrus drinks. They have over 250 rums and I am looking to try a few. The bartenders can make a drink or suggest a rum that you might like. I will definitely come back to this bar. read more

The Lobo Plantation - Making the signature drink, Old Grogram. - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Delicious rum (mostly) drinks in a Caribbean setting. I had a Rum Manhattan which was great. Enjoyed the fireball show at the bar, too! in close proximity to a number of bars in the CBD, I would recommend it as a stop on any bar crawl. read more

Tasty cocktails and plantain chips. Spendy, but the spirits are strong and the service is friendly. It's certainly very hipster-y, and pretty loud, as previous reviews have mentioned, but if you can get past this, you'll enjoy the atmosphere and as many different rums as you can handle. read more

The Lobo Plantation - Bar area - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

Just happened to stumble upon this cool bar on a layover back to the state. Great intimate atmosphere. The staff was friendly and welcoming. I loved watching the bar make those tasty handcrafted drinks. Thanks guys read more

The Lobo Plantation - Bars Near Me - Sydney, NSW

**purely based on going here for drinks** This place is such a cool spot! It's completely hidden from the outside, so you should check out the surrounding businesses on Google Map street view before you go. You walk in and head down this grand staircase to find what looks like it's set in a fancy tropical hotel in the 1950's. They are known for their flaming cocktails, which you will definitely notice being made! Awesome spot to catch up with friends, but on a Friday night it is crazy busy and you probably won't hear them. Good atmosphere, free plantain chips, good drinks. Can't ask for a better drinks spot. read more

The bar is a Cuban themed bar. It has a lot of Cuban inspired cocktails (many with Chili be warned!) and has a very relaxed Carribean vibe from the fans to the furniture. The bartenders are all sporing Olympic level mostashes and hipster fashion. The prices are standard Sydney prices. The food offered when its available is great! The meat plate is amazing and will send your tastebuds to Cuban spiced heaven! Great for a first or subsequent date read more

This place is definitely my favourite small bar at the moment. Great staff, great drinks, great atmosphere. It is a must go. read more

I really like the atmosphere and decor here, and the bartenders are nice. Really interesting drink menu. I got a Penicilina... Espolon... Citrus jalapeño something. Menu warns that it is spicy. It was refreshing.. but not spicy, nor special. It just tasted like a margarita variation I get at this generic chain spot back in US, Lazy Dog Cafe... But same sized glass, double the ice and double the price. All this said... It definitely wasn't a bad drink, just disappointing. Could have been a lot better if it was actually spicy. My friend got a cinnamon rum drink, and that was fantastic. So, it seems like it is kinda hit or miss... And that they specialize in rum cocktails... So going with something rum based may be a better bet. All in all, this is a good place with nice people behind the bar. I'd come back here and try something different. read more

A super cute small bar. Went there last night after work and I can't wait to go back. They have a pretty cool cocktail list and lots of delicious snacks. It can get really busy on a friday so do try and get there early read more

I really liked this bar! Located on Clarence street, this underground bar has a lovely vibe. Dimmed lights, soft music, paintings on walls with old school couches and bar stools. The main attraction that impressed me was the theatre with some of the cocktails! Toasted marshmallows, rubber ducks, light cinnamon sticks. They also blend fresh apples to make apple juice - you can also vodka to this! It is fairly expensive for cocktails (around $20 each), but it is a cool place to take a date or bring a close group of mates! read more

It can be a bit loud at times, so if you go in a group and want to talk to someone, make sure you're sitting/standing right next to them, otherwise it will be a shout-fest. Aside from that, it's a great place for after work drinks with friends and they do really nice cocktails. read more

The minute you walk down the stairs adorned with Palm fronds you are transported to another world! The cane chairs, the decor and music all transport you to the feeling of being well on a plantation. These guys know their rum and have the most exclusive selection of rum I have seen in any bar. Their cocktails are serious business and are flamboyant in their look and taste.. Ohh you feel the riches ! The food leaves something to be desired for, I found it average at best, though different from your usual bar snack food menus. The pork crackling tasted more like chips with no salt on them. That said this is a place to go for your cocktail fix after long hard day in the sun ;). The staff is friendly and knowledgable and would whip something up for your taste if the menu does not catch your fancy.. All thumbs up for this place ! read more

I came here with about 10 friends around 9pm on a Saturday night and luckily enough a booth was available - score!! We decided on table service and a bar tab and our waitress was 'the new girl'. On the first round she lost control of the drinks tray and my friends crotch narrowly avoided a drenching. But we all enjoyed a giggle and a fresh round of drinks was delivered pronto. The flaming cocktails regularly illuminating from the bar kept us entertained. The dark, brooding atmosphere made me feel like i'd been transported back in time. If smoking was still allowed in bars (which I think is yuk by the way) I could imagine some old plantation owners sitting smoking cigars or chewing on tobacco shooting the sh*t. read more

WOW! SOOO cool! Stopped in here while looking for another bar because the doorman was so sweet! This space is something out of old school Havana or Santo Domingo. Great Tropical vibe, enthusiastic bartenders and a great fun buzz because of the crowd. THe bartenders make some very showy and dramatic drinks involving fire and rum and all sorts of good stuff. The music is cool and lively and the drinks are smooth and delicious. A great stop on a Friday night, or any night. Highly recommend! read more