After 17 years of operation, a new look Verandah Bar has been unveiled following a three-month closure and an extensive redevelopment.
Owners Simon Tilley and Nick Wills – who, under their emerging hospitality group Tilley and Wills, also own the Greenwood Hotel and the recently unveiled Social at Verandah just next door – will open the doors to a brand-new Verandah Bar this week.
While the bar’s signature open balcony remains its defining feature, interior design firm Luchetti Krelle have added to the space with custom wallpaper and light fittings, curved banquettes, hanging plants and abundant greenery.
“Structurally, regulars will notice a change in the orientation of bigger features, with a 14-metre curved timber bar now welcoming people on entry,” says Patrick Lawrence, Luchetti Krelle.
“An eclectic mix of furniture has also been used to separate the space into various zones. Plush velvet banquettes and lounges create intimate settings while large timber tables and stools surround the bar.”
Bar manager Cameron Pascoe (pictured above) has created a new drinks list to go with the reinvigorated space, designed to be enjoyed by patrons at the end of a long working day or over a meal.
“Cocktails at Verandah Bar follow the K.I.S.S method – keep it simple stupid,” Pascoe says. “Nothing fancy, or over the top – [just] libations people know and enjoy. Margaritas, mojitos, dark and stormy, but also pitches of white peach sangria, Aperol spritz and Pimm’s for groups.”
He also adds that it’s really all about service and over the bar rapport at Verandah Bar: “If your service approach is off kilter, it doesn’t matter how good your product is, or how tasty your food is, it’s service that can make or break your night.”
The food menu has also been refined – with a nod to the Australian-British style menu at the neighbouring Social at Verandah – serving up traditional pub classics like chicken schnitzels, burgers and steaks as well as selection of healthy poke, chicken and tofu bowls.
“This has been a passion project of Simon [Tilley’s] and mine for quite some time,” says co-owner Nick Wills. “We’ve been coming here for years, as have our mates and our mate’s mates and we hope everyone loves the face-lift as much as we do.”
