Dr Gimlette Is the CBD's Luxe New Cocktail Bar Inside the Heritage-Listed Old Metro Arts Theatre

When Death and Taxes started slinging whisky in Burnett Lane, it set up shop in a heritage-listed building that dates back to the 19th century. So, when the team behind it decided to open another CBD spot, they followed a tried-and-tested pattern. Dr Gimlette sits on the opposite side of the mall, and goes heavy on cocktails and spirits in general, but it too has nestled into a location with a significant past.

That address: 109 Edward Street, which was home to Metro Arts before it made the move over to West Village in West End. In the arts centre's former base — a building that also dates back to the 19th century, and is considered one of Brisbane's oldest — Dr Gimlette has turned the ground floor into a luxe and cosy cocktail bar with a big focus on table service.

Here, Martin Lange, Wiebke Lange, Blake Ward and Belle Ward want you to take a seat, get comfortable and enjoy having your drinks brought to you. The team has taken inspiration from top bars elsewhere, such as The Savoy in London, The Dead Rabbit in New York and Black Pearl in Melbourne, to bring Brissie a sit-down drinking experience. Opt for a martini, and it'll be made right in front of you, too — shaken, stirred, thrown or nitro frozen, and with your choice of garnishes and gin — all thanks to the venue's two martini carts.

The 30-beverage cocktail menu covers all the classics, and favours ingredients from local suppliers. Or, you can opt for a spritz on tap, which'll rotate its selection. And, as you'll notice upon walking in, Dr Gimlette isn't short on spirits if you'd prefer the hard stuff by itself. Its eye-catching bar boasts more than 800 bottles, or you can pick from the beer and wine range as well.

Decked out with a nine-metre-long marble bar, leather booths, timber aplenty and dim lighting, the venue takes its old-school feel and its sense of cosiness seriously. At the time of writing, due to pandemic restrictions, it caters to 50 patrons — but will only double that number to 100 when there's no COVID-19 rules in place.

And if you're wondering about the name, it harks back to surgeon Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Gimlette, who is credited with being the first to add lime cordial to gin, creating a combination that'd go on to become the gimlet.

Find Dr Gimlette at 109 Edward Street, Brisbane — open 3pm–1am Sunday–Thursday and 3pm–2am Friday–Saturday.

Images: Grace Elizabeth Images.