Now Open: Kahii After Dark Is Sydney's New Dedicated Tea and Coffee Cocktail Bar in a Heritage CBD Building
Stop by this Japanese kissaten after dark to explore a new cocktail menu built around the subtle, complex flavours of tea and coffee.
By day, it's a tranquil kissaten tucked inside a heritage CBD building. But come nightfall, Kahii transforms into something far more unexpected: a dedicated tea and coffee cocktail bar that's adding elegant variety to — and quietly rewriting — what after-dark drinking can look like in Sydney.
Now open Tuesday to Saturday evenings, Kahii After Dark is helmed by Fumiaki 'Fumi' Michishita, who cut his teeth tending bar at celebrated Tokyo cocktail dens Bar Triad and Bar Tram, and, more recently, led the charge at Kahii's sister venue, Kuro. He'll be bringing the elegance and craftsmanship of Japanese cocktail culture to Kahii After Dark, with a menu built around the subtle, complex flavours of tea and coffee.
The autumn 2025 menu, available until Saturday, June 28, is seasonal, thoughtful and deeply drinkable. There's a fair spread of flavour profiles, too, from the bright yet subtly earthy Roasted Highball — a mix of barley shochu, hojicha distilled water and shiso — to the seriously punchy Toma-Tea-Ni — a bold, umami-laden reimagining of the martini featuring gyokuro green tea, clarified tomato water, white port and bonito.
For a floral, fruit-forward option, the Mariages Rose pairs calvados and fresh pomegranate juice with Mariage Frères' signature Marco Polo black tea. The result is a warming, aromatic twist on the classic jack rose, and a thoroughly autumnal aperitif. You'll also find floral notes on the coffee side of the menu — specifically, in the Fig Coffee Cherry, a sake-based sip layered with cold brew cascara and fig leaf syrup.
For those who prefer their after-dark coffee hit sans caffeine, Between the Sips is an aromatic and velvety smooth mix built on Hennessy VS and sandalwood-infused rum that features triple sec, lemon juice, elderflower and a spike of decaf, all crowned with cloud-like foam. Dessert, meanwhile, arrives in the form of Tiramisu Rubino — a combination of mascarpone, raspberry and a whisper of blue brie that channels the rich comfort of its namesake dessert.
Set inside a heritage-listed Kent Street warehouse which was once home to the Thomas Edison-founded National Phonograph Company and coffee merchants Gibson & Co, Kahii features an interior that echoes its menu — refined, layered and full of quiet detail (look out for original phonograph cylinders). As you sip, you can pair your cocktails with a selection from the rotating snack menu by Kuro — or change course and explore the short but sharp wine list that's earned Kahii a Two Glass rating.
Kahii After Dark is now open at 364 Kent Street, Sydney. It's open Tuesday–Saturday, 5pm-12am, and until 1.30am on Friday. The new autumn menu is available until Saturday, June 28. For more details, head to the event page.
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