Sydney's Queen Victoria Building Is Getting Two Lavish New Late-Night Bars
The historic CBD building is adding a sleek Champagne bar and a decadent old-world bistro to its offerings.
Sydney's 120-year-old Queen Victoria Building has long been a haven of decadence, but it's taking things up a notch with with the launch of not one, but two new luxurious bars. From this Friday, the CBD shopping precinct will house a Champagne bar, Reign at the QVB, with bar-restaurant Esquire Drink + Dine to follow the week after. And in a win for that part of the city, they'll both be open late, right up till 2am.
A vision of marble, brass and musk pink, Reign is a regal sort of spot, taking over the space once home to the level one ABC store. It'll be pouring a sprawling selection of over 150 Champagnes and sparkling wines, with plenty of bubbly tasting flights on offer, alongside signature cocktails like the De Nonancourt: a blend of vodka, fig liqueur, cucumber and Champagne syrup.
The snack menu is very broad and covers all bases, from the refined (plates of oysters, duck liver mousse and steak tartare) to the two-handed (meatball and cheese sliders and an okonomiyaki burger) to the straight-up late-night eat variety (dumplings and pork fried rice).
If you're looking for more of a sit-down meal, head one level up to Esquire from March 28. The venue, which is just as opulent, takes its cues from the supper clubs of New York, with an old-world fit-out of oak, leather and parquetry flooring. It's a moody, dapper backdrop for settling in with a fittingly expansive offering of whisky, cocktails and wine.
The interior at Esquire.
From the kitchen comes a sophisticated spread of reimagined comfort food. Think gruyere-stuffed jaffles with fries and a pork jowl schnitzel sided with mustard, radish and burnt lemon. You can also choose from four cuts of steak and a whole roast chicken for two, which is used across two courses.
Both venues are open from 11am each day, surely to cater to post-shopping snacks and business lunches. Best of all, they're both kicking on late, open for eats and drinks right up until 2am Thursday through Sunday.
Both will be overseen by a team of hospitality guns, including Matthew Beaumont as Group General Manager of Beverage (The Star, Merivale), Damien Worthington (QT Hotels, The Winery) in the role of Executive Chef and Fabio Nistrio (Sokyo at The Star, Bambini Trust Restaurant & Wine Room) heading up the tightly curated drinks program.
Find both restaurants at the Queen Victoria Building, 455 Druitt Street, Sydney. Reign at the QVB will open on level one (best accessed via the Druitt Street entrance) from Friday, March 15 and Esquire Drink + Dine will open up on level two (best accessed via the Market Street entrance) two weeks late on Thursday, March 28. Both will be open from 11am–midnight Monday to Wednesday, and 11am–2am Thursday to Sunday.
UPDATE: MARCH 18, 2019 — Esquire was previously slated to open on Friday, March 22, but it will now be opening on Thursday, March 28. The article has been updated to reflect this.
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