Bar Selecta Hawthorn

Overview

Bar Selecta isn't just any old bar. It's a 10-seater, Tokyo-style music listening bar tucked away down a no-name laneway in Hawthorn.

Drawing inspiration from Tokyo's famed jazz kissatens and vinyl-listening cafes, Bar Selecta blends audiophile-level sound with expertly crafted drinks that range from small-batch Japanese whiskies, beers and sakes to music-inspired signature cocktails like the Sailor Moon Gimlet and negroni-adjacent Bittersweet FM. Ingeniously, drink specials tie into specific musical genres.

Nibbles are either chips or nuts — take your pick — while wine is divided into 'white' and 'red', with two Australian selections in each. Non-alcohol drinkers' options are not to be sneezed at, with the Red Panda Fizz mocktail — Four Pillars non-alcoholic shiraz gin mixed in with pink grapefruit soda — and a coconut soda mocktail called Shyboy with toasted pineapple and yuzu.

A team of six are behind Bar Selecta, which includes Michael Tan and Eleena Tan — founders of BrandWorks Studio and the creative minds behind the outfit — Kelvin Low, owner of Elysian Whisky Bar, and former Flower Drum bartender Joey Tai.

Customers can look forward to a curated analogue sound experience featuring a rotating roster of the bar's personal vinyl collections on a custom hi-fi system. What's not to love?

Images: Heart Media.