Pearl Diver Cocktails & Oysters has landed on Little Bourke Street, freshly shucked from the minds of The Speakeasy Group's (Eau de Vie, Nick & Nora's, Mjolner) Alex Boon and Pez Collier. The focus here is memorable, produce-driven cocktails and oysters sourced from the country's best-growing regions.
Steering the ship is former renowned bar gun Boon, whose menu of libations is filled with his signature respect for individual ingredients and penchant for creativity. Among the lineup are sips like the Coconut + Yuzu — a blend of coconut-washed pisco, yuzu verjuice, vanilla, passionfruit and pink peppercorn — and a reworked sazerac starring peanut butter and jelly.
An oft-changing wine list has been carefully chosen to represent only that which is 'fun' and 'delicious', with a good 50 varieties pouring at any one time.
Meanwhile, in the food corner, oysters are the headline act. You'll find them showcased in three different ways, served au naturale, dressed (think, creme fraiche and caviar, or a lemon granita) or cooked. Then there's the signature creation, the Drunken Oyster: an icy-cold fusion of natural oyster and house Pearl Diver martini.
Other bites might include the likes of a duck terrine ($28), salt cod beignets with garlic butter ($15) and waffle fries served beneath a mountain of comté ($10). Grilled buffalo halloumi is made in-house ($15), while steak tartare is matched with artichoke and an oyster cream ($22).
