Overview
Despite taking its name from a raucous, rundown pub in the Patrick Swayze-starring 80s flick Road House, Double Deuce Lounge isn't a dive bar. Instead, the newest CBD drinking hole from the Ramblin' Rascal team is a refined cocktail lounge with a touch of '70s porn chic'.
"What is 70s porn chic?", we hear you say. Well, don't expect to find Ron Jeremy lounging in one of the burgundy leather booths — but do expect loud geometric 70s wallpaper, a two-person booth with a furry wall and a cocktail list that arrives in a Deep Throat-esque VHS cover. You'll also find the bar's owners, Charlie Lehmann, Sebastian Soto and Dardan Shervashidze, suitably on theme, decked out in safari suits and furry vests.
Kimberley Low
For the trio's latest venture, the team is shaking and stirring ten signature cocktails (all $20), which travel from the tangy and refreshing yuzu margarita and minty Stinger (with lots of Fernet and Cognac) to the cold brew-spiked Discretionary, the Jungle Boogie — with cacao, rhubarb and Campari — and a super-fancy take on a gin and soda dubbed Trouble Man.
As you may've noticed, these cocktail names reference a heap of 70s films and soundtracks, which are also reflected in the posters on the walls — Jackie Brown, Coffy, Prince and Mick Jagger — and the music. Expect to hear the likes of Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Bobby Womack on heavy rotation.
Kimberley Low
While the cocktails are proverbially stuck in the 70s, the wines and beers are very much 2019. Co-owner of Newtown's P&V Wine and Liquor Mike Bennie has pulled together an extended list of fun and funky drops.
You can throw back a couple of Garage Project's Salted White Peach Sour numbers (they're only 2.9 percent ABV and super tasty), order a bottle of Blind Unicorn pét-nat for a very reasonable $60 or go big with a milk stout from Marrickville's Batch and a shot of 'Deuce Juice' (Jim Beam).
At the moment, food is mostly limited to complimentary bowls of Goldfish (fish-shaped cheese crackers), but the lease on the two-storey Bridge Street venue has been split, leaving space for a full restaurant upstairs. No one's locked in yet, but we'll let you know when they are.
Find Double Deuce Lounge at 6 Bridge Street, Sydney. It's open from Monday–Wednesday 4pm–midnight and Thursday–Saturday 4pm–2am.
Images: Kimberley Low