Award-Winning Cocktail Bar Eau de Vie Is Leaving Darlinghurst After 11 Years

After the chaos that 2020 has thrown the world's way, hoping that 2021 will be different is perfectly understandable. For award-winning Sydney cocktail bar Eau de Vie, which was once 13th on the World's 50 Best Bars list, change is definitely in the air — with the beloved venue announcing that it'll be moving from the Darlinghurst spot it has called home for the past 11 years.

Owner-operators Sven Almenning and Greg Sanderson have revealed that they won't be renewing their lease at the Kirketon Hotel; however, to the relief of cocktail lovers across Sydney, this isn't curtains for Eau de Vie. Instead, the pair will move the venue to a new location, although just where the bar will shift to hasn't yet been unveiled.

Announcing the news, Almenning noted that "the last few years have not been without their struggles. That said, this is not the end". In a statement, Almenning and Sanderson also advised that the move stems from a combination of factors, but primarily came down to the lease. While mentioning the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry, the pair advised that "the decision to relocate Eau de Vie from its current site was down to the ten-year lease ending on the October 28, 2020 and not being able to reach an agreement for renewal".

Of course, Eau de Vie will farewell its current digs in a fitting fashion. "There have been countless memories created in this space and it's absolutely worthy of some celebration — and for many of our guests and previous staff a last dram or blazer," Almenning said. "Great times were had here and it's only right we pay homage to them and all the people that brought it them to life."

Eau de Vie hasn't announced exactly when its time in Darlinghurst will come to a close as yet, but it will shut its doors by the end of the year — likely just prior to New Year's Eve. Over the next two months, patrons can expect the return of some of the venue's star bartenders, as well as the original and famed cocktails that helped make the place such a hit. And, guests might even be able to take a piece of the bar home with them.

As for where Eau de Vie is headed next, a new location is still being scouted, but the aim is to reopen in its new spot in early 2021.

Find Eau de Vie at the Kirketon Hotel, 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst until the end of 2020, with its closing date yet to be announced. We'll update you with more details — and information about its new location — when they come to hand.