Now Open: The Vault Is Sydney's New Basement Speakeasy Hidden in a 1930s Bank Vault — And It Opens for Just Six People at a Time
Clocking in at less than ten square metres, this luxe pop-up bar is pouring Lark whisky from a secret strongroom beneath a five-star hotel.
Seven people. That's the maximum capacity in The Vault, Kimpton Margot Sydney's new pop-up speakeasy that can seat no more than six guests at a time. Hidden within the bowels of the heritage-listed building — more specifically, in the former Water Board Building's original bank vault — this properly tiny bar is tucked beneath the hotel's expansive lobby (pictured below), and is now serving up a selection of drams from boutique Tasmanian distillery Lark.
The Vault clocks in at just 8.5 square metres — for the visual learners among us, that makes it roughly half the size of celebrated pocket-sized Sydney cocktail den Cantina OK!. What The Vault lacks in physical size, however, it more than makes up for in experience, setting the mood with low lighting, heritage shelves lined with bottles and a single whisky barrel table.
Open through to the end of July, The Vault is dedicated entirely to whisky tastings, showcasing four premium drams by internationally celebrated Tasmanian distillery Lark. The lineup has been curated by founder Bill Lark, and includes the Chinotto Cask, Classic Cask, Peated Whisky and a limited-edition Dark Lark single malt with rich notes of papaya, fig pudding, berry compote and maple-glazed almonds.
The drams have been selected to sip back to back and are served alongside seasonal canapes by chef Luke Mangan of the hotel's Luke's Kitchen. Each one-hour tasting session is $110, but whisky aficionados can opt to elevate their experience even further with a taste of Lark's Mizunara Rare Oak Cask — a Japanese-inspired drop matured in coveted Mizunara oak — for an additional $60.
Kimpton Margot Sydney
The Vault hosts two daily sessions from Wednesday to Sunday, but with space at such a premium, bookings are essential. It's a more than worthy standalone experience, but it can also be tacked onto dinner plans at Luke's Kitchen upstairs.
Come August, the space will transform into a rum-focused bar — but for now, this subterranean experience should become a winter must-visit for whisky lovers and the whisky-curious alike.
The Vault is now open at Kimpton Margot Sydney. The one-hour sessions take place Wednesday–Saturday at 6pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 4pm and 6pm, until Thursday, July 31. Bookings are essential. For more information, head to the venue's website.
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