Thief Bar - CLOSED

Overview

It was a Thursday night when me and a friend made our way to the newest addition on Edward Street. Meow and Little Beer Qaurter was already a hive of energy and I could see Thief had already attracted a crowd of their own on the outside tables. We made our way into the warmth of the building and were directed to a table in the middle of the open restaurant in clear view of the bar. For a brief moment I was distracted by the bartender mixing, muddling and decorating an extravagant looking cocktail. Standing in front of a Victorian-like library shelf littered with a range of spirits, wines and liqueurs, he picked basil leaves from the built in herb garden and placed them delicately on the edge of the cocktail glass and presented them to the waitress for delivery. I knew I was in for an extravagant sort of night.

After a few chats with the waitress about the menu we were advised to choose 3 dishes to share rather then two. All of their snack sized dishes are designed to share and all are Italian influenced. We decided on the Salmon Crudo ($15) Beef Carpaccio ($12) and Chickpea Fries ($9) To drink the bartender paired the salmon with a glass of Amisfield dry Riesling ($12) and the beef with a glass of Mountford Estate ($12) Within no time our drinks were delivered to the table and were closely followed by our 3 dishes. Each dish was rich in colour and creative in presentation and while starring at them with eager eyes we hoped they would be equally tasty in flavour. With the first bite of my Salmon Crudo I knew we were not to be disappointed. Combined with fennel, radish and orange, the Salmon was a refreshing start to our dining experience. The recommended Riesling was the perfect drop to this meal, as this wine, along with the citrus of the orange, balanced the richness of the salmon perfectly.

The Beef Carpaccio was next. The slices of beef combined with the beetroot and gorgonzola was a brilliant balance of flavours and became our favourite dish of the night. We sat on this meal for a while, sipped on our Mountford Estate and flicked between nibbling on the rest of the beef and chickpea fries with garlic custard as dipping sauce. The chickpea fries is a great healthy alternative to fries and is was the perfect following snack after our two other dishes. After our plates were removed we decided to sit on our wines a little longer and soak in the relaxed atmosphere around us. The low lighting and dark aesthetics means that although the interior is open plan, it felt as though we had somewhat of a booth to ourselves and were able to enjoy conversation in an intimate setting created merely by light.

With its professional service, fantastic range of wine, and delicious food with fantastic attention to detail, Thief has already proven its place in Edward Streets vibrant bar and social scene. The candlelit tables, dark lighting and relaxed pace is perfect for couples interested in a intimate night out, and great for a few friends wanting to treat themselves to a relaxing wine and bite to eat. During the weekend nights Thief brings in DJ to pick up the pace and transition the establishment into a bar after the restaurant closes. It is also proving itself to be a popular spot for after work drinks offering a range of beers, wine and cocktails whatever night of the week it might be.