The Everleigh

Challenging though not impossible to find in its Gertrude Street home (above Belle’s Hot Chicken), the entrance of this World Class drinking venue belies its interior refinements. A stunning long marble bar accommodates drinkers keen on engaging the bartenders, while the rest of the punters retreat to leather-bound booths.

"Classic cocktails from the golden era" is a phrase that's been misused many times but it belongs at The Everleigh more than any other bar in the city. Daisies, fixes, fizzes, old fashioneds, sours and sazeracs form the basis of the pinnacle of the elusive golden era and are made here to standards likely beyond anything you’ve ever experienced.

If you'd like to leave your destiny behind the bar order The Bartender's Choice. Alternatively, a Home On The Range made with Bulleit Bourbon, sweet vermouth and cointreau is always a reliable bet.

All juice is squeezed fresh, not that day or that hour, but right as your drink is being made. There’s also no ice machine because ice is supplied by the venue's own ice company, Navy Strength Ice Co. Even speed pourers are omitted, for fear of tainting the drinks.

It’s an attention to detail maybe only the best bartenders will appreciate, and as such, is the baseline standard at The Everleigh. This extends to the service (table) which is always knowledgable and brisk.

Glass cabinets housing old cocktail tomes and the tools of bartenders past, rustic floorboards, a piano as old as time itself and intriguing taxidermy all blend together to provide a setting that feels familiar and comfortable despite the long gone golden-age decor. It’s balanced and refined, so you can get on with the business of drinking and socialising without feeling uncomfortable or overwhelmed.

A recipe from The Everleigh is featured in The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook. Buy your copy at shop.broadsheet.com.au.