High Note

High Note is a wine bar that doubles as an events and live music space. Its red neon lights and bustling atmosphere are hard to miss at the base of Northcote Theatre, the heritage-listed building that towers over High Street.

The two high-ceilinged rooms are connected by a footpath dining area in front of the theatre. Through folding windows on the northern side, you’ll find a large wooden bar serving up lo-fi local and Italian wines, cocktails and beers on tap – plus fun non-alc options, like Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat. For snacks, there are the usual suspects, like charcuterie and oysters.

There’s also a DJ booth with vinyl and digital decks for local and touring acts to spin tunes, while pieces made by local artists hang on the original interior brick walls.

Make your way to High Note’s second room and you’ll find a collaborative space for musicians to host talks, sell merch, run meet and greets, perform Tiny Desk-style concerts, launch albums with listening parties and more.

The best part? The sound system. Original vintage Altec Lansing horns, which once graced the Sydney Opera House, hang in each space, giving artists the opportunity to hear their music through speakers they’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

The twin venues are run by Jamie Bennett, the co-founder of the music and creative agency Crown Ruler; Umut Turkeri of Hope Audio; and James Clarke, who heads the music marketing agency Bolster Group.