The Gopher

Manly’s nightlife scene is heading underground, with a new bar opening beneath The Corso this month. The Gopher is a low-lit late-night haunt sporting live music, cocktails and a rolling atmosphere reminiscent of a classic Irish pub.

Taking over a basement space below street level, The Gopher has been designed to feel completely removed from its beachside surrounds. Inside, the venue has an early-1900s Irish influence—but this is by no means a themed pub. Worn timber, leather booths, reclaimed century-old lighting and vintage fixtures (sourced internationally), are all wrapped up in a moody, transportive fit-out.

The venue takes its name from the Gopher Gang—a rebellious Irish-American street crew from Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen—with subtle storytelling elements threaded throughout the space, including a 100 Pint Club and in-venue honours boards.

Food-wise, the menu reworks staple Irish fare into a more share-friendly format. Expect dishes like pulled beef Yorkshire pudding pies, black pudding Scotch eggs, slow-cooked roast lamb shoulder and Irish spice bags landing on the table throughout the night.

On the drinks front, Guinness and Kilkenny naturally make an appearance, alongside a rotating UK beer tap and an experimental cocktail list. The Hells Bells—a butter-washed martini—is shaping up as an early signature, while The Sinner brings together pineapple and habanero in a spicy margarita riff.

Music is the real heartbeat of the venue, with live bands programmed most evenings from early until late. Rather than functioning as background noise, the entertainment has been woven directly into the venue’s identity—this is a buzzing late night venue at heart, and they've got the liquor licence to prove it.

Image credit: Dan Gosse | Supplied