The Menzies Bar

The crew behind The Dolphin, Harpoon Harry’s, The Bucket List, and Bondi Beach Public Bar have taken on historic Shell House at Wynyard in the CBD. The restoration of the multi-storey venue leans into the stunning building's Interwar commercial palazzo-style architecture with indoor and outdoor settings over 1,600 sqm of space (yes, a rooftop bar too)—a design collaboration between interior stylist Anna Hewett and Woods Bagot Architects. 

After the 2021 lockdown pause, we finally have a taste of Shell House's new era with The Menzies Bar, a glamorous groundfloor cocktail bar slash bistro which, in spite of the very European brief, feels very Wall Street NYC—and we dig it.

The cocktail program has been dreamt up by Josh Reynolds (Dolphin Hotel, Scout), and we can't wait to try the "In-Cider Trading", made with scotch, coffee, fig, cider caramel, and smoked honey. The Dolphin's crowd-fave Sicilian margarita, made with tequila, limoncello, Sichuan, and fresh lemon will also feature.

Wines lean in the organic, biodynamic, sustainable, and minimal intervention direction. To eat there are small plates (spanner crab crumpets and a slow-fermented sourdough toastie with fontina, black pig ham, and pickles) and large plates (a Bistecchina and coral trout with Tropea onion, caponata, and olive mascarpone). 

Image credit: Shell House