Midtown and high-octane Martinis go together like oysters and Tabasco. And there’s more to this tiny bar tucked off bustling Fish Lane, the perfect pre- or post-show destination.
Often it’s the smallest of bars that deliver the biggest kicks. Midtown is unflashy yet feels like a swish drop-in spot for a spirit-lifting cocktail before a celebratory dinner at one of the Fish Lane precinct’s many venues, or somewhere in nearby West End. It’s also perfectly primed for a couple of pre- or post-show drinks at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre or the Queensland Theatre. Of course, after a few sips of whatever is in your glass, you might decide to stick around, unwind, and get to know Midtown better. The owners have thought this through, so the petite kitchen keeps serving right until closing.
The crowd and vibe at Midtown change as the night evolves. Early evenings are a popular choice with apartment dwellers from upstairs and surrounding buildings, who rub shoulders with theatre-goers. Later, you’ll likely find a post-dinner crowd and hospitality workers arriving for knock-off drinks. The venue is pint-size so it’s sensible to book ahead, but you can try dropping by on the spur of the moment – space is reserved for walk-ins.
New to the magic of the Martini? Take a Midtown flight and test your wings with three fun-size drinks – an elderflower number, the house special and an Espresso Martini. Both the elderflower and house special feature a dry gin from Melbourne’s Patient Wolf distillery, either combined with old-school Noilly Prat vermouth (in the Midtown Martini); or shaken with France’s citrusy Lillet Blanc apéritif and a dash of St Germain elderflower liqueur. The Vesper, meanwhile, arrives with a lean twist of lemon peel adorning a smooth combination of Patient Wolf gin, Emperor vodka and Lillet Blanc, while the Olive Leaf Martini is fuelled with Four Pillars Olive Leaf gin and Dolin vermouth.
Not keen on spirit-heavy options? Midtown may have a Martini focus, but there’s plenty to intrigue wine drinkers, too, with the likes of Tim Adams Riesling from Clare Valley, Alsatian pinot blanc and reds such as Delamere’s wild-ferment pinot noir from Tasmania on pour by the glass.
Beer options run from Gold Coast brewery Balter’s Captain Sensible and a harder-hitting XPA through to Matso’s Ginger Beer, Estrella Damm and Voodoo Ranger’s Juicy Haze IPA. Heaps Normal’s Another Lager is the hoppy choice for those driving home and it sits alongside a selection of zero-alcohol mocktails.
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