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The Butler

123 Victoria St, Potts Point, NSW, 2011
Phone
(02) 8376 1870
Website
butlersydney.com.au
Instagram
@thebutlersydney

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 13 Sep 2022

By
Alexandra Carlton

Lush foliage, palm prints and glorious views over the hazy-blue Sydney city skyline provide the setting for feisty Latin-flavoured eats and drinks at this Potts Point oasis.

Beautiful interior of The Butler
Why you goIn a city that loves its bars to have edge and grit and muscle – hunks of exposed steel and concrete here, smouldering whisky line-ups there – The Butler offers a softer place to land. The décor theme is best described as “tropical jungalow” – lush foliage, gentle layers of greens and creams, wide palm-frond ceiling fans and rattan seating, plus the prettiest visual touch of all: wide views across the city to the slim spire of Sydney Tower (particularly lovely at sunset). The menus – both food and drinks – tilt tropical, with a Latin slant informed by Kiwi chef Amber Doig’s travels through Central America and her time at the Mexican-inspired Empellón group in New York City, so plenty of juicy mezcal- and tequila-based cocktails, and light-touch taco chasers. In short, it’s a pocket of spicy sunshine in the grungy inner city.
Why you stayThere’s a feminine friendliness to The Butler that sets it apart from many other bars in Sydney. It’s catnip for girl-group catch-ups, so expect to see women of all ages and backgrounds sharing carafes of Sangria or rounds of Margaritas – and keep the tacos coming – but also office lunches and after-work drinks, birthday celebrations and the odd sprinkle of date nights. The open-air terrace is designed to make you feel like you’re at once part of and removed from the city itself – you’re gazing at skyscrapers but sitting inside a leafy jungle – and you won’t find a sniff of pretension or pushiness in the service anywhere.  
Food and drinks served at The Butler
Food and cocktail served at The Butler
What drink to orderThe cocktails, designed by bar boss Jaicob Greenhill, lean fresh and fruity. A few mainstays never leave the menu, like the blush-pink Please & Thank You – a blend of Malfy Rosa pink-grapefruit gin, elderflower, lychee and vanilla, adorned with a flower-girl sprig of baby’s breath. Likewise the neon-orange Hidden Agenda – mixing jalapeño-infused mezcal, Aperol, spiced falernum syrup and lime – which is what you’d get if an Aperol Spritz and a Spicy Margarita had a baby. But beyond the cocktails, this is a top spot to explore tequilas and mezcals on their own – there’s a broad and hyper-detailed list of both, with the tequilas broken down into groups of unaged, reposado (soft, minimal barrelling) and añejo (vintage). If you’re tequila-curious, a good place to start might be with the sweet and smooth Casamigos Añejo – best on the rocks with a slice of lime.
What to pair it withChef Amber Doig has a firm grip on the flavours of Central and South America, and displays them best with her sauces, like the bright, clear smoked Sangria and citrusy aguachile dressings she serves with Sydney rock oysters, or the tang of the fire-red salsa roja that pools around a jumbo wagyu and pork-shoulder empanada dusted with mellow Oaxacan cheese. Her tacos are always an easy table-pleaser and there’s a really strong vegetarian menu. Standouts include the grilled broccolini with a luscious peanut and matcha sauce, and the achiote red rice with roasted mushrooms, pickled vegetables and cashew cream.
Tacos at The Butler
Terrace bar with good view of the city
Why we love itThe Butler is part of the Potts Point furniture – it’s been here since 2014 and the décor and fit-out treat its heritage bones with respect. We also love its neighbourliness, particularly that the team exchanges donations for salad ingredients from the rooftop garden at the Wayside Chapel, a nearby community-care centre.
Regular's tipThe best spot in the house is doubtless the two-top on the terrace that sits in perfect alignment with the Sydney Tower – you can angle your chairs to take in the full 180-degree views but still be positioned to chat and share snacks. But if you’ve got a group, consider booking in the street-level Juanita’s Bar, named for Kings Cross activist Juanita Nielsen, whose crusading was instrumental in saving the building the Butler occupies from being wrecked by corrupt developers and led to her unsolved disappearance in 1975. It’s got the same tropical tones as the rest of the venue, with extra layers of cosiness provided by sandstone walls and a fireplace, and you can book out the whole thing for 40 people for a cocktail event.
Make it fancyThe 1,200-gram lamb barbacoa is a big-group crowd-pleaser – a slow-roasted shoulder best served “VIP-style” with tortillas, salsas and pickled jalapeños. Make it a rounded-out feast with a bottle or two of Matias Riccitelli’s inky-bold Hey Malbec! from Argentina.
Authour image
Alexandra CarltonAlexandra Carlton is a freelance writer who contributes to Australia’s leading food, wine and travel publications.
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Drinks DirectorySydney – Inner CityOutdoor areaMeal and a bevSydneyRooftopGood for groupsBarVego Food OptionsCasual catch-upAfter work drinksKiller cocktailsA+ spirits list
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