NOW EXPERIENCING:The Lobo
Saturday: 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM
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Website
thelobo.com.au
Instagram
@thelobo_syd

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 21 Apr 2022

By
David Matthews


An underground bar dedicated to exploring the wonders of the wide world of rum, all decked out with lush furnishings, table service and a fondness for fire.

Restaurante The Lobo Sydney
Why you go

This rum bar not only knows its product better than the next place, it offers more of it, in more varieties, than just about anywhere, with around 300 kinds of handpicked rums from near and far. Add the underground setting, where cane chairs, curved leather booths and indoor plants aplenty combine with colourful wallpaper and crumbling walls, and it’s no wonder this place pumps long into the night. 

The rugs, booths and lounges here are all made for sinking into, and the table service means, rather than queuing at the bar to order your next round, it comes to you on a silver platter. If you’d like to take a tour of the world’s rums, there’s the comprehensive house journal, complete with tasting notes and recommendations – you could start with one made in the Caribbean then head to the Americas. If you want to skip the reading, a team of some of the city’s best bartenders know the list by heart, and will share the background on that sweet thing you’re sipping as quickly as they’ll mix you a house favourite from a short sharp cocktail list. The drinks here are on fire – and we mean that quite literally.

What drink to orderThe best part about drinking at The Lobo is the range. You’re a Bacardi fan? There’s plenty here for you. You’d prefer something rare and exclusive from a back road in Barbados? They’ve got you covered. When it comes to cocktails, these guys know their way around a classic, but why not follow their advice and combine two with something like their White Negroni Daiquiri? Made with white rum from the Dominican Republic and a splash of Lillet, it’s sweet, bitter and fresh all at once. Want more of a spectacle? Nothing beats an Old Grogram. Watch the bartenders combine spiced rum with lemon, sugar and stout vermouth, then step back as they bring out the flame and light it up.
White Negroni Daiquiri at The Lobo Sydney
Inside The Lobo Bar & Restaurante Sydney
What to pair it withThe snacks menu looks to rum’s home territory for inspiration. Order some empanadas if you’re peckish (there’s chilli beef for the meat-eaters or red bean and fennel for vegetarians), but if you’ve got a real hunger coming on you can’t go past the Cubano. The Lobo take on this magnificent sandwich sees pulled pork and triple-smoked ham stuffed between slices of grilled ciabatta. It’s a proper mouthful made all the more appealing with cheese, pickles and mustard. Have you ever seen the famous sandwich scene from the movie Chef? This is that sandwich on steroids.
Regular’s tipTable service is great for a group, but if you’re a party of two, try to get in early and nab a seat at the bar. It’s by far the best place to admire the range of bottles lining the wall and wrap your head (or tastebuds) around rhum, cachaça and everything in between. Plus, you’ll have front-row seats when the fireworks start.
Make it fancyWith such an extensive rum menu, there’s got to be an easier way to try it all, right? The Lobo has it covered, with a range of rum tastings available to book for groups of four or more. You could take a tour through Central America or the Caribbean, learn all about rhum Agricole, crack open cask-finished bottles, or go all out with the First Class, showcasing top-shelf examples from around the world. And if you’re feeling particularly snazzy, there’s always the High Rollers Private Jet, exploring the very best and rarest from their collection. The Lobo’s expert bar team are on navigation, so all that’s left to do is sit back, graze on the free snacks and enjoy the flight. Check the website for bookings.
Ambience at The Lobo Bar Sydney
image credits: Be Zier Photography