Darwin’s beautiful people, office workers and celebratory groups all mingle at The Trader Bar, drawn by the creative cocktails, 50-strong gin list and Instagrammable garden.
Just as an Irish-themed pub anywhere in the world must be filled with shamrocks and leprechauns, a quintessentially Northern Territorian bar would have to be decorated with buffalo horns, backpackers’ bras and banknotes in various currencies, right? Well, forget all that – The Trader Bar manages to be both totally Territorian and totally tasteful.
Set in what was once a typical Darwin elevated house, The Trader feels a bit like the home of a friend – one who subscribes to interior design magazines and spends plenty of time on Pinterest. The bar is in a shopping strip on the edge of the city but, once you’re in, you’d never know. Enter through a vine-canopied side path, past the servery window, and head for the back garden, or go straight to the cool white-and-concrete interior punctuated with mirrors, cane furniture and lavish greenery.
The drinks list features a rotating selection of interesting cocktails – classics and signatures along with mocktails – and a decent range of wines, beers and ciders. The gin list is 50-strong and covers a lot of ground, including local gins Darwin Craft Gin and Willing Dry, and Seven Seasons Green Ant Gin showcasing the citrus-like flavour of this insect from the Northern Territory. Rum and whisky aficionados won’t go thirsty either.
Every Saturday, a DJ hits the decks from 7:00pm until midnight, serving up a range of genres – maybe house, funk, disco or something you’ve never heard before. But The Trader Bar isn’t just a place to party the night away; from 8am on Saturdays and Sundays, it’s a cafe. Dogs are welcome during the day.
It’s endlessly fascinating watching the beautiful people here – and that’s just the staff. Clad in matching white shirts, they’re well-groomed, friendly and chatty. The clientele also tend to make a sartorial effort. Has a Bintang singlet ever crossed the threshold of The Trader Bar? We’re betting no.
Stay long enough and you’ll see public servants enjoying after-work drinks, still talking shop, the tail ends of hen’s nights, groups celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, and couples tucked into the venue’s various nooks and crannies.
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