So, among the various things that I like about Arcadia Liquors in Redfern are:
- The laid-back vibe.
- Covered in fairy lights.
- Cool but not too cool.
- Terrible (and scary) artwork on the walls (but don’t take it too seriously).
I don’t think there’s a lot of competition for a relaxed but hip bar in the area.
The first time I went in late 2015, I wasn’t crazy about the chardonnay I had, nor the pinot gris to follow (both ten bucks). But I wasn’t sure whether it was the bar or me!
This time, I opted for the cheapest cocktail on the menu, a perfectly refreshing Aperol Spritz ($11), and then had some of my friends’ bottle of white, which was perfectly decent.
The highlight though is that they have five dollar toasties (that would be, for the non-Australians reading this, a toasted cheese sandwich) as savoury bar snacks. In our group, we must have scarfed down around half a dozen of these.
So: great place to meet friends in Redfern. Decent drinks. Nice service. And on this Sunday early evening, we also loved the hipster couple sitting at the table near the door as we left, not talking to each other, just reading their hipster books.