No doubt a part of you loves Section 8. It’s the part that digs hanging in a car park, and smashing longnecks. But likely, there’s another part of you. Yearning to sit by a fire, and sip on boutique Japanese brews. The good news is that Section 8’s owner Maz Salt has provided a solution right next door.
Ferdydurke is a bar for the adult in you who demands a good drink, with a serve of grungy fun for your never-say-die side.
Up the stairs, past the stencil art and outdoor smoking deck, is a lofty space of exposed bricks and beams, flickering from the glow of a fireplace at one end and candles at the other. Throw in some snacks at school lunch prices (the chargrilled corn with Dorito crumbs, green chilli and lime costs $6) and you could take it for a swish student bar. Fittingly, hot dogs and cheesy toasties are their main draw.
The back bar holds its own against most cocktail dens in town. Don Julio Anejo tequila; Old Tom gin; Monkey Shoulder whisky. Even if the crew sucked at cocktails we’d be happy with a lowball and a cube of ice. But they don’t suck, and do the classics like a Punt e Mes and Campari Americano, and a Vesper martini of vodka and gin with aplomb. Try a Blood and Sand of Cherry Heering, Dolin Rouge and orange juice which hits a high note thanks to a decent slug of oak-aged Compass Box Spice Tree whisky.
Section 8 still holds a place in our hearts, but Ferdydurke has a place in our long term future.