Hell yeah: a brand-new underground bar has opened in Sydney’s CBD, dedicated to one of the world's best bittersweet, red-hued cocktails – and my personal favourite – the Negroni. Called Herbs Taverne, the Clarence Street drinking den comes courtesy of Mucho Group – the team behind Sydney favourites Bar Planet, Tio’s, Cantina OK! and Centro 86 (winner of Time Out Sydney’s Best Cocktail Bar Award 2025). Expect 45 amaros from Italy, the US, Japan and beyond, as well as a line-up of excellent bittersweet cocktails, including three riffs on a Negroni, seasonal numbers, and fun and fruity frozen tipples.
“We’re honoured to open our sixth beautiful venue, Herbs Taverne,” says Daisy Tulley, Mucho Group general manager. “Herbs is another nugget of joy for Sydney – a warm, cosy, artistic space with delicious, surprising cocktails and an inclusive and empathic team who are ready to make memories. And the popcorn recipe is our best yet.”
Tulley isn’t kidding. I don’t know exactly what they sprinkle on Herbs’ complimentary popcorn – said to be “reminiscent of a Chicago deep-dish pizza drizzled with hot honey” – but to me, it tastes cheesy, salty and like popcorn crack.
Start with the Herbs Negroni. Made with gin, Campari and a custom blend of two red vermouths (one rich, one bright), it’s close to the classic, but with a Mucho stamp. The Fernando – their take on Fernet & Coke – features house-distilled orange coriander vodka paired with Fernet and Chinotto. For something refreshing, go for the Americana, a riff on the Americano, served over lemon granita. I also like the sound of the fresh and zesty Seagreen, with vodka, sake, rocket, lime and sugarcane.
“We’re looking to the deeper Sydney pantry, from the Chinese supermarket to the weird Euro throwback shop in the Inner West,” says Jeremy Blackmore, creative director at Mucho Group. “We’re trying to connect flavours that sing together, without being boxed into the expectations of their origin. Delicious cocktails that step just far enough outside of frame to feel distinctively Mucho.”
Inspired by 1900s theatre, ’60s diners, German shoe shops and Flemish Renaissance paintings, the neon-red space rocks. A black-and-red chequered floor is complemented by old-school chairs, a glittering disco ball, and a wall feature that looks like a giant caterpillar with a shell-like skin. And it’s all backed up by a groovy early-2000s soundtrack.
Tulley adds: “A few people have already said, ‘Herbs is my favourite Mucho venue yet’. I don't like to play favourites, but Herbs has a special place in my heart. I just love it and I think Sydney will too.”
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