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Sydney just got a hot new underground Daiquiri bar hidden below the CBD. Called Razz Room, it’s from the Odd Culture team – the group behind Odd Culture Newtown, Pleasure Club, The Old Fitz and Bistro Grenier – so you know it’s worth a visit (or five). Come for live music, retro snacks (hello prawn cocktails and French onion dip) and 11/10 cocktails. The Dirty Daiquiri ($25) is a salty-sweet cocktail made with Bacardi white rum, lime and olive brine – and I reckon it’s going to be the drink of the year. Just try to stop at one.
Located on York Street in the CBD and taking inspiration from underground New York City clubs, the snazzy new bar features an upper bar area and a sunken disco-ball-lit dancefloor with a stage for live bands and DJs, with music kicking off from 7pm every night.
“The Razz Room programming is anchored in disco, funk, soul and early house-adjacent sounds, always approached through a contemporary lens,” says group entertainment and operations manager Sabrina Medcalf.
“Expect soulful, genre-fluid performances deeply rooted in disco tradition, but also forward-facing, expressive and unafraid to blur boundaries.”
As well as Dirty Daiquiris, there’s the Razz Daiquiri (Bacardi white and dark rums, lime, pandan, banana and pomelo); the Strawberry Daiquiri (Bacardi white rum, lime, strawberry and Sichuan); the Pavlova Fruit Tingle (Grey Goose vodka, Marionette Blue Curaçao, passionfruit and kiwi), which sounds like a fun time, as does the B-Side (Bombay Sapphire gin, fresh mint, lime and rockmelon sake).
“Ultimately refreshing, a well-balanced Daiquiri is unrivalled and transcends the cocktail world. The Daiquiri is an incredibly malleable drink that means many different things to different people. It really lends itself to riffs and playful takes – we'll see how far down the rabbit hole one can really go. Shaken, frozen, blended and beyond,” says group beverage manager Jordan Blackman.
“I’m also strongly of the opinion that the Daiquiri is the next big thing, long overdue for a comeback – although it never really left in my mind.” I agree.
“Razz Room will really change shape throughout a single evening. Earlier, it’s geared towards post-work drinks with a happy hour, substantial food offering, and music at a level where you can still talk,” adds Odd Culture Group CEO Rebecca Lines.
Back to the ’70s dinner party-coded menu. The prawn cocktail ($24) features chilled tiger prawns, shredded lettuce and ‘Marie Razz’ sauce; oysters Rockefeller ($8 each) sees Sydney rocks paired with buttery spinach, bacon bits, vermouth and parmesan; and there’s a dirty royale cheeseburger ($29) with a Wagyu patty, Red Leicester cheese, ketchup, mustard and pickle, served alongside a cheese dip.
Come for Velvet Hour – 4-6pm every day – and get around $13 Daiquiris and $16 burgers, plus more.
Find out more here.
Address: 18-20 York St, Sydney NSW 2000