After three years of ideation, Pleasure Club – a new late-night entertainment venue, cocktail bar and debauchery den – is finally open. And when we say "late night", we mean proper late. It's the first Newtown bar to be granted regulatory approval to trade until 4am, seven days of the week, in more than 100 years. And, after checking it out last night for the opening, we're glad it's here – it's just what Sydney needs.
This purple-hued, disco-ball-lit bar located in a grungy basement just off King Street is a place where hedonism in all its forms is encouraged. The mix of entertainment (live music and other types of performers) will ensure a different type of experience every single night. (On opening night we were treated to some in-your-face burlesque-slash-rock-band performance, as well as roving Gruffalo-style "venture into the woods if you dare"-type furry dressed-up creatures who would sneak up behind you to give you a little thrill.)
We drank Vegemite cocktails as well as one called Chicken Parm (inspired by your favourite pub classic) – and yep, they tasted freakishly spot-on. The less adventurous might prefer the Cherry Ripe or the Passion Pop number.
Pleasure Club is the latest venue by Odd Culture – they’re the group behind other rocking venues: Odd Culture Newtown, The Duke of Enmore and The Old Fitzroy Hotel.
Inspired by the small bars found throughout New York and Paris, the subterranean bar's live music line-up is curated by entertainment manager Sabrina Medcalf (ex-Frankie’s, The Duke), spanning everything from intimate solo acts to well-known bands belting hits with a psychedelic rock, blues or neo soul twist.
The team has brought on some expert mixers and shakers for all things drinks, including Sam Kirk from Jacksons on George and Matt Whiley of the just-closed Re. Pleasure Club has its very own cocktail lab, where the duo will come up with wild and wacky creations like those mentioned above. Beyond cocktails, there’s also a rotating list of local craft beers, plus international favourites; natural wines; a large spirits selection and some more surprises. And when it comes to food, the choice is made simple: you can pick between four different types of hot dogs, including a vegan one.
Pleasure Club joins a growing number of late-night live-music bars opening in Sydney in recent times, including Enmore’s The Trocadero Room, and the CBD’s Caterpillar Club (you can check out our guide to the best late-night bars and pubs here, as well as all the ones with live music here).
Medcalf sums it up well: “Surrender to your primal instincts, embrace the allure of sin, and revel in the celebration of the unique and unconventional. Expect the unexpected.”
That we can do. It’s our pleasure.
