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The team behind Eau-de-Vie opened up a new small bar yesterday called Bottleneck, located in the Kirketon Hotel lobby.
The bar is being run by industry veteran, Kass Hill, and occupies a small area that can seat up to 35 people, in both private booths and high seats, in a rustic and relaxed space.
"What we really wanted to do is something different – we think Eau-de-Vie is quite casual but the drinks are quite serious, so we wanted to try something a lot more laidback," said Speakeasy Group owner, Sven Almenning.
"The vibe is causal and the approach is casual."
The food offer is refined and limited – with only meatballs, some side dishes and a ploughman's plate available – while the drinks list is focused on Bloody Marys and a selection of beers.
"The space is small, so we can't have an extensive menu – we thought we'd stick to one thing and do it well."
With the doors just opened the Bottleneck team will start with dinner trading and then begin operating for lunch, Almenning said, with a long-term aim of eventually also opening for breakfast.
"Breakfast on Sundays is definitely something that's in the pipeline but not straight away, we want to make sure we nail lunch and dinner trade first."
"We'll also be doing a little trade special on Mondays – a bowl of meatballs, a beer and a shot of bourbon for $16," said Almenning.