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Her Music Room in Melbourne serves up wine, beer and sake in a crisp sonic environment | Source: Her Music Room
6 mins
Dining Trending
Japanese-inspired listening bars are popping up around Australia, providing the country with some much-needed temples of sonic meditation.
Offering the perfect place to indulge your senses in a combination of tastes and sounds served up by knowledgeable staff in cosy settings, listening bars or ‘jazz kissatens’ were common in post-war Japan.
But now, it’s Australia’s turn to duck into a purpose-designed acoustic environment where the ambience of sound, gentle light and of course delectable food and drink define the listening bar experience.
There’s a newfound interest and curiosity to explore the intricacies of music and sound, as well as a desire for music to become more integrated into our hospitality experiences. Spaces such as the Music Room in Melbourne are redefining the ways in which we interact with each other and with music.
As we break away and diversify from the idea of only hearing music in bars, pubs, clubs, it becomes super clear that the need for spaces such as listening bars that dedicate themselves to a more intimate experience. It’s something we didn’t understand how much we needed until we got it.
If you’re yet to dip into the local Hi-Fi bar scene or you’re an audiophile in search of your new favourite venue, check out some of the best listening bars in Australia.
The beef tongue kushiyaki is a must-try as reputable Aussie DJs such as Meg Mac and Lazymax stir up a gourmet feast for the ears. Rekondo is Sydney’s hottest ticket for those who like to chill to good music and feast on some of the best Japanese cuisines on offer in the harbour city.
The groovy architecture of Barangaroo House provides a chic setting for vinyl to be spun, and the DJ takes pride of place alongside talented chefs serving up sumptuous kingfish tartlet, beef tataki, snapper karaage and of course a wide selection of fine sake.
Head Bartender Pauric Kennedy is adept at selecting the very best drink to accompany the tunes and food. Cocktails earn rave reviews and Rekodo boasts an ever-growing whiskey list that includes some gorgeous Japanese drams.
Perth’s Chinatown precinct is quite small, but that doesn’t stop late-night revellers from regarding it as an essential final destination on a fun night out. Astral Weeks brings a huge selection of hip tunes to the oft-overlooked pocket of the city.
Owners have no problem with customers ordering from one of the restaurants surrounding Astral Weeks. Guest selectors and bar staff choose from a vast vinyl library whilst serving from a curated list of Australian wines, while an all-analogue Line Magnetic sound system delivers a crisp sonic atmosphere with sensuous acoustics.
Bar staff are friendly and approachable, keeping the music to a reasonable volume to allow for conversation and offering excellent recommendations from their selection of drinks.
The latest of Melbourne’s ubiquitous multi-level hospitality venues, Her consists of a ground-floor bar offering a modern aperitivo menu, a chic rooftop bar and a Thai street food restaurant on level three.
The Music Room is devoted to everything vinyl and invites guests on a trip back in time to the simple pleasures offered by high-fidelity sound in an intimate setting. A mix of international and local selectors takes advantage of one of Melbourne’s best sound setups and the space’s warm acoustics to kick off your night or provide a cool meeting place for catch-ups.
American walnut walls are perforated with small holes to mimic the appearance of a speaker box, and a dynamic lighting constellation in the ceiling is configured to the music to create a cinematic feel. Our DJ setup pays special homage to the magical days of 70’s New York disco.
Music Room has a special console that dedicates itself to the analog era with an Australian-designed and built Rotary mixer and three Technics turntables.
As well as Her’s Thai street food offering on level three, a French-inspired menu on the ground floor serves up haute cuisine which can be consumed in the Music Room to delectable tunes. The Her website even features a live stream of Music Room Radio so you can get a taste of the sonic flavours on offer.
Sake is front and centre at this hip listening bar in Sydney’s groovy Newtown district and Ante prides itself on its extensive list.
Over 65 sakes from 21 different sake breweries across Japan include warming crowd favourites and top-tier upstarts from the land of the rising sun. An up-to-date menu that changes with the seasonal availability of the freshest ingredients would not look out of place in trendy Harajuku, Tokyo.
An excellent place to enjoy a quiet solo drink and chat (quietly) with knowledgeable staff or meet up with a few friends for a casual weekend briefing, you may find the mix of eclectic tunes and relaxed atmosphere too good to walk away from.
For a truly unique taste of Melbourne’s renowned community arts scene, look no further than Hope St Radio. In typical Melbourne fashion, they broadcast all of their selectors and you can even listen to previous shows to hunt for fresh beats in lieu of crate digging on a rainy day.
Located in the eclectic Collingwood Yards collective, Hope St Radio was initially a roving radio station broadcasting from a variety of locations including the Melbourne Zoo before it found a home in the former technical school.
Now patrons choose from a luxe drinks list and a rustic menu full of contemporary Australian snacks and meals in a quaint, inviting setting. Sydney rock oysters with mignonette or burrata with artichoke and nettle oil satiate even the choosiest of gourmet tourists and needless to say, the music is sublime.
Warm sake is a lovely tipple for a listening bar in Australia, but for a taste of something more local, Sydney is also home to a host of trendy wine bars serving the very best local and international vino.
3 mins
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