Safety Wolf

First published on 14 Mar 2009. Updated on 11 Mar 2010.

CLOSED AS OF MARCH 2010.
Safety Wolf: the bar with a thousand stories behind the name, each more colourful than the last. The mystery is part of the appeal, as is the room, which is set up with a mish-mash of mirrors, furniture, flotsam and jetsam from the owners' houses. Matty Woo, Nigel Park and Philip Golombik run the shop, by the way. The resident DJ also doubles as a bartender, grabbing empty glasses and switching seamlessly between Peggy March and ELO, eager to discuss the highs and lows of a chaotic vinyl collection. Staff shake up terrific cocktails at $14 a pop, but this is not the place for a quiet drink on a Saturday night, unless you're happy to lose yourself in a deafening crowd where you'll be elbow to elbow with skaters, surfies, hipsters and bar-freaks. The cocktail list is limited but interesting. Try the El Diablo – a sharp tequila hit with a touch of Chambord, lime juice, and gomme syrup, topped off with ginger beer. If the agave haze leaves you looking for a snack, food comes listed in a Little Mermaid Golden Book.