In a hidden bar with a moody ambience, one of Australia’s best young bartenders delivers killer cocktails and old-fashioned service, making Hanky Panky Lounge Darwin’s new favourite.
This new cocktail bar is Darwin’s worst-kept secret, in the best possible way. Enter through a plain black door marked only with a line drawing of a Martini, Hanky Panky Lounge is dark, moody and cool. Under sparkling chandeliers and glowing wall sconces, golden fittings gleam softly against timber, marble and velvet upholstery in rich navy and emerald. The muted buzz of conversation underpins the clink of ice as co-owner Anneliese Grazioli, one of Australia’s best young bartenders, works her magic.
No windows, no distractions, no worries – no wonder it has fast become the go-to for public servants’ after-work drinks and pre-shift bevvies for hospo staff.
Grazioli, in partnership with co-owners and Darwin hospitality veterans David and Kellie Robinson, has put together a winning and well-trained team. Having cut her teeth waiting at and ultimately managing Darwin Waterfront Precinct restaurant Hot Tamale, Grazioli knows what works – and she has the national accolades to prove it. She’s handled the transition from a full-service restaurant to an intimate bar setting with aplomb, keeping the focus on quality and service.
You’re bound to find something you’ll love on the 30-page drinks list, but the bar staff will happily point you in the right direction or mix you something special. Like the cocktail for which it is named (a mix of sweet vermouth, gin and Italian bitter liqueur Fernet-Branca invented by Ada “Coley” Coleman at the Savoy Hotel a century or so ago), Hanky Panky Lounge is old-school – but it’s also right up with the current shift towards more alcohol-free drinks, offering the Nah-garita, the Dirty Nah-tini and the No-groni among other mocktails.
The food, listed on a single page, is thoughtfully chosen and well-executed: share plates of hummus and warm locally made sourdough, cheeses and meats, individual oysters with a choice of dressings, fries and toasties.
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We suggest going on a Friday around 5:00pm to experience the knock-off buzz as Darwin’s worker bees wind down for the weekend. Keep in mind that the official NT Public Sector finish time is 4:21pm – yes, really.
The place will keep filling up for a few hours with pre-dinner or pre-show patrons, as well as industry friends of the Hanky Panky Lounge team heading in before they start their shifts at venues around the city (that’ll be them sitting up at the bar). Saturday nights peak after the 10:00pm mark; Monday and Thursday nights are a little more subdued.
