The city’s sharpest cocktail crew is behind this stylish, oyster-themed bar serving next-level libations and drinks-friendly dishes including, of course, oysters.
The thought and effort that have gone into the concept of Pearl Diver are very clear the moment you step into the room. The old Annam site up the theatrical end of Bourke Street has been transformed into a marine-themed space complete with a chilled display of oysters on the bar, walls inspired by the inside of an oyster shell, paintings of sailing ships, pendant lampshades that give off jellyfish vibes and tiered curtains hung from the ceiling like – what? Waves? Soft corals? Kelp forests? Seating is at high tables, low tables, at the bar, at bench seats in curtained booths, or at the group table with a sunken central ice trough to keep wines, oysters and proceedings chill.
Elsewhere there are framed antique menus from cruise ships, candlelit tables and liberal use of timber and tiles. There’s also a private dining room beside the entrance, completely separate from the main restaurant.
Boon, “head of mixology” at the Speakeasy Group, has compiled a formidable cocktail list divided into sections. “Market” is whatever’s in season, which might involve mangoes blended with Havana Club 7 rum, yellow Chartreuse and lemon myrtle, or honeydew melon muddled with Olmeca Altos tequila, apple mint and black pepper. “Signature” is familiar favourites, but with a twist – like the Bloody Mary with Beluga vodka, umami ketchup, red miso and pickles.
To be honest, the cocktail list reads more like a food menu, with offerings from Strawberry and Cream (Wyborowa vodka, cream distillate, strawberry, fino sherry and bubbles) to the Sazerac-inspired Peanut Butter and Jelly mix of Martel VS Cognac, rye whiskey, berries, peanuts, butter and bitters.
The house signature is, naturally, the Pearl Diver, a smooth, tiki-style mix of golden rum, Tasmanian honey, citrus, spices and butter poured over ice.
You’ll find more than a dozen wines by the glass, none of them dull. Options might run to a Jo Landron Muscadet from the Loire Valley, the refreshing Owen Latta Granite Riesling from the Ballarat district and Bink’s Little Red, a blend of cabernet franc and chenin blanc from McLaren Vale.
The daily choice of oysters merits its own menu listing what’s on offer – usually two Pacifics and two rocks – and options for how to eat them. These range from natural with tangy mignonette dressing and lemon on the side to dressed (with crème fraîche and salmon caviar, say, or apple, anise and cucumber) or – sacrilege to some – cooked. You can have classic Kilpatrick, Rockefeller-style with warrigal greens, or crisp-fried with punchy sauce gribiche.
Sparkling wine goes best with bivalves and there’s a choice of 11 or so, from a trio of Perrier-Jouëts to a Margaret River chenin blanc. Better still, have the house Martini, Sea & Shell, made from Saint Felix gin infused with oyster shell and wakame seaweed, Maidenii vermouth and a splash of sémillon verjuice.
On the eclectic non-oyster menu you can go high or low, depending on the mood. There’s a “Kiwi onion dip” that will kindle memories of share-house meals, as well as crowd-pleasing snacks such as golden-fried salt-cod fritters with sorrel cream, and coal-grilled octopus served on a skewer with harissa. Waffle potato crisps showered in Comté cheese cry out for a crisp Champagne, while the raw kingfish with pomegranate, and mussels with spicy XO sauce might match better with the Sigurd white blend from the Barossa.
