NOW EXPERIENCING:The Nixon Room

This tiny ’70s-inspired cocktail den is ultra-smooth, majoring in Martinis and dishing up smart snacks from next-door Essa Restaurant’s kitchen in plush surrounds.

Why you goPrepare to recalibrate any notions you harbour about small, speakeasy-style bars entered via inner-city laneways. It’s a decidedly upmarket example of an alley that leads to the Nixon Room, a handy Amex flick from the swish James Street precinct. The whitewashed heritage-brick exterior walls are clad with pretty tendrils of creeping fig, and a brass-framed window display of ’70s memorabilia signals you’ve arrived. The Nixon Room is the younger sibling of Brisbane’s acclaimed Essa Restaurant, and if you’re here for pre-dinner drinks you can head into Essa later via an internal doorway. The two venues, while complementary, are quite different. Essa has an elevated share-plate offering built around a wood-fired grill and supersized wine list. The Nixon Room is all about grown-up fun. It channels the best of the ’70s, championing the Martini plus a few well-chosen custom cocktails, and has a laser-focused line-up of premium spirits on the back bar. Laneway access is via an unmarked pivoting brass door.
Why you stayYou don’t need to know anything about disgraced US president Richard Nixon to appreciate The Nixon Room (or to order a cheeky Watergate Martini). Never mind the political upheaval of the era; the focus at this petite, 25-seat watering hole is on sophisticated ’70s-style good times – sleek styling cues come from designers such as Halston, Yves Saint Laurent and Diane Von Furstenberg, and influential pop-culture figures as diverse as Debbie Harry, Donna Summer and Liza Minnelli. Sadly, there’s no conversation pit, but there is hyperattentive table service, persuasive bespoke cocktails and low-slung, bronze-hued leather-clad banquettes. The space features a quarry-load of flamboyant Patagonian stone, American walnut panelling, and well-designed low lighting, with fun details like hip fauxlaroid drinks coasters and funky palm-leaf lamps. The smooth playlist loots the ’70s for inspiration, but regularly roams beyond the decade and tends to click up a notch after 8:00pm when the bar transforms from primarily a pre-dinner drinks venue into more of a destination. There are no windows or illegal wiretaps so whatever happens in The Nixon Room stays in The Nixon Room.
What drink to orderA Martini, of course. The Miss Ross, named for Diana, is a supreme 50:50 blend of Monkey 47 gin and two different vermouths, Australian-made Maidenii and Italy’s Antica Formula sweet vermouth. There’s also the Watergate, for those who prefer it wetter. This version blends elegant Plymouth gin with a mix of Oscar Bianco and Maidenii vermouths to flavoursome effect. There are custom cocktails, too. And when you’re cocooned in the lavish surroundings of a bar named for a former US president, calling for a drink called the God Complex doesn’t seem too much of a stretch. This smoky affair combines two 10-year-old single-malt whiskies, Talisker and Glenmorangie, with Italy’s amaretto almond liqueur, hazelnut, and roast banana. If you’re feeling like a rock star, try the Pure Velour – a tequila-driven number imbued with the floral notes of chrysanthemum and osmanthus for flower power.
What to pair it withPopcorn dredged in native pepper makes a decent gratis snack with your first drink. But if you’re not heading to Essa for dinner (or even if you are) you’ll want to order something from the menu here. The snacks are small but mighty. Chef Phil Marchant’s fish sandwich is a case in point. He puts the collars and heads of coral trout to good work, using the meat to fashion a fish terrine that’s then crumbed, fried, and slipped between slices of white bread. The stuffed wood-fired chicken wing, glazed in Japanese hot sauce, meanwhile, takes about 20 minutes so order it when you arrive. A dramatic tuna tartare is snappier and comes out on bubbly nori-seaweed crisps with pops of finger lime. And fans of the savoury-sweet magic of Essa’s signature choux-pastry bun will be pleased to find the parsnip-and-white-chocolate number often features on the menu here, too.
Regular’s tipThe Nixon Room’s Sunday Social Club sees a fresh line-up of snacks, all priced at a pocket-friendly $14 (add caviar for $20 extra). They include the likes of a cheese toastie amped up with Korea’s kimchi pickle, plus there are sourdough waffles with duck leg and smoked maple syrup, or a hash-brown sandwich with raw beef, cheese, and hot sauce.
Don’t leave withoutOrdering at least one of the house cocktails. You can request the hefty Essa drinks list with its broad selection of wine and cocktails, but it would be a pity not to splash out on one of the Nixon Room’s signature drinks.
Make it fancyThe entire Nixon Room space can be booked for a special night, or even a few hours. The menu can be customised and so can the laneway window display. If you’ve always wanted to see your birthday face on a Polaroid drinks coaster, that can be organised, and you can BYO your own vinyl. For small and fancy, order a bump of caviar and chase it with a shot of iced Belvedere vodka.
Who to takePrices match the top-shelf offering here, so unless you’re one of the super-rich (and many regulars appear to fit the profile), The Nixon Room might be better reserved for a special-occasion visit. It’s certainly an impressive date destination. It’s also a helluva an introduction to Brisbane 2.0 for visitors still convinced the Queensland capital is a big old country town.