Profiled by de Groots MediaIf you ever went to the old Labour Club you’ll remember a dimly-lit red room with mod paintings on the walls and a bohemian atmosphere. Well, as Arts on Bourke, this two-level venue on Bourke Street has retained all that. It has also added an exhibition/cocktail space downstairs, and decked out the massive upstairs room with couches and retro-kitsch furnishings. Everything is still red from the pool table to the floor, with large candelabras on the tables and a massive jukebox near the bar. The result is a cool yet comfy feel that is so nice we’ll forgive them the pokies tucked down the far end of the room. They’re a reminder that this is, in fact, a club which means if you live within a five kilometre radius you’ll have to become a member to enter.
Most of the time the cavernous venue is used for parties and art exhibitions, but on those Friday and Saturday nights that it’s free it reverts into a chilled-out tapas bar where you can nosh and nibble to your heart’s content. The dishes are $8 a pop, or three for $22. Add a bottle of house wine to that for $32 and you’ve got yourself a deal. Dishes range from the simple (salt and pepper squid) to the fancy (haloumi, prosciutto and fennel braised with raisins in wine). The comforting Spanish omelette and rosemary lamb cutlets are some of the best sellers on the list, and will go down a treat with a nice red. Otherwise enjoy a satay chicken skewer with one of the house cocktails.
Sarah Theeboom, December 2007
