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Sling Lounge

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Located minutes from the city centre, West End has always been home to a curious mix of urban professionals and alternative types. A unique mix of vegan restaurants, alt bookshops, upmarket bars and over-priced real estate. If you worked in the fashion industry you'd describe the area as ‘Boho'.

Sling Lounge is located in the heart of all this. A contemporary bar, squarely aimed at cashed-up professionals. Not that you'd know it from the tiny street frontage it occupies. A small doorway and an equally small bay window is the only indication that this is one of Brisbane's most talked about bars - home to over 200 cocktails and something the owners refer to as molecular mixology. But we'll get to that in a moment.

Make your way inside and Sling is quite understated. It's basically a long, dimly lit corridor, with a bar on one side and a few small tables opposite. Atmospheric, certainly, but nothing to write home about. If that's a bit claustrophobic you'll probably feel more at home in the courtyard out the back. Long wooden tables and tropical gardens give it a relaxed vibe and it's perfect for larger gatherings. A DJ booth is suspended above the floor and you can hear locals playing soulful house, hip hop, funk and more most nights of the week.

Now, about that cocktail menu. Weighting in at approximately 250 different options, the drinks menu at Sling is one of the largest in Brisbane. Aside from all the classics, Sling has its very own take on cocktails, introducing what's known as Molecular Mixology. According to the staff, it involves changing a drinks structure on a molecular level to create new flavours. One such drink is the Cane Toad; a mix of pureed fried banana, lime juice, Disaronno amaretto, Bundaberg rum, pineapple and lycee juice.

Molecular Mixology may well be voodoo, but the team at Sling are obviously doing something right. Not only is the venue a favourite among West End locals, they've also been nominated for Best New Bar at the Australian Bar Awards. If you're in the area it's certainly worth a visit.
Mikolai, March 2008