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There’s something calming about the top-notchness of Bar Spirit Forward. Maybe it’s the fact that it’s designed like the backstage lounge of an old theatre. Maybe the dark wood and leather and soft lighting evoke a pre-Depression era charm that makes you feel like you have a lot of money to spend recklessly (maybe you do).
The bar sits snugly inside Hotel Southern Star on Lavelle Road, and despite the discreet entrance, it fills up quickly. You’ll find bartenders from other bars drinking here on their nights off, which is usually the first sign that the place knows exactly what it’s doing.
Most choose to sit at the lovely long bar counter. It’s a pleasure to watch the bartenders work – they do it quietly, but with an assurance that tells you your drink’s going to be good. The drinks menu leans classic (expected, in a hotel bar), and they’re proud of it. The Vesper Martini comes pre-diluted and frozen, is poured straight from the bottle, and finished off with blue cheese olives. The Southern Star – a tequila drink – packs gentle spice from fermented fruit. The Old Cuban, Milk & Cookies, and their Tutti Frutti Negroni are also all excellent if you want elevated comfort.
The food menu is intentionally small. A few plates, like chicken liver pâté, anchovy toast, and warm buns, pop in and out of rotation as the chef tests new ideas. All are fairly well done.
The vibe: Grown-up. A second-date bar if there ever was one.
The drinks: Precise classics, pre-batched martinis, seasonal riffs.
The food: Short rotating bar snacks that support the drinks without distraction.
Time Out tip: They have a secret ‘shadow list’ – nearly sixty classic cocktails the bartenders can make on request, even if they never appear on the menu.