Dali & Gala

Dali & Gala feels like someone handed a cocktail bar to a group of artists and told them to do whatever they wanted. Located inside The Museum building on Museum Road, the bar spreads across a mezzanine level filled with more than seventy pieces of art inspired by Salvador Dali and his muse, Gala. 

You don’t walk in as much as fall into it. Rotating sculpted heads greet you at the bar, a copper ‘eye wall’ watches you from across the room, and whole corners are dedicated to sun, moon, sea creatures, love, and slight mischief. It’s dramatic, but not in that exhausting way that beckons the thought ‘must you do this?’

The crowd moves between seven little pockets of space: date-night couples tucked into the Rose Room; groups taking photos in the mirror-lined corridor; and friends laughing at the risqué sculptures. The lighting is low enough that you don’t examine anything too closely. You don’t need to, anyway. 

The cocktails are very much the real deal. The menu leans heavily towards mezcal and tequila, but the bar team handles whisky, gin and rum with the same confidence. Drinks like Disco Porn, Gala Negroni and Phone Sex sound playfully silly, but are made with a serious hand. If you’re not in the mood to experiment, their section of straight classics is solid.

The food is mostly Burmese small plates that work beautifully with the drinks. Raw Mango on Crack is crunchy and bright, the Pork Chilli has real heat, and the Crispy Prawns disappear from the table fast. It’s not a heavy meal kind of place – more the sort where the apps keep the drinks company. 

Dali & Gala is for nights when you want to dress up a bit, drink well, and be surrounded by something slightly absurd but thoroughly fun.

The vibe: Art-filled, dim, eccentric, lively. For nights when you want to dress up a bit. 

The drinks: Tequila and mezcal-forward signatures, plus a dependable list of classics.

The food: Burmese snacks and small plates that pair naturally with cocktails.

Time Out tip: Pick a seating area based on your mood. Each corner feels like a different bar.