This place is a hidden little jewel on King street! The food, drinks and service is exceptional! We have gone twice now and will definitely go again!
Absolutely amazing experience. We had such a good night coming to Varnish for dinner with a friend from Sydney, so much so he wants to come back again before he goes home. All the food was on point and our waitress was very good at her job and recommended amazing whiskeys for the boys and was spot on each time. All other staff generally seemed happy to be working there making the atmosphere great. We will definitely be back
Had a great night .. the staff were awesome ... had the best whisky sour in town. No dance floor but there was dancing ... And best of all they have bacon!
Excellent! Absolutely excellent!
Huge choice of drinks - not just dark spirits - excellent informative knowledgeable staff, excellent dinner menu, excellent food.
I’ve been for drinks, I’ve been here for 3 course dinner too, each time has been great, keep it up team �
The staff was friendly and very attentive, food great, drinks were just how we loved . We interact with the lovely people in the next booth. Music was good. Very happy with everything. We had the best time. Thank you Varnish on King for a fantastic night �
Fecking AWESOME place! Great atmosphere, service is like a 6 star restaurant and so nice to see your wine glass always topped up, staff know the food and wine they are serving. Hats off to you and the team, so very impressed and this is why your so successful. Recommended by our friends and didn't disappoint!
Went late on Saturday night, had a selection of different whiskey different ways, the music sound track was eclectic and had most of the bar singing along, the ham is to die for and the venue is cosy and intimate but with space to move. All in all a great spot for a casual drink with an awesome selection of whiskey.
Thomas Murdoch Mcmulkin
+5
Excellent service, superior knowledge about all things bourbon and delicious food that will bring you back time and time again. Loved every second of Varnish on king. See you again soon.
Great place with a themed atmosphere. Fantastic staff and great food made for an enjoyable evening.
Fantastic place, very friendly staff, great variety of Whiskeys and Bourbons. Discreet entrance, great atmosphere.
We love Varnish! Every time we go into the city we always pop into Varnish, great atmosphere friendly staff. A must have is the bacon and bourbon board ❤️
What a super cool place..... the whiskey & bacon board is a must!! The whole place is full of happiness!
Was an amazing night was invited for a friends birthday and omg the guy that served us went above and beyond I would like to say thank you it was clear that it wasn't a job for him he was having fun with the customers joking, dancing and taking selfies really set the mood and the male bar tender was just as good and omg the food was to die for thanks guys even the door man was inviting and a real gentleman haven't stoped raving about this place to all my colleges since we went to grate job guys keep up the good work 🙌👌
Amazing place...please go & be educated on whiskey. .best place EVER!!
Staff are awesome too. Thanks guys!!
Fabulous night! Food was amazing so fresh & just yum drinks were amazing & the waitperson was great sorry I didn’t get her name knew her stuff & recommended an awesome cocktail - Southside sour � thanks guys!
We went last night for dinner last night and from the moment we walked in the service was impeccable and the food was even better!! Thank you �
Sharmalie Ranjithkumar
+5
Atmosphere great - staff amazing - alcohol - pricy but so good (thats Aussie market prices). Great night. Will go back for sure!
Went here with a group of 13 for a casual gathering (i called beforehand to ensure our large number was suited to the night going)
Very impressed with the food. large serving options and/or tapas available. I had the crab which was fresh and very well cooked. Recommended - if ur happy to get ur hands dirty as it is shelled.
Great interior fit out, masculine yet intimate. Relaxed atmosphere.
Hidden away currently as the building appears to be under construction so use google maps as its one to visit!
Love, love, love...funky little basement bar and restaurant, the food is delicious without been pretentious, the staff are amazing in an industry that lacks good service and there is a great range of drinks not just whisky! Also love the tin on the ceiling if you get in a gold coin you get a hat...I got two!
Brilliant place .. great food, great drinks, great vibe
Great service, great food, great drinks and great company. 😊
Love this place! Great music atmosphere and drinks of course!!
Fantastic customer service with a vibrant vibe. The food was incredible too. I will be back again 😊
Great night. Service and good were good and the serves were generous, arrive there hungry
Nice whisky cocktails and music.
Fantastic small bar on King St, that is fun to hang out in and has delicious cocktails and great staff. While expensive, the bourbon and bacon tasting flight has to be done at least once.
We went here last night for New Year’s Eve, and had the special “Last Supper” which was $75 pp including a glass of champers and 4 courses. The food was AMAZING! Some things I had never tried or even heard of before. The portions were generous, and the piece de resistance was definitely the roast Christmas ham, which was set alight with whiskey at our table. It wasn’t only the food that was impressive, with it being such a busy night, so many other places’ wait staff would usually be rushing around, however, the staff here were friendly, professional and attentive, and they still looked like they were enjoying themselves when the clocks chimed midnight! I’ll definitely be coming back to this awesome place.
We stopped by in the late afternoon and the bar was quiet with two other groups. We initially walked past the entrance as there is just an understated gold plaque at the entrance on the street, of which I am sure we can all appreciate the obvious coolness.
The service was great and we were served water and a small bowl of pretzels with our cocktails. The vibe inside is dark and intimate with warm lighting.
I couldn’t say the Bourbon Old Fashioned was the best I have had but still wasn’t bad. Other cocktails were good.
I would come back for some whiskey/food matches and another go at an Old Fashioned, for sure.
Amazing place! Had drinks and dinner here and I must compliment on the creativity of their nibbles. The beef tendon crisp is so tasty, crunchy, balance of salty and tangy flavour. Bone marrow was beautifully seasoned, and the wagyu rump cap was cooked to the perfection. The atmosphere was great. Its the kind of loud and busy but enjoyable vibe. Will definitely come back again to try more food. If you've never been here before, the whiskey bacon flight is a must try.
Great ambience, friendly and knowledgeable staff and amazing drinks. My whiskey loving hubby tried the whiskey and bacon flight whilst I stuck to cocktails and rose. The food was almost all perfect, the only thing we didn't really like (and this could have been personal preference) was the onion rings and kangaroo chorizo. We both agreed they tasted like cheetos cheese and bacon balls (which I'm sure others may like) the crispy tendons are a must try and the lamb dish was delish! I would definitely return and have recommended this place to friends and family.
Tried Varnish as part of the “two feet and a heartbeat” whiskey bar tour. Good fun being a tourist in your own town and I recommend them.
Varnish left an impression of expertise without the ‘bull’.
Went back for a night with a meal and it was very good.
Well run by an amazing manager, clearly expert at her job. Her bar and wait staff all helped to make it a great night out.
The food, based on share plates was excellent, favourite was the cornbread and BBQ pork ribs, drinks as good as you can get in Perth and not overpriced. Everyone must try the Whiskey Bacon Flight at least once.
This represents a good night out.
Amazing, amazing, amazing! Awesome atmosphere. Bartender Matt whipped up some incredible whiskey cocktails for us on the spot - great service and delicious.
Visited Varnish on a busy Saturday night for my partners birthday and was very impressed. Everything from presentation to service, everything was like a well oiled machine. Our table went with the $55 per head chef selection and it did not disappoint. Fat roasted potatoes, chicken wings, sticky lamb, pork knuckle and corn salsa with chorizo. Very meat oriented being an American restaurant, however the two vege dishes I was served were excellent - asparagus nest with vegetable puree and quinoa and fried buckwheat with roasted cauliflower. Fun to try a pickle juice whiskey shot or the Bacon in Flight combo, but the whiskey sours also went down really well. Definitely a little hidden gem worth trying!
We came in here especially for drinks and in particular the Bacon Flight tasting plate. We shared between two and while neither of us are big whiskey drinkers the novelty was not lost on us. The bacon all smelled nearly as delicious as it tasted and all really worked with each shot of whiskey. Well worth trying!
Came to varnish for lunch to celebrate our wedding anniversary and was thoroughly impressed. We ordered the "chefs choice" for $55 each which included 5 dishes and was stuffed by the end! Really good value. Highlight was the pork knuckle and charcoal pineapple and the reeses dessert. Nice bottle of wine and great service from the friendly waitress, thanks varnish!
Great atmosphere, great location and very good food and wine. What more could you ask for. Perth is a place to be with restaurants such as this it has to be the best city in Aus.
This place has a great vibe, excellent music, A broad selection of good whisky and well matched food options. The service while a little slow was super friendly and helpful with suggestions. Special mention to Bryce who is an absolute asset to this place.
Really great venue with amazing food. Bring your own lighting if your a foodie like me though because it's kinda dark.
I had the Beef cheeks as a part of the Eat Sip Stroll event and it was amazing especially the cold smoked Salmon Roe!
Went here Saturday night and found the place a really great little bar , something different from the norm , although personally not a big fan of whiskey , we got beers and whiskey with the bacon and it was a great , the guy behind the bar was very helpful , the only down for me was that stools at the front of the bar went the length of the bar and was a little difficult the get served ,
Great experience at Varnish.
Friendly and efficient service. Empty plates were never on the table for more than a couple minutes and we were always offered another drink at the opportune moment.
The food was excellent. Lamb neck, wallaby and beef all cooked to perfection - no need for a knife.
Loved the vibe the decor and music created.
Avoid the beef crisps.
Stepped in on a Wednesday night for the famous bacon flight. Very cool setting down a single discrete doorway on King Street. Very attentive staff who were more than happy to explain things and help us make a selection. The smell of the bacon being pressed was intoxicating! Needless to say the bacon was delicious, definite taste difference between the types, but unfortunately I have learned that I don't like whiskey. But if you do, then this is your place!
Great little downstairs bar which would be easy to miss as you walk past. The service was brilliant and attentive despite being chockers. Love it.
Lovely place to pop in for a quick drink and even better for a delicious meal! Dave the head chef is amazing with his seafood. The mackerel and tuna they've got on at the moment is so full of flavour. Highly recommend!
Worth a visit for the Bacon Flight alone. Matched Bacon and Spirits, no wonder I like this place. No more than 1 a night though - word from the wise. The rest of the menu is pretty meaty and delicious. Ask for a pic with the Beaver.
Beautiful whiskey lounge serving the widest variety of whiskeys I have ever seen on a menu. Food was good, particularly the ribs and lamb. There were some interesting options on the menu that we tried. The corn bread was good but didn't enjoy the octopus and black pudding too much.
Venture down a set of stairs leading from a nondescript door at the Wellington End of King Street and you'll find an impressive range of whiskey at Varnish. It's a bit wasted on a philistine like myself who considers that even the most expensive whiskey tastes a bit like turpentine. Fortunately, they made a not too bad negroni. Service was unhurried which was fine since we were in for a mid-week late afternoon drink meaning there was little competition for attention.
Amazing looking bar hidden away on King St with a serious collection of mostly American whisky. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. Try the bacon flight for something memorable.
Food And Wine Ombudsman
+4
We hadn’t had our Varnish fix for a while and after finding nothing on the menu at a nearby place we had picked for lunch we knew that Varnish would not let us down, and so it proved. It is one of our favourite small bars and has been recognized in various bar awards as one of the best in Perth.
Great food and drinks! service was better then expected.. good atmosphere, ect.
drinks like could be improved but I'm just being picky. great venue!
Amazing spot. Whisky lovers listen up!!! I do not live whiskey but never the less they make a mean cocktail here. No complaints. Except the fact I drank too much lol ....
I'm gonna be pretty honest. I've inly been here once and I was pretty drunk. What I do remember is a tasting board of different types of whisky served with bacon and let's face it, that's pretty much all I need for a good night. The bar staff were awesome but the raccoon behind the bar looks kind of menacing!
It is overwhelming walking through the Perth CBD and noticing all the changes in the seven years since I left. Places that had stories I attach to them – some special, some weird, some quite intoxicated. Many of these places have changed in huge ways. Perth has definitely improved as a city and continues to. Some of the boom might have faded, but the underlying base is enhanced in its wake. There are too many changes to mention, and while it had started before I left, even just walking down King Street there is no longer its namesake cafe, Hudson’s is gone and has been remarkably changed, and there is now a beautiful basement room across the road at 75 that is Varnish on King.
Very efficient and professional training floor staff. Average food nothing special. Amazing Chocolate mousse very good mixture. Good cocktail. If you're whisky fans this is the Must visit place.
Great decor funky feel good Whisky. Nice feel with multi age groups. Food is meat only without any sides or sauces really. Feels like it's lacking a little something. Good though
The great thing about Varnish is they know about service! If only other restaurants would understand that the occasional so so dish will always be forgiven if the service is impeccable. Not saying that Varnish have any so so dishes, all the dishes we chose were great. If I had one negative it's just the menus, they are super big and bulky and way too many pages.
Funny thing happened though outside the ladies loos, I overheard a girl explaining to her friend over the phone "i'm at this place called "vanish."
Great service however strange smell when it's busy and very noisy and I didn't rate the food much although I didn't try many dishes. I will give it another go but probably not in much of a hurry.
The staff provided excellent service - right from being greeted at the doorway and taken to your table, through to the taking the order and being delivered the food. We ordered the brussel sprouts, beef and lamb which was delicious. What a great experience.
Amazing, unique dishes and quality whiskey drinks without the hipster pretension that follows these kinds of places like white on rice. This place was perfect.
A whisky specialist bar that was recommended to me and I was amazed at the collection and how cool this little place was. A nice place to have drinks after work or even a cosy date. Friendly knowledgeable staff and well looked after during the time spent there.
Difficult to find (look for the door staff - the signage isn't clear, especially on a wet wintery night!). Packed on a Saturday night with cramped seating. Service was friendly and attentive except, it seemed, whenever we wanted to order something! We shared the beef cap, which was served medium-rare and was just perfect. I really enjoyed it. The waitress suggested that it paired well with the mac and cheese and she was right. Unfortunately the m&c was served a good 15minutes before the beef and so it was cold by the time we had the two. It was also hard to resist eating it all before the beef arrived!
Give yourself plenty of time when ordering the "big plates" because they can take 40 minutes to prepare (and they warn you about this). But that's fine because the drinks list is impressive (as you would expect in a whiskey bar!) and the vibes are great.
The meal was excellent value with a Dimmi Rewards voucher but I wouldn't go back without one.
Compliments to the Chef and team! Great evening with very efficient friendly service. The restaurant part to this whiskey bar is only small however the blend works well with staff managing the floor.
The menu has recently changed and wow - what a great result. Some really unusual combinations - the flavours worked as did the ingredients. We sampled a variety of dishes including - Beef tendon crisps, blue fin tuna with octopus, spinach and graced tomato, roasted jalapeños with black pudding and crispy pigs ears with celeriac. Wide selection of American whiskey, wines, beers.
Happily return.
I loved the vibe of this underground bar, it was packed for a Friday night but the service was fantastic.
The crunchy chicken wings and the mac and cheese were my favourite plates, but by far the highlight was the tasting plate of American whiskey with matching bacon. A must try here!
Food And Wine Ombudsman
+4
Varnish is one of our favourite small bars, and we dropped in during the week for lunch – Lady FWO was stocking her dress shop from the various wholesalers in King Street, so Varnish seemed perfectly located for a stopover. Awarded the Best Small Bar in Australia award last year it is well worth a visit.
Besides having a ridiculous range of whiskeys, Varnish on King, an underground bar located on King Street, serves up some real delicious & comforting food. . We had a friend over from overseas and she wanted somewhere 'cool' to catch up so I decided to hit up Varnish, as the pictures I've come across on the interior seems pretty impressive. (But lets be honest, I just really wanted to try the Mac & Cheese)
Food you can't fault but the potion v price needs to be sorted. We ordered the biggest dish which was supposed to be for four people and when it came out it was disappointing and looked like a one/two person dish!
A flight of whisky paired with bacon.....I am in heaven! What more could I possibly ask for?!? Great staff...check....Delicious food.....Check! Cannot wait for my next excuse to gorge on bacon!
Had some drinks before Motley Crüe, cool little whiskey bar, really like the fit out and the spread of whiskey a. The food was dude food and easy to share. I'd like to come back for sure
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Cool Cool Cool. Went for dinner for the first time on Saturday night and we were greeted with a beautiful happy smiley faced lady on the door who advised us that our friends had already arrived and were waiting for us in the bar...great first impression!
We had so much fun, really cool fitout, great staff, really friendly and helpful. Also loved the choice of old school music. Some of the reviews I read said it was too loud but I don’t agree, I could easily hear everyone in my group and the music just added to the already great atmosphere.
We had a beautiful dinner, there were 6 of us and the menu is designed for sharing from small plates to large (and they were large)
All the food was amazing especially the rump cap with fresh herbs and pan juices, cooked medium rare to perfection, absolutely gorgeous....I cannot remember having such well cooked beef in a restaurant so I highly recommend this dish!
We also had desert, there was only two to choose from but they were both really yum, in particular the Valrhona chocolate tart☺
Excellent wine list and of course as these guys specialise in whiskey...so plenty of that too.
Can’t wait to return. (Make sure you book on the weekend as it was packed)
Great Watering Hole. Whilst I haven't tried the food, the drinks here are fantastic. Cocktails compliment their whiskeys well and the barman has managed to deliver what I would call a "gentleman's" cocktail list. If whiskey is not your thing however prepare to be disappointed by the liquor. Great vibe and pleasant staff with plenty of fantastic little corners to socialize in. Great music selection and overall presentation has brought an eclectic mix of patrons. The prices are quite steep, so make sure you have money to splash out when you visit. Open late on weekdays which is a big thumbs up from me.
Foodie From The North
+4.5
Pretty sure it's not called Varnish anymore. But this bar is awesome. The guy with the black (golf-like) cap is so helpful. Great atmosphere
Not for sharing. Had a table for two booked on a busy Saturday night and the place has great atmosphere and service was great too. The menu is in the form of share platters and these are small portions served on a big plates and we had ordered 4 plates. The only problem is the tables are so small that with water drinks and glasses there is no room to share anything so the concept does not work. Would go back for drinks but did not think much of the menu or the options available.
Bacon and Wisky Wow!. Great atmosphere and the bacon and wisky pairing is bang on!!
Best bar ever. Great atmosphere. Good service. Excellent food. Very laid back and non-pretentious.
Great ambience. I really liked the ambience of this place and that it was tucked away and climb downstairs to get to it.
The service was really good however I would say it is focused more on the drinks and not the food and I don't drink. in saying that the tater tots were nice but the wild rice and millet salad with macadamia nuts was tasty but the textures were too raw for me. I liked the crab and marrow salad and the JD ribs were . overall was nice .. might come back with friends to relax and they have some drinks
GREAT!. Great food, drink and atmosphere. It's like a little bit of New York on King Street! Will definitely be back!
Love it! Great food interesting drinks reasonable prices great atmosphere. Honestly Perth what more could you ask for?
Best chicken wings ever! Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Music is cool too, can't fault this place.
Great atmosphere, fab fun service and food.... We met friends here for the first time on sat night & had a great night. Our waitress "Feisty" was excellent & fun. The great mix of 80's-ish music was set just right to enjoy but we could still chat.. Loved the sharing food - the ribs, duck and cauliflower just fab! Great wine & a whiskey lovers haven.. Need to book for dinner - online booking very efficient. Highly recommend ...
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Oh. My. God. Those ribs! When my friend said to me that the food was awesome I smiled and nodded, knowing that he obviously was not as big a foodie as me and therefore didn't know what he was talking about. Well, I was wrong. The ribs were slow cooked melt in the mouth AMAZING! And it didn't stop there.
The first food we ate there was a sampler of four types of whiskey paired with four types of bacon. That's right, you heard correctly - four different types of lovingly prepared bacon. This in itself is a fantastic marketing tool, as the bacon is cooked behind the bar and so the very cramped room is filled with a rich bacon-ey aroma. I think it works on a subconscious level - one person orders bacon, others smell bacon, realise they are hungry and then order bacon! Mmmmm bacon... But seriously, it was deliciously fatty salty goodness and my hubby was the envy of every man there, standing proudly with his assortment of bacon and booze.
Then came the aforementioned ribs. Truly worthy going back for. Despite being told they might take a while, the ribs came out first which was a welcome surprise. Fatty meaty goodness that just fell off the bone.
We also had the chicken wings and mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was definitely more flavoursome than others versions I've had of this now dude food staple. The chicken wings were like KFC on crack. Crispy, oh so tasty and with the slightest drizzle of creamy sauce.
And yeah, there was lots of whiskey, but to me it all tastes like rocket fuel so I not in a position to appreciate it fully. I did enjoy the pickles with the whiskey though. Yum yum yum. I would drink the pickle brine on its own as a digestive...
The moral of the story? Go to varnish. Order the ribs. And something involving pickles. You won't regret it!
Absolutely Fantastic! You must order the ribs and the duck breast and put some of the citrus salt on the duck! My husband also have the chocolate whiskey flight - and we is still talking about how good it was! Well Done Guys! We will definately be back!
A favourite!. This place is one of the best establishments in town. Very few places have the whole package in Perth (food, service, atmosphere) - this one is definitely one of those very few. Very cool. Great dinner, great bar. Highly recommended.
I am speechless... I am without speech.. I have no speech. This may well be the greatest establishment in Perth. I think I've said this before, possibly about the Old Crow, but please don't consider my lose willingness to coin this place 'the best' an excuse to devoid my credibility. This joint is the tits. Bacon flights! whisky that matches smokey bacon, or whisky that matches a flavoured pickle. Amazing food (duck, ribs, scollops with mussels). Those chunky fries with the herbs and salt they give. oh, and the pancetta... sweet mother of porky goodness. Sweet cocktails that make you feel like you've died and gone to heaven in the South of US. And the fit out, grungy yet sophisticated. This place has captured everything I love about drinking whisky and put it on my favourite street in Perth. Love it! ED
Has The WOW Factor. Our mid week venture to the city, down a quiet & secluded lane way (King St) we came across VARNISH.
A drink at the bar followed by a simply sensational meal provided by two hard working chefs.
Our waitress Nardie was splendid....so informative and extremely attentive.
Food and drinks were fabulous, but our night could be best described as a wonderful experience.
A swanky little underground whiskey bar with great food, great atmosphere and even better whiskey! Love this place, I've been here 3 times and enjoyed it every time! Let the chef serve you and you won't be disappointed.
Delicious. I love this place, it feels like a little underground cabin in the snow! The service is really good and the waiters know what their talking about and give great suggestions, the food is amazing, its all to share and works out quite reasonably priced in my opinion, can't wait to go back!
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Having read about this place a few months ago I finally made it there last night, Saturday. Despite having no booking the friendly, bouncy staff were able to find us a table for 2 after about 20 minutes. We were updated regularly by the oh so friendly staff while we waited and enjoyed the ambience and urban buzz. The excellent service continued all night. Really it was perfect for this venue. Thanks everyone. Relaxed but professional. Attentive but not smug. Above all smiley. It seemed to me that the people working there were genuinely happy to be there. If not, then they sure gave a good impression. The food arrived as it was prepared, in tapas style. We enjoyed the corn chips and gravy (yummy gravy in a cute micro jam pot - but can we have more next time please?). The lobster dog was the only thumbs-down of the evening. The flavour of the small piece of cray was not discernible against the sweetness of the bread and mayo. Nice idea, but you need to find a way to make this work; I so wanted it to work. The rest was great: pork belly done properly, a yummy green salad with white anchovies, smoked cured venison with trimmings. To finish we shared the choc and honeycomb which was divine. I asked where they sourced the fudgey part from and was told that it was made in-house. Nicely done. My coffee was fine too. I liked the innovative reference to the whiskey selection served here by way of the flavoured sugar. All in all I can't really fault Varnish. It wasn't cheap but for me it was good value nevertheless. One more pleasant surprise awaited us when we paid the bill - the copiously refilled sparkly water came at a flat rate of $3 per person. Very fair and reasonable. Perhaps this has been done to address a recent scathing review here in Urbanspoon. If so, then well done chaps and chapesses. I'll be back.
Divine food, clever drinks, suave decor and smooth service.
Loved it! Out waiter was lovely and super attentive. The food was delicious. The servings were a decent size for tapas/sharing. Highly recommend. Only dislike was the loud speaker located beside us on our table. It was a little hard to talk amongst friends.
Justin- you've done Perth proud!
Fantastic. Lots of whiskey! Let the chef decide for $55 pp and you get 5-6 courses of random tapas - you will not be disappointed. Loved it.
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Absolutely Charming!. Loved it! I love the secretive entrance that takes you into a wonderfully ambient bar/restaurant area which is cosy and luxe at the same time. The decor is really well done. Was greeted upon arrival by the female manager who was very sweet and accomodating. We didn't have a reservation, but she was able to provide with a lovely table. Our waitress (woman of asian descent) was very attentive and a delight. The food was a delicious selection of shared items and the wine menu was good too. My only issue was with the PB&J Custard for dessert. It came with toasted brioche on the side and jam - but the custard was too savoury and left an unpleasant feeling in my mouth. Think it needs work - perhaps less deconstructed.... Our waitress was lovely and noticed that I wasn't enjoying the dessert and kindly took it off the bill. Very generous and unexpected.
During our dinner, we wanted for nothing and were very well taken care of - love this place and will be coming back!
Many thanks to our lovely waitress and the manager!
Superb.. Very good whiskeys, very good food, very good atmosphere.
Nice little find - delicious!. We felt like we were going into some secret bar - what a great find on King St!
The staff were welcoming and informative. We paid $50 each for the "Chefs Selection" and we super happy with every dish that came out. Initially I thought (like most "tapas" style restaurants) they would jip us on servings, but they were very generous and we walked out full and content :) We recommend: Duck liver parfait, whiskey cured fish, smoked duck breast and cauliflower dish.
Called into Varnish on a Thursday night around 8.30. Were greeted by staff on arrival and showed to a table, the menu was explained to us an we selected the potatoes and ribs, we we're told the potatoes take a little while. When both dishes came out we we're more than happy with our choices, worth waiting for the potatoes and the ribs were awesome. The music playing in the background was really good, great food the staff were friendly. Really liked it.
Amazing !. Food was great, loved the Ribs & cauliflower side dish. Staff were friendly and new their stuff. The atmosphere is really cosy.
My top drink. A Dickle Pickle
One to watch. A great selection of American whiskies paired with some very tasty food. You really can't go past the short ribs. The house made pickles are also very, very good.
Great little spot. Friendly and helpful service and fantastic whiskey selection. Good ambiance for a drink or dinner
Cool vibe. I really love this place - it's got a great atmosphere, a yummy selection of drink and really knowledgable staff. I have had dinner here a couple of times and the food is seriously yum - especially the goat. Also tried the Pickleback selection of whiskeys which were really cool. The boys enjoyed the whiskey and beer pairings. Never been on a Friday, but it's always got a humming vibe during the week. Book if you want a table.
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Expensive but Hidden Gem!. Came down with workmates on a friday afternoon for lunch. Its on the lower end of King Street and as you walk in the doors are wooden and you feel like you are walking into a wine cellar. The menu was very limited and all the dishes are tapas style and designed to be shared. I recommend having a glass of wine or some sort of alcohol as the food takes time coming out. We had the squid first which tasted great. Although the portion sizes are really small i only managed to get one piece and i wish i had more. Next we had the baked potatoe which was amazing! Again i wish i could have more! Then we had the beetroot which was good but nothing special. Next the goat which was really good! It came with 3 peices on potoato mash. finally we had the smoked duck which was one of my fav! I would definately recommend checking this place out however the only downfalls would be it is quite pricey and the portion sizes are very small. If you're out for a big meal i wouldn't come here. As we walked out into the daylight from the dark wooden cellar i felt like we were back to reality.
Whiskey!!. Food was delicious but the portions were small. The whiskey selection was extensive. Only downside of this place is the music, it didn't really suit the place
A must try!. We had a table booked for dinner saturday and came with high expectations - we weren't disappointed. The food was amazing - the whisky selection outstanding. We let Lachlan guide us on our wine choice and we were pleased with the result. All in all I loved this place - from the delicious smell of the wood when you enter to the funky eighties track playing in the background. LOVED IT!
Drinks and Dinner. Attended Varnish on King on Friday night for a quiet drink after work.....well after being so impressed with attentive staff and fantastic atmosphere we decided to stay for a meal and kick on.....the food was sensational!! will be back with friends!
Could become the lunch local!. An awesome long Friday lunch. Recommend the ribs, falling off the bone. Pork Cheek..totally not what we expected, it was better, and the goat rin was last and the best...high praise as it was all good. The dessert, the chocolate and raspberry slider was just that, it looks like a baby burger, but its a decadent dessert, very clever. Chesse platter had nice cheese but was small. Wine list is good, and whiskey and rye rocks...one more sazarec please?
Great food and the whiskey works
Food And Wine Ombudsman
+4.5
I wandered into Varnish the other day, following some meetings in town. This little bar, recently awarded the Best Small Bar in Australia award, is well worth a visit. I have been many a time, to eat (I can recommend the Cajun prawns) or just for a drink. This day was for the latter. Varnish has an astounding array of American whiskey and if that is your preferred tipple you should get along there, if you haven’t already – and if you want an introduction to the pleasures of whiskey then this is surely the spot – they are also I understand running Master Classes to improve your knowledge of the drop. The menu is small but interesting, and geared towards small share plates; the wine list is good with a nice range but the whiskey is the thing really. The whiskey flights and the pickle/whiskey combos are worth a look. But on this day I simply tried a Woodford Reserve, a Kentucky Bourbon. It has a pronounced vanilla and toffee or butterscotch nose with a smooth, rounded, buttery palate with notes of coffee, oak, even almonds. Quite an impressive mid range whiskey – easy to sip neat, but will take a little water without diminishing its flavours. I couldn’t stay longer, mores the pity but on the way home I bought a bottle from my favourite bottle shop. I will return to Varnish soon … another recommended spot. --> « Swallow Bar Chesters » Filed Under: Small Bar Leave a Reply Cancel reply
This is the kind of food I want to go out and eat all the time - food that is informed by the best that fine dining technique has to offer, but served in a more casual environment and with a more affordable price tag.
Frenchtoastandindiepop
+4.5
The staff are attentive and you’ll be quickly catered to for both food and drinks, with an extremely long list of whisky’s to sample.
As far as a good bar goes, Varnish has earned it's stripes. The drinks are great, the menu is creative and everything ties in nicely with their unique philosophy. If you're a whiskey fanatic, this is the place for you.
My favourite dish for the night is the sweet potato with goats curd, brussels sprouts, burnt butter and maple. I love every ingredient on the plate, and every bite I take.
There was quite a strong timber smell when we first walked in through the heavy wooden doors and down the stairs into the bar area. Definitely smaller than the Laneway Lounge, but it had a cool vibe to it and was actually playing some great old tunes that could be heard over the din of the crowd. At Varnish their resident mascot is a stuffed beaver called Justin. Yep Justin Beaver…… funny I had known his name was Justin but it was only when Mr R said Justin Beaver that I was like “ohhhh that’s why he’s called Justin”. Haha I’m not the brightest spark sometimes.
The twice cooked ribs were ridiculously tender. A very generous serving of tender, juicy, succulent meat, with a lovely flavour of rosemary to present a really hearty and earthy dish. The treacle reduction adds so much flavour to the meat, slight bitterness of the Brussels sprouts adds another dimension, and the acidity from the delicious chimmi churri helps cut through the meatiness. I really loved this dish and it’s very filling.
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