Bar Selecta in Hawthorn pays homage to the golden age of ’80s and ’90s hi-fi in Japan.
Laneway hideaway Bar Selecta in Hawthorn blends vintage vinyl, analogue audio gear and retro design cues to transport you to another time and place – specifically a Tokyo listening bar. Growing out of postwar coffee houses for jazz enthusiasts, listening bars went on to embody the golden age of ’80s and ’90s hi-fi. The 10-seat Selecta is an homage to these venues, serving carefully crafted sips that share equal billing with the audio.
A music-inspired cocktail menu includes drinks like Tempo Pop, Bebop Kiss and Bittersweet FM, while future drink specials will tie in with specific genres. Seasonal cocktails celebrate Japanese flavours: a gimlet mixes Midori, sakura (cherry blossom) and pineapple-yuzu bitters with gin, and a milk punch stars strawberry, red bean liqueur, toasty hojicha and mooncake gin made by bar director Joey Tai (ex-Flower Drum).
Whiskies are mostly Japanese, and sake is listed by profiles such as “Soft, Balanced and Elegant” and “Earthy, Umami-Rich and Complex”. These are joined by Japanese beers, a handful of independent Australian wines and simple bar snacks, such as crisps and nuts.
Music shifts from pop to reggae, disco to jazz, played from a DJ console of vintage Technics equipment that abuts a red onyx marble-topped bar. A striking ceiling of inlaid ring lights, similar to speaker cones, illuminate the space, and a wall of vinyl sits beneath a pair of studio-grade JBL L100 speakers.
Guests can book the sunroom for BYO music sessions on Sunday, making full use of a cassette deck, CD player and rare 1974 Yamaha NS-1000M Monitor speakers.
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