Sydney speakeasy Employees Only reopens post-pandemic today with a fresh winter menu, and the launch of a new dinner and a show format, putting fresh spin on physical distancing requirements.

The hidden bar in Sydney’s CBD fast became a regular haunt for those in the know when it opened in late 2018, and since then, it’s been delivering stylish cocktails and elegant Modern Australian fare with a plush Prohibition-style aesthetic.

The new dinner theatre format will deliver two shows per night on Fridays and Saturdays. Diners can expect to be delighted by first-rate burlesque performances while enjoying the bar’s a la carte dining experience.

For those who aren’t into feathers, DJs will be spinning suitably jazzy selects on both nights. The bar is also set to introduce a new live music program for non-weekend nights, in the weeks to come.

Accompanying the new introductions, will be mainstay traditions including the resident tarot card reader, who’ll be doling out fortunes over fizzy champagnes all night; the charismatic mixology team, who’ll be whipping up cocktails with their usual Broadway-style flair, and (our favourite) the custom of sending anyone left in the bar at 3am home with chicken soup.

“Until it’s safe again to mingle shoulder-to-shoulder once more, we think our guests will love the dinner theatre format – it’s very New York, which is where it all began, so it makes sense for us (and keeps everyone at a safe distance),” said global co-founder Dushan Zaric.

Customers to the venue are being assured of a safe, hygienic evening, with a compulsory COVID-Safe mobile app check at the door, hand sanitisers throughout the venue, and all guests required to adhere to a 4 x 4 square metre capacity rule. Naturally, staff will be cleaning thoroughly after guests have finished their meals.

There will be two-hour limits on sittings, with an early and late session, so as a result bookings are essential at employeesonlysyd.com