The first cocktail bar from Maybe Frank has long been on the cards. Maybe Sammy as its been dubbed, has finally confirmed its launch date for the first week of January, after the Christmas period has wrapped up.

Settling in to 111 Harrington Street in The Rocks, Maybe Sammy has congregated an award-winning gaggle of bartenders from around the globe. Maybe Frank’s creative director Andrew Gualdi has assembled a team including Martin Hudak, Balazs Molnar and Antonello (Lello) Arzedi — a trio who boast serious accolades collected in some of the world’s best cocktail bars. It’s proof that Maybe Sammy isn’t just focused on tantalising tipple, but is equally passionate about its service element.

“You can have the best bartenders, an amazing cocktail list and a beautiful space but if none of that is delivered with personality, then you’re just another cocktail bar,” explains co-owner Vince Lombardo. “The experience of drinking at Maybe Sammy will be what is most memorable, and our bar staff are at the heart of that. They take their craft seriously, but they know how to have fun and they want to make sure that everyone who has a drink with us, enjoys the venue as much as we do. We’ve spent a year refining the concept, from cocktail list to the interiors to what we want our staff to wear and have produced a venue we hope sets a new standard in Sydney.”

The cocktail list itself has been edited down to eight signature drinks, all a modern interpretation of a classic cocktail but with a boost of theatricality. Each has been named after a favourite haunt of the Rat Pack, including the Lady Luck; a tipple of Ketel One vodka, mango, passionfruit, and lemon that’s served with house-made scented hand cream to make the experience even more sensory.

Then there’s the range of coffee cocktails, which include a Sammy Shakerato (single shot Ethiopian Kochere Natural, Campari, limoncello), and Espresso Martiki (nitro espresso, Plantation pineapple rum, Mr Black, mango, banana). And the $10 minis which are rather like a tasting menu of classics. But for those who really want to treat themselves, there may be no better option than the High Rollers. Starting at $70 a drink, this list includes a Champagne cocktail made with Hennessy XO cognac, Champagne, sugar, bitters and orange zest (priced at $110), and Dean Martin’s signature drink the Flame of Love Martini with Grey Goose VX vodka, fino sherry and orange zest (yours for $80).

Surprisingly there are booze-free options (called the Purification range), and they are just as extravagant. For $14 there is an array of teetotaller drinks, including a Caio Bambino (Seedlip grove, coffee, citrus, tonic), Four of Kind (Seedlip Garden, seaweed, verjuice, wattle cola), and the kombucha of the week.

While drinks are the specialty, Maybe Sammy understands the importance of lining your stomach. As a result, there’s a small bar food menu of snacks like plates of olives, oysters and charcuterie, all designed by Parlour Group’s executive chef Regan Porteous in collaboration with Maybe Frank chefs Alessandro Leveratto and Stefano Sepe.

But if that doesn’t tempt you through the doors, maybe the theme will. The drinking nook has been inspired by 1950s Hollywood and Vegas, resulting in a space awash with tropical wallpaper, pink velvet banquets and leather-clad seating. There are also marble tables, gold trim, and statement-making gold lamps throughout the venue, which seats 70. The design, explained as Hollywood Regency-meets-Palm Springs comes courtesy of Lombardo’s brother Joseph, and is specifically designed to show the venue know how to have a little fun.

Maybe Sammy
111 Harrington Street, The Rocks
maybesammy.com
@maybe_sammy_sydney