Well Sydneysiders are in luck, because one of the world’s best bars is set to descend on leafy Surry Hills. Setting up shop in Crown Street’s The Dolphin Hotel, Scout Bar Sydney is the first Australian outpost for Matt Whiley and his London-based establishment and will sit on the top floor of the pub, acting as a separate entity. “Australia has a really progressive food and drink scene and I wanted to be a part of that. It also helps that you have some awesome beaches!” explains Whiley of his decision to move both Scout and himself Down Under permanently.

The bar’s cocktail options are certainly left of centre and celebrate Australian flora and fauna. “My intention for everything I have opened is to make the best possible drinks I can and to give guests the environment to have a great time,” says the mixologist dubbed the world’s best bartender this year. “I’m really excited to be in Sydney and to share my style of drinks and ethos with everyone.”

What Whiley is referring to is a preference for indigenous ingredients; cocktails will be crafted from local Aussie produce, and will change as the seasons do. The first drinks menu will feature the likes of oats, lychee, Davidson Plum, sandalwood, palo santo, wattle, green ants, and strawberry gum among others. “I’m really enjoying the high standard of Australia’s everyday produce as well as all the native ingredients,” Whiley explains,”our drinks are all made with the same theory in mind, so in a way will all be our signatures.”

Icebergs executive chef Monty Koludrovic has been charged with the accompanying bar snacks, all with Scout’s eco-friendly ethos in mind. “The food that we’ve created in collaboration with Monty will start with a selection of small plate, finger-style food and snacks, as well as dishes that utilise the waste from the drinks,” explains Whiley. Think mixed Scout pickles, delicate chicken Waldorf sandwiches, celery paired with blue cheese and smoked almond, and mustard crochettes with kurobuta ham among other plates.

Scout Bar will open in late February, atop The Dolphin Hotel. Level 3, 412 Crown Street, Surry Hills; scout.bar/scoutsydney.