Warehouse bar Rupert on Rupert is an unexpected surprise among the street’s mix of industrial and creative spaces. Thanks to rows of skylights, afternoon sun drenches the space, bouncing off timber finishes and creating an amber haze. There’s also a generous amount of plant life – trees line the walls of Rupert’s corridor. It’s easy to see why the space is popular for weddings and other functions. In winter, a custom glass fireplace keeps the space toasty.
The bar here is into experimentation without pretension. There are seven beers on tap – including Coopers Pale Ale sitting next to McLaren Vale IPA – Australian wines on tap and a promise to always have three cocktails under $15.
Food isn’t an afterthought. Share plates include wood-fired zucchini with radicchio and lemon ricotta; twice-cooked octopus with kipfler potatoes; and pork belly dressed with corn and eggplant salsas, Hungarian salami and jalapeños. There’s also a separate page of the menu devoted to pizza, a highlight of which is the Balkan Lamb – slow braised lamb shoulder, sweet onions, watercress and Bulgarian feta.
