Housed within the former Grandma’s basement, this neon-lit hang-out embraces the grit and vitality of the ‘80s and ‘90s, mixing old-school rock and hip-hop with world-class cocktails. It’s slightly dive with a giant persona, set to shake up town’s ingesting tradition—if just for a restricted time.
Sydney’s bar scene has no scarcity of luxe cocktail lounges and stylish rooftop spots, however true dive bars? They’re a rarity. Enter Little Cooler, a rebellious new pop-up from Perhaps Sammy’s Stefano Catino, Vince Lombardo, and Matt Whiley. Housed within the former Grandma’s basement, this neon-lit hang-out embraces the grit and vitality of the ‘80s and ‘90s, mixing old-school rock and hip-hop with world-class cocktails. It’s slightly dive with a giant persona, set to shake up town’s ingesting tradition—if just for a restricted time.
The idea for Little Cooler was born out of a want to create one thing uncooked, thrilling, and utterly totally different from the polished cocktail lounges Sydney is thought for. “We’re capturing that uncooked, rebellious spirit you’d discover in legendary venues like CBGB, the place the post-punk motion began, and the place Madonna carried out in her early days,” explains Catino. “It’s not simply the music—it’s the vitality, the vibe. We’re mixing rock and old-school hip-hop, creating an area the place it seems like you may depart every part on the door, get pleasure from nice tunes, and let free with some unimaginable drinks.”
Design with a Story
Designed by Metal & Sew, the bar’s inside which accommodates simply 60 individuals leans into an industrial, DIY aesthetic, with reclaimed supplies from previous tasks repurposed to create a layered, textured house. “From the bar tops to the seating, every part carries a little bit of historical past,” says the design workforce. “It’s about giving a second life to supplies whereas creating an area that feels alive from day one.” Uncovered brick, neon lights, and eclectic décor nod to the period of grunge and various music, making certain the house feels intimate, electrical, and effortlessly cool.
 
Cocktails: Basic Names, New Twists
The drinks menu is an sudden conflict of nostalgia and refinement. Whereas the names—Screaming Orgasm, Intercourse on the Seaside, Cosmopolitan, Breakfast Martini—may sound straight out of the ‘90s, the execution is something however.
“We wished to take traditional cocktails and reimagine them via a lens of humor and enjoyable, as if we had been making them for the primary time,” says Whiley. The Screaming Orgasm, for instance, swaps out the cloying sweetness of its authentic recipe for a classy milk punch infused with espresso, vanilla, whisky, and almonds. The Bare & Nearly Well-known brings collectively fermented rhubarb wine, lime, and mezcal for a tart, smoky tackle a margarita.
Different standouts embody the Intercourse on the Seaside, that includes house-salted peach liqueur, orange wine, tepache, vodka, and darkish berry liqueur, and the Breakfast Martini, reimagined with gin, orange wine triple sec, whipped avocado oil, and lemon.
The Ambiance: Excessive Power, No Pretence
At simply 60-person capability, Little Cooler is about leaning into the gang relatively than discovering a quiet nook. Count on a soundtrack of INXS, Run DMC, early Madonna, and post-punk anthems, setting the stage for an evening that’s as a lot in regards to the music as it’s the drinks. The vitality is uncooked, the house intimate, and the ambiance encourages friends to let their guard down, embrace the chaos, and luxuriate in an evening that feels wholly unfiltered.
The purpose of the workforce is an area the place individuals can depart their worries on the door; a break from the same old Sydney bar expertise and someplace you may simply lose your self in nice music, nice drinks, and nice firm.
A Pop-Up with a Deadline
Little Cooler’s house is a constructing set for demolition in 2026, which suggests this bar has an expiration date. Whereas it’s set to final 18 months, the workforce stays open to the concept of extending its life if demand dictates.
“It’s not in regards to the excellent location,” provides Perhaps Sammy co-founder Vincenzo Lombardo. “We’re making a vacation spot the place individuals will come for the ambiance, the music, and the drinks. We’re excited to see how town embraces it.”
For these seeking to escape Sydney’s polished cocktail tradition in favour of one thing grittier, Little Cooler is the place to be. It’s a bar that’s loud, unpretentious, and effortlessly cool—an underground escape the place the drinks are killer, the music slaps, and the nights really feel infinite.
Discover Little Cooler at 275 Clarence Road, Sydney, open Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm–2am.
