Piano Room: Old school glamour in the new look of Kings Cross
In the heart of Kings Cross, under the garish icon that is the neon-lit Coca Cola sign, the Piano Room embodies the next phase in the bar hopping history of the Cross.
The seedy backstreets, the spruikers and the strippers are still there, but the clientele at the Piano Room are as far away from the Cross’ original inhabitants as you could imagine.
Once you’ve passed the scrutineering eyes of the doormen, the Piano Room opens up before you – dark, sophisticated and moody, pairing old world glamour and luxury with a modern, slightly gaudy brand of extravagance (those silver cheetah statues are very Scarface). There are black lacquer feature walls, leather lounges and silk banquettes, and a gleaming ebony baby grand taking centre stage in front of the bar. Panoramic windows look out over the nightly playground of the Cross below – but for most Piano Room customers, the best views are inside.
Full of trendy corporate types on Thursday and Friday evenings, and Sydney’s young partying elite on Saturday nights, the Piano Room has a not-unwarranted reputation as one of the city’s pre-eminent poser bars. For many, the eye candy is the venue’s biggest drawcard, but unlike several other ultra-pretentious establishments in the CBD, there’s a little more substance to the Piano Room’s style.
The drinks are very expensive, make no mistake. But they do modern takes on classics cocktails oh-so-well. Get your Humphrey Bogart swagger on (or your Bette Davis eyes) and order a Rat Pack Martini or a Play It Again Sam. Piano Room is also a respectable supper club, serving good quality tapas dishes till late.
But it’s the music that truly makes the Piano Room stand out from the posers and the wannabes. The lack of quality live music is often what lets the Sydney bar scene down, and Piano Room’s commitment to decent live bands and performers is a very welcome breath of fresh air.
Mid-week, things are pretty chill, with Dean Martin-esque crooners tinkling the ivories most nights. Weekends tend to kick off with laidback jazz beats followed by R&B, soul and funk favourites. Don’t expect world-class entertainment, but solid, fun party bands and charming, perceptive musicians whose infectious grooves can sometimes, just sometimes, be enough to make all the pretentiousness and posing disappear as the spirit of the night takes hold.
Posted by Fiona Davies
