Eivissa – cocktails and tapas on Wyndham Street, Central

Café Deco Group’s newest baby comes in the form of Eivissa, the newly opened trendy bar on Wyndham Street. As Eivissa is the Catalan name for the beautiful island of Ibiza, it appears that Café Deco are trying to bring a slice of the Spanish island to liven up Wyndham Street’s already buzzing throng of bars. I’m not sure I see the resemblance but it’s still a nice little bar!

With high leather chairs and funky blue lighting, the small space occupied by Eivissa is intimate yet fun – though I’m not sure that’s what makes it stand out amongst its neighbours.

What sets Eivissa aside is the menu, and the fact that said menu is not just a piece of card, but an iPad. Scroll through the lists of classic and not-so-classic drinks, ogling at beautiful images of each, as well as very tempting little tapas-like bites from the bar snacks menu.

Whilst deciding on your tipple for the evening, order the house chips with truffle oil and aged Manchego. These crisps (for I am English and will never succumb to silly Americanisms!) are made in Eivissa’s diddy little kitchen and are dangerously more-ish. They’re perhaps a little on the oily side, but when the oil is of the truffle variety, I daresay you can hardly complain!

Eivissa’s martinis are far from ordinary with options such as tiramisu, mango, kiwi (or Kee-Wee in Eivissa speak) and elderflower. The Kee-Wee Martini was wonderfully refreshing and fruity, masking the strength of the alcohol underneath; one of those drinks you could easily mistake for fruit juice… until you stand up and realise there was definitely something stronger in there!

The Mango Martini was even stronger, though balanced with the sweetness of the mango. I’m not big on my overly sweet drinks, so I much preferred the sharpness present in the Kee-Wee Martini.

The Old Cuban – a mix of aged rum, lime, mint, angostura bitters and Champagne – I loved. Perhaps due to the many Cuba Libres I have enjoyed over time on the beach in Venezuela, there is something about good quality rum blended with lime that I always find hard to compete with.

To accompany our drinks and crisps, we tried the beef cubes with foie gras and red onion jam. The beef was admittedly a little on the chewy side, but the smooth foie gras and sweet red onions offered a welcome distraction.

My favourite of the snacks were the wild mushroom croquettes with truffle aioli. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and paired with the most delicious aioli infused with truffle, without being overpowering; I actually constantly find myself daydreaming about these croquettes!

Cocktails at Eivissa hover around the $100 mark and the snacks range from $45-$75. However, Happy Hour runs from 5-9pm every day with 30% off regular drinks prices and some complimentary nibbles. There are also exciting drink promotions Monday-Thursday, including, most importantly of course, free-flow bubbles for ladies every Thursday! It’s tough being a girl.

Eivissa G/F, 77 Wyndham Street, Central
2520 5818 www.cafedecogroup.com/outlet.php?oid=47

Check out more from Ale on her fab blog, The Dim Sum Diaries!