Oozing that trademark chilled-out charm yet full of eye-catching surprises, the skinny slip of a space that is Gerard’s Bar is a real beauty. Ambient low lighting bounces off raw materials, inviting you to take a seat at the concrete bar or find a cosy nook lining the wall. Little sister to James Street neighbour Gerard’s Bistro, Newstead’s Hatch & Co., Fortitude Valley’s Laruche and West End’s Lychee Lounge, the bar and charcuterie invites guests to work their way through the grazing menu, watching as the gourmet fragments come together to form cheese plates and salume boards. The labour of love had been swirling around the imaginations of the Moubarak siblings and award-winning head chef Ben Williamson for more than a year, finally coming to fruition as the doors officially opened last week.

An open courtyard catches the breeze out the front, while dangling cuts of cured meats in the front window set the theme for what’s to come. Capturing the beguiling buzz of a Spanish tapas bar, artisan meats are manually sliced in front of guests as cocktails are poured and staff explain the intricacies and origins of the various ingredients. Bar flies can fill the gap with a wide selection of salume and cheese, including hot, spreadable Calabrian salami, Navarra chorizo with citrus and olive brine notes, and sheep’s milk ricotta, which all partner perfectly to fresh bread from Jocelyn’s Provisions. Months of testing and tweaking have led to the ultimate guilty pleasure cheeseburger, which sees 100% full-blood Wagyu beef and triple-smoked bacon cosying up to melted cheese, housemade relish and pickles on a buttermilk and potato bread hybrid bun. Vegetarians won’t go hungry either, with around 30 jars brimming with various pickles and ferments, adding a vibrant punch of colour to the bar.

The drink offerings put the spotlight on aperitifs and digestifs, with options ranging from chestnut and apple Le Birlou liqueur to Luxardo limoncello and the classic Campari. Wines, champagnes and sparklings have been sourced from around the world, and are complemented by a solid line-up of sherries, ports and beers. Grab a sangria to share, an aperitif cocktail to yourself or a combination of spiced rum, Chartreuse, burnt honey, pineapple and lemon to finish.

For contact information and trading hours, check out our Stumble Guide.