Taking inspiration from 19th-century Eastern Europe and merging it with touches of modern-day opulence, Torba Restaurant & Lounge is a history, geography and home-economics lesson rolled into one. Splashes of purple are embossed with gold, with booths built to sink in to and a glittering bar beckoning. Musicians and DJs fill the space with jazz lounge music Friday and Saturday nights, with professional-singer-turned-restaurant-owner Anastasiya Sukhinina also taking to the microphone on the odd Sunday afternoon.

Torba’s Hungarian chef concocts an eclectic mix of traditional dishes navigating Hungary, Poland, the Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. Let your tastebuds travel with dishes like the curiously sweet starter of vareniki dumplings filled with strawberries, blini crepes with red caviar, Russian pickles, borscht, goulash and pierogi. The signature dish of shashlik – skewered, marinated meat cooked over an intense heat in a ceramic oven – is served with the spicy house adjika sauce and lavash bread.

And, of course, no Eastern European experience is complete without a tot of Russian vodka, Ukrainian cognac or Georgian wine. Torba’s rooftop is expected to open in the coming months, offering guests flaming cocktails alongside a river view.

Torba Restaurant & Lounge
Shop 24 Little Stanley Street, South Bank
Ph: 07 3844 1603
Open: Monday to Thursday 11:00 am to 12:00 am, Friday to Sunday 7:00 am to 12: 00 am

Image via Aga Kozmic Photography.