the lobo plantation

super chic place with a cosy and stylish ambience, bar was a bit hard to find as it was underground. friendly service, enjoyed 2 drinks on some comfy sofas - place is quite popular as it starts getting packed around 6.greatcocktails !

the ambience sold it for me. with classic rum cocktails and hard to find caribbean local beers, the bar isgreatfor an after work drink.

tip-try the cocktail with cinnamon sticks.
the bar tenders roast the sticks with a gasoline flame and stick it in the glass..flame it on the bar!

after loving the cocktails at kittyhawk, i really should have gone directly to the lobo plantation. it’s the precursor bar, owned by the same trio; jared merlino, michael hwang and eddie levy. the sticking point for me was the focus on rum…

the bar is named for the most famous havana sugar baron, julio lobo, who lived the high life in cuba. cuba’s richest man at the time, he was one of the last wealthy people to leave, a year after the 1959 revolution. on his way out, his art collection – which included paintings by diego rivera and salvador dalí – was confiscated by the state.

you enter this bar modelled on lobo’s exiled hideout through a candlelit row of potted palms, descending a grand curved staircase into a richly decorated room with hints of plantation mansion. the leather-bound cocktail menu gives a good selection of cocktail choices with plenty of detail, from a position statement to ingredients and an image so you’ll know if your resulting drink will be long or short. the bar’s real resource however, is its bartenders, like daniel “paris” hilton on the evening i visited. they’re happy to save you some reading and create you a bespoke drink centred upon your personal predilections. they’re alsogreatambassadors for rum...

i have onlygreatthings to say about this lil cute bar! 
i loved the dècor, the staff were super friendly and one of the waiters even gave us table service when we were on the wrong side of the room!

when i asked them to make something not on the menu he brought over this amazing splice flavoured cocktail on the house!
and the fire display is always amazing, the whole bar goes quiet as everyone gazes in awe!

overall beautifully accomodating staff, yummy snacks and delicious cocktails!

amazing rum cocktails andgreatvibe even on a weeknight! food portions are small though so i wouldn't come here for dinner 😉 definitely would return!

table service was a bit hit and miss but the surrounds and ambience more than make up for that. hipster bearded bar men dudes do the business in a quality manner.greatplace for a quiet catch-up, romantic or otherwise, and to relax and enjoy the joy of a good lounge bar.

this little bar was such a nice setting as you walked through the doorway and descend down the stairs to a caribbean themed bar.

best part was they hadgreatcocktails and known for the variety of rum, so reading through the menu will keep you busy.

the drinks were really delicious and looked amazing.

awesome place!greatcocktails, professional staff who know what they are doing and are good at keeping track of the bar.

atmosphere is good. bar staff fit the atmosphere perfectly and are always very presentable. even if it's busy they are happy to recommend something for you and answer questions about cocktails.

not a good place for a date though, it's really loud and hard to hear each other, but that's only because of the large volume of people as it's a pretty popular place.

recommend if you like a strong drink with good taste - nuclear daiquiri

great bar with fun cocktail options, energetic staff, appealing decor and agreatvibe. pretty loud, sogreatfor social but maybe not for intimate dates. as with all small bars, less packed on school nights. loved the sweeping stair case, rubber ducky cocktails and the free bar snacks (salted banana chips)...

came here after work on friday night for a couple of cocktails with my girlfriend. did not leave disappointed.

this is agreatchilled lounge that does amazing original drinks - and don't mind making old classics off the menu upon request. decor is awesome.

served by two different bartenders. tall guy and blonde girl we'll call them.

tall guy didn't talk much but served the drinks quickly and let me know well before i paid that there was a 1% card surcharge that i had no problem with.
greatdrinks made by tall guy.

blonde girl wasgreat- asked me how my day was, asked her if it is always this busy to which she started talking about the place on busy night, followed by if i'd been here before and how i heard of them.

she was very friendly and knocked off the 1% card fee for me.

anyway - unfortunately i'd eaten beforehand so didn't have a chance to try their food, but the selection sounded appetising. next time perhaps.

definitely coming back for some different drinks though!

i really wish the lighting was better here, photos just don't do it justice. staff are wonderful, friendly and know how to make a damn good cocktail. as soon as you walk down the stairwell and into the latin music, you instantly feel welcomed and ready to take a seat in the super comfy couches. i had the rum & rye and ship wreck cocktail, the perfect combination, well balanced and not overpowering, exactly what i want in a cocktail.

the service and ambience truly can't be overlooked at thisgreatlittle night spot.

very good ambience and comfortable couches. drinks weregreatand the bartenders are really friendly. told us to bring the drink back to him if we weren't happy with them and he will drink them and make new ones for us haha music wasn't too loud too which is great

outstanding cocktail menu andgreatbar food too. walking into this hidden bar is almost like you're on the scene of blow. don't expect to have a quiet bite to eat as music is loud and it's bustling with people. must visit.

great place to meet friends with a plantation style setup. the windy stairs isgreatgoing down if you are sober not so much if you have already had a few bevvies.greatcocktails produced by the bar staff, paige is excellent. can get very loud and busy to the point there is no where to sit and people keep bumping into you. so if you don't mind that stay for a lot more, if not there are a few other bars in the area that may have what you are looking for.

anothergreat"themed" city bar. if you like rum ( which i do in my cocktails), then this place is an absolute must. working just around the corner, we organise a team drinking session here every few months and the service , ambience and drinks haven't slipped at all. its a very chilled out place, which can be nice on a friday night after a long week ( sometimes going to busy bars on a friday is more stressful then the week itself! )