Landing gracefully on Swan Street, on Richmond’s burgeoning drinks strip, is The Ugly Duckling, a new cocktail bar that appeals to the polished urban set. Hatched by owner David Abela – managing director of branding and PR powerhouse 3 Degrees Marketing – and executed by local interior design studio Hecker Guthrie, two rooms with a distinctly different ambience connect seamlessly through the smart migration of furnishings and colour palettes.
The stark, compact entrance, anchored by a marbled stone bar, awakens into a light-filled atrium with potted Ginko trees that soar towards a skylight. Here patrons can linger over cocktails such as The Soursnap, a refreshing medley of spirits with rose syrup, ginger, egg white, sugar snap peas and a dash of lime, or snack on antipasto-style plates.
Neutral hues, from whitewashed timber underfoot to the custom-made American oak tables, dominate the lofty rear space, but most genius are the mirror panels spanning a wall shelf; their painted borders, crudely hand-dipped in the entry’s signature ink-blue, tether them to the bar’s solid foundations without diminishing their ethereal qualities.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
238 Swan Street
-
As London’s V&A spotlights Mughal-era design, Santi Jewels tells of its enduring relevance‘The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence’ is about to open at London’s V&A. Here, Mughal jewellery expert and Santi Jewels founder Krishna Choudhary tells us of the influence the dynasty holds today
-
London bar Bauhaus Warehaus is a factory by day, drinking den by nightMixologist of the moment Remy Savage shakes up the world of cocktail-making with a hardworking sibling to A Bar with Shapes for a Name, his Bauhaus-inspired bar enterprise in east London
-
Copper piping turns contemporary lighting: the twist in JamesPlumb’s designs at Gallery FumiDesign studio JamesPlumb presents sculptural copper chandeliers and floor lights in its solo exhibition 'Rooted' at Gallery Fumi (until 25 January 2025)
-
Australian heritage meets European grandeur at Copperstone, a New South Wales retreatCopperstone is New South Wales’ answer to the European country estate, and includes a five-bedroom retreat, set in 48 acres
-
Tap into local creativity at The StandardX, MelbourneThe StandardX, Melbourne is the first hotel in The Standard Group's new breed of ‘younger and rebellious’ properties
-
Basq House is the eclectic-cool stay to know in Byron BayDesigned by StudioFAB and Léo Terrando, Basq House reverberates with the Australian town’s laid-back beach culture and artistic spirit
-
Discover Beau Sydney, an intimate two-part restaurant enlivening the city’s lanewaysBeau Sydney dishes up contemporary Australian cuisine, from baked goods to regional wines, amid elegant interiors by Smart Design Studio
-
Inside The Ghan train across Australia, new carriage interiors elevate a classic tripThe Ghan’s new carriage interiors designed by Woods Bagot reimagine modern rail travel for this epic trip between Darwin and Adelaide
-
Sydney’s The Darling shows off its playful and sophisticated suitesThe Darling in Sydney unveils its recently renovated suites by Fender Katsalidis, paying homage to the surrounding cityscape
-
St Ali & The Queen elevates Melbourne’s coffee culture with modern brews and brutalismSt Ali & The Queen is a Fiona Lynch Office-designed café and cocktail bar in Melbourne’s revitalised Queen Victoria Market
-
Kangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge returns to full splendourKangaroo Island’s Southern Ocean Lodge reopens in one of Australia’s wildest and most enchanting remote corners, following the devastating 2019 bushfires
