When the team behind Maybe Frank open a cocktail bar in The Rocks, you take notice! The muse for their latest Rat Pack homage is the scene stealing Sammy Davis Jr and the vibe is pure Golden Age glamour of the 1950’s Las Vegas casino scene, served with a wink.
Maybe Sammy delivers on-theme interiors with panache – think pink flamingoes, palm trees and blonde wood surrounds. Swagger up to the comfy stools at the gold-detailed green and white marble bar or play it cool on the bubblegum pink banquettes and be served by suave staff in double breasted white dinner jackets.
The focus and passion is the cocktail list, clearly a labour of love. Kick off with a $10 pre-mixed mini cocktail and decide whether you are a Sammy, Frank or Dean. ‘Sammys’ will enjoy refreshing gin, mint and sweet vermouth; ‘Franks’ are a riff on the Old Fashioned with Wild Turkey Rye, Dry Vermouth and Bitter Campari; and ‘Deans’ are all about rum and punch.
If you’re not a High Roller, swing into their Signature Selection cocktails served with plenty of drama. The Lady Luck is a delicious frothy concoction of Ketel One Vodka, mango, passionfruit and lemon, served with a homemade hand cream (yes hand cream!) with the same ingredients. The New Frontier features the rarely used Mexican mescal with Calle 23 Blanco tequila, Fino sherry and apple over ice and essence of housemade coffee and a scratch card. Forget Espresso Martinis – it’s all about the Espresso Martiki this summer, with rum, mango and banana flavours.
The accompanying bar food is simple but top notch. Start with oh-so-fresh oysters served au naturale with a teeny Tabasco sauce bottle and muslin-wrapped lemon or with a zippy mandarin, balsamic and lemon balm. You can’t lose with the Mexi-Cali blue corn soft taco with salmon salsa. But don’t miss the staff favourite: half a Smoking Gun bagel with wagyu pastrami, crème fraiche and gherkins.
It’s a winning combination when you have a talented team who cheekily pay homage to the glamour of the 1950’s casino era. We love the evolving Rat Pack story and can’t wait to see what’s next – we are betting there will be a Maybe Dean hitting Sydney soon!
Maybe Sammy
115 Harrington St, The Rocks
Opening hours:
Sun-Weds 4.30pm-12am
Thurs-Sat 4.30pm – 2am
https://www.maybesammy.com/
