Darlo Country Club, Darlinghurst

Darlo Country Club has just opened in Darlinghurst, bringing a touch of LA Country Club glamour to Sydney.

Darlo Country Club Entrance

Darlo Country Club has replaced the Chalet pop up at the former site of The Victoria Room in Darlinghurst. The venue by The Lobo Plantation’s Michael Hwang and Eddie Levy as well as The Island’s Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias has been transformed into an elegant space that channels sporting-inspired luxury in international country clubs.

Darlo Country Club

A grand pastel pink entrance greets the visitor on arrival before the eyes are drawn to a 6 foot custom chandelier, walls covered with soft linen panelling and a mix of colour, brass elements and lush greenery throughout. Over 100 meters of sturdy rope have been incorporated into a wall feature acting as a natural divider.

Banquettes with a Call Button

And it doesn’t stop here with the grand fitout. Six bespoke banquettes have been fitted with a call button for table service.

Bartender Julius Yates from The Lobo Plantation has joined the DCC team and brings a cocktail menu based on classics along with original creations. Some are designed to complement the dining experience, be it pre-dinner, with food or dessert style cocktails. Some can be whimsical such as The Bubbarita, a take on a margarita with bubble-gum infused tequila, a grape citrus foam and an orange blossom flame. The Mango Colada comes with a coconut option and The Don pays homage to the godfather of Tiki and comes in vibrant colours inspired by the bright lights of LA.

El Flamenco Rosado Taster

A little taster is served on arrival. El Flamenco Rosado ($18) is a tequila based spritz with watermelon juice and Szechuan honey syrup as a base. It’s light and refreshing with a gentle kick of tequila and spice.

Eton Fizz

Dubbed as the liquid equivalent of an Eton Mess, the Eton Fizz ($17) combines gin with strawberry shrub, lemon, thyme syrup and egg white topped with soda. Elegant in flavour and presentation, this aperitif style cocktail is a pleasure to sip, with a good balance of gin and the clever use of strawberry shrubs which gives it a touch of acidity.

Poolside

The Poolside ($17) is a delicious dry style aperitif where the first sip tempts you to order an encore. Gin is combined with Manzanilla sherry, Lillet, lemon, thyme syrup, Luxardo, and salt. The result is a well-balanced drink with dryness form the sherry and herbaceous notes from the thyme – a drink that stimulates the appetite.

Gentleman’s Agreement / Call Button

Moving to the more boozy cocktails, the Gentleman’s Agreement ($19) brings a blend of bitter, sweet notes with a hint of smoke. Bulleit Rye is, Fernet Branca, Solerno Blood Orange, lemon, orgeat, and an Islay spray as an option makes it the choice for after dinner or for the more serious imbiber.

Harbour Vieux

The standout cocktail is the Harbour Vieux ($22), cheekily pronounced as Harbour View. The drink is a take on the New Orleans classic, Vieux Carré and is made with English Harbour 5-year-old rum, Chartreuse yellow liqueur, dill-infused Rosso, pimento bitters, orange bitters and a dash of sugar syrup. This vermouth forward drink has delicious herbal and savoury notes which make it a fine sipper to end the night.

Darlo Country Club offers a casual brasserie style food menu with tempting dishes based on classics designed to be shared.

Kingfish Ceviche

Kingfish Ceviche ($18) with lime, chilli, coriander and olive oil is a light choice with clean, fresh flavours and a makes a good start to the meal.

Confit Duck Leg Spring Rolls

The Confit Duck Leg Spring Rolls ($12) are a clever hybrid of the traditional duck pancakes and spring rolls. These moreish bites have tender, flavoursome duck meat and come with hoisin sauce and crisp cucumber.

Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken

The Chargrilled Moroccan Chicken ($18) is a substantial sized dish well worth ordering. The tender chicken is beautifully chargrilled and comes with a melee of North African flavours with pomegranate molasses, preserved lemon, fresh coriander studded with sultanas and pistachios.

Sweet Potato Fries

The Sweet Potato Fries ($8) make a good accompaniment to the chicken. They’re crisp and well seasoned with a side of thousand island sauce.

DCC Lobster and Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese

If you were to order one dish, make it the DCC Lobster and Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese ($24). Set to become the signature dish, it’s creamy with a hint of earthiness and brings that feel-good factor when you have satisfying comfort food.

Desserts are priced at $9 and include Drunken rum baba with pistachios and fig ice-cream, and The DCC Sundae with freeze dried berries and coulis.

Darlo Country Club is not only a welcome addition to the Sydney dining and drinking scene, it is set to establish itself as a Sydney favourite.

Photography © by Gourmantic – Copyright: All rights reserved. Contact us if you wish to purchase any photographs.

Darlo Country Club
235 Victoria St, Darlinghurst
Hours: Wednesday 5pm – 12am; Thursday to Saturday 5pm – 2am
Ph:(02)9380 4279