Now Open: Ruby, My Dear, Brisbane’s First Vinyl Listening Bar, Opens in Newstead

The shiny bronze speakers are the first thing that catches my eye upon entering Ruby, My Dear – a Japanese-inspired listening bar that opened in Newstead last Thursday. Four of them are positioned in each corner of the room, grabbing my attention.

Not that it needed grabbing in the first place. Since word got out that Brisbane was joining the growing ranks of Australian cities embracing Japanese-inspired listening bars and receiving its first venue modelled on a Japanese jazz kissaten, the hype has been palpable. Pair that with the calibre of the owners – Bonnie Shearston and Tom Sanceau (the duo behind Red Hook and the now-closed Coppa Spuntino), Shearston’s fiance Pablo Warner (the venue’s musical director) and chef Andrew Hackworth – and it’s one of the biggest bar openings of the year.

Anyway, back to those speakers. Shearston tells Broadsheet they were hand-built in Tasmania by Pitt & Giblin. You may have seen its speakers before, either at record store Dutch Vinyl in Paddington or at interstate vinyl-spinning bars like Waxflower in Melbourne or Sonny in Hobart. Not only do they look good, their sound is rich and detailed, yet not overpowering; you can still talk to the person beside you without raising your voice. According to Shearston, that’s not only due to the speakers, but the space itself.

“Before we started the fit-out, we [had the acoustics tested],” she tells Broadsheet. “They were like, ‘It’s pretty perfect.’ [And] the space already had acoustic panelling in the ceiling – we didn’t even put that in. I think [this space] has always wanted to be a vinyl bar.”

The last pieces of the puzzle: the records and the turntables. The vinyl collection will continue to grow, but the bulk has come from Shearston, Warner and Sanceau (Shearston even has a record of her father’s – the late Australian singer-songwriter Gary Shearston – on display). Sanceau provided two vintage Technics turntables that he’s owned for a long time.

“You know how back in the day if you got a fridge, it would last you a lifetime-and-a-half?” Shearston says. “[It’s the] same thing with these Technics, they just don’t want to die. They’re beautiful and the DJs have really enjoyed using them.”

DJs play four nights a week, from Thursday to Sunday. Resident DJs – currently Waiting Room Records and Micky D – come in to play on Thursday and Sunday, while Warner will arrange guest DJ sets on Friday and Saturday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, either Shearston or Warner will be dropping the needle on records in between waiting tables. And on the first Tuesday of every month, a live jazz band will come in to jam.

Formerly home to Drum , the space’s layout hasn’t changed too much. Designed by Adam Laming from Shaun Lockyer Architects, the venue sports black features, tan-coloured booth seating and timber finishes. Sophisticated and sleek, it has a very different feel to other venues in the area.

“[The] community around here has been crying out for a different style of bar,” Shearston says. “There’s amazing breweries, big family-style restaurants and cute wine bars, but there’s nothing [with] that more cocktail-oriented, grown-up vibe.”

Speaking of cocktails, there’s a fittingly Japanese influence with drinks like the Yardbird (Roku gin, lychee, peach and lemon), a Toki whisky highball and a sake Negroni. There’s also a bunch of Japanese beers from Sapporo, Yebisu and Hitachino, alongside local craft beers. The wine list features old world and new world wines, with lots of aromatic and off-dry whites, and light, bright reds to complement the Japanese-inspired food offering.

Hackworth’s izakaya style menu encompasses raw dishes, snacks, fried dishes, greens and heartier mains. You might start with some oysters with pomelo, cucumber and ponzu, before snacking on crispy chicken skins dusted with togarashi spice mix. Grasp a two-hander panko prawn-filled brioche bun with gribiche sauce, or a pork katsu sando. Still hungry? Order the udon noodles served with miso-roasted bone marrow. When you’ve eaten the marrow there’s the option to turn the bone into a sake luge.

Ruby, My Dear
12 Longland Street, Newstead

Hours:
Tue to Wed 5pm–10pm
Thu 5pm–11pm
Fri to Sat midday–11pm
Sun midday–9pm

@rubyvinylbar