First Look: Bar Carnation Is Here

The transformation of the former Geralds Bar on Rathdowne Street to Bar Carnation is a masterclass in balancing the old with the new. At first, the new appears most emphatic. 

The signature half curtains in the front window have been replaced with venetian blinds. The back room is now a bottle shop, complete with six-door fridge and an imposing, marble-topped tasting table. The interior’s former cluttered aesthetic has been swapped out for a cool spare palate of stainless steel and dark timber detailing, with angled mirrors above the bar and a mirrored wall facing the bathrooms. Custom-made lighting by Charlie White adds designer drama, while a sizeable floral work by artist Gian Manik has replaced Michael Caine’s swinging London vibe. Look closer, though, and the past is still alive.

Audrey Shaw, chef-owner at Fitzroy’s Carnation Canteen, former architect and long-time Geralds regular, says the renovation was all about “enhancing what’s already here”.

“The bar has the same footprint as Geralds and we’ve used a lot of recycled materials, things that have been worn and touched, which speaks to what was already here and to Canteen in terms of palette,” she says.

Bar Carnation’s walls have been patched, but the shadows of the former shelving remain like a palimpsest. The original bar top is in place (though its front is now clad with recycled timber panelling) as is the ever-popular streetside smoking section. There’s a turntable in a sleek new stainless steel booth behind the bar, and a new wall-sized greenboard will continue the tradition of a nimble menu that can change from day to day.

There’s a distinct European and Italian bar accent to the menu, which features a host of stalwart dishes that can be adjusted according to the availability of ingredients. There’s oysters, cured meats, meatballs, a pasta of the day, vitello tonnato (thinly sliced, cold-poached veal topped with a creamy sauce), fritto misto (mixed seafood determined by the fishmonger) and steak frites with skin-on chips, house-made with Spud Sisters potatoes.

Drinks-wise, there’s an emphasis on Italian wines on a list compiled by Carnation Canteen’s sommelier Sam Ross, and a democratic attitude to pricing.

“The wines lean more Italian to match the food, but we’re serving Pol Roger as house champagne,” says Shaw. “We do list some rare bottles, but we’re also serving wine by the carafe and a super-dynamic list of ‘cheap and cheerfuls’.”

Five original and five classic cocktails are given the Bar Carnation treatment too, and all the bases and syrups – tarragon, pineapple gum, fat-washed tequila – are made in-house with “ideally organic” ingredients.

“We wanted to combine the Carnation ethos with the history of Geralds,” says Shaw. “It’s about being unfussy but skilled, something of a blank canvas that allows regulars to take a kind of ownership of the place and to use it any way they want – bar, restaurant or bottle shop.”

Bar Carnation
386 Rathdowne Street, Carlton North
No phone

Hours:
Daily 5pm–11pm

barcarnation.com
@barcarnation