Choosing where to go out for a drink in Newtown just got even harder – but hey, we’re not complaining. North King Street just scored Huelo, a cocktail bar and general store by two guys who were at the epicentre of Sydney’s small bar explosion in the mid-aughts.

There’s Dre Walters, owner at CBD cocktail bars Old Mate’s Place and Ginny’s Canoe Club, who’s mixed everywhere from Grandma’s Bar to The Lobo, Big Poppa’s to Kittyhawk. He’s in cahoots with Swan “Swanny” Kanongataa, formerly of The Rover (back when it was The Wild Rover) and CBD steakhouse Bistecca before moving to London to open The Joker, a boozer in the city’s south.

“Then [Swan] came back to Sydney and started working at Old Mate’s place with us”, says Walters. “He was always talking about doing his own thing, so we just sort of teamed up.”

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Meaning “sunshine” in Tongan (a nod to Kanongataa’s heritage), Huelo opened discretely last month – spruiking good wine; locally made ceramics by Susie Brooks, Airr Made and Menom; and specialty pantry items at the front of the building. Think Quinby’s Chilli Honey, Saturday Night Pasta, Bottega 1900 crushed Tuscan tomatoes and more. “Things you definitely won’t find in Coles,” says Walters.

The general store, with its exposed bricks and heaving shelves, doubles as a casual wine and snack spot. Pull up here for sliced-to-order charcuterie, cheeses and small plates like croquettes, and burrata with sourdough. Happy hour involves $2 Wapengo rock oysters and half-price magnums of Lallier Champagne from 4pm to 6pm, Wednesday to Sunday.

Venture through a hallway at the back of the room to find a clandestine, 12-seat bar that falls somewhere between a speak-easy and a Tokyo shot bar. Here, the team are doing what they do better than most.

“We’re steering towards bright and fresh drinks – we like to think of it as ‘Miami tropical glam’. People don’t want to go out for a history lesson, they want to go to a fun and welcoming place. That’s what we’re trying to reflect with the cocktails.” We loved the curious take on a Midori Sour with Hendrick’s Gin, Midori, aloe-vera juice, lemon and a cloud of “champagne air” floating on top.

Sommelier Alice Massaria (former wine director at Bistecca and The Gidley) has been brought on to curate the ever-growing wine list, which spans classic and new-wave varietals, with a focus on Italian grapes.

Later this year the team will make use of the building’s 2am licence and turn the upstairs space into something Newtown hasn’t seen before. “It’ll be a tip of the hat to the New York steakhouse, serving lobster frites, steak frites,” says Walters.

Aiming to be the ultimate bookend to dinner on King Street, Huelo is a flush fit for a burgeoning hub of north-end venues including Bella Brutta, Ante, Cafe Paci and eternal Newtown favourite Pastizzi Cafe.

“When I look back to when I was at Grandma’s, the thing I learnt there was connecting the dots. When there are more places of a similar nature, more people will come,” says Walters.

“We’ve got these venues around us that are so passionate about what they do, and we put ourselves in that category – banging cocktails and really good service. If we can slot in with those guys, people will connect the dots.”

Huelo Bar and General Store
127 King St, Newtown NSW 2042

Hours:
Wed to Sun: 4pm–late

@huelobar
@huelogeneralstore