Baptist Street Rec Club sits above Island Radio. But while its sibling is all about good-times Southeast Asian food, Baptist Street Rec Club taps deep into the Aussie nostalgia archives. Think function room birthday parties, Neighbours re-runs, supermarket chocolate cakes, bindies in your feet in summer – that’s the vibe they’re shooting for.

Head up the staircase on the Baptist Street side of the heritage building and, as you reach the top of the stairs, briefly, you might feel as though you’ve walked into a lived-in terrace house.But around the bend you’ll find timber disco cabin complete with fluffy pub-core carpets, framed Aussie icons – Cathy Freeman, Kylie Minogue, Kath and Kim, Sydney 2000 ads – lining the walls, and a bookable “trophy room” with dozens of actual trophies stuck to the roof like golden stalactites.

Behind a long timber bar, bartenders in Hawaiian shirts mix “nuevo retro” cocktails. The best-seller is the Japanese Slipper, which is packed with Midori. The Breakfast Martini, a “plump and zesty” drink made with Ester dry gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon and spiced pineapple marmalade.

But the nostalgia extends beyond the drinks menu. Until late, Baptist Street Rec Club’s head chef Kongkiat Buakanok serves Thai pub classics – like pad thai, curries and classic fried entrees.