New York themed-bar 5th Avenue opens in Sydney Building on Northbourne Avenue in Canberra

Northbourne Avenue is now home to 5th Avenue - a new bar inspired by the city that never sleeps, and named after one of the most famous streets in the world.

The brainchild of Parsa Tabatabaei and Callum Gillam, 5th Avenue has brought a tempting cocktail menu, a selection of beers and wine, food and even - when COVID restrictions allow - a dance floor to their new premises in the historic Sydney Building, where The Treehouse used to be.

"We wanted to do a theme bar because we didn't want to just be another bar and we really just wanted to embrace that New York cocktail scene," Tabatabaei says.

"The way it has been described as like an old Sex and the City vibe."

But while the bar screams New York, from its skyline wallpaper, open brickwork and - in the weeks to come - eight-foot Statue of Liberty replica, it was Canberra's nightlife that inspired the duo to open a bar in the first place.

As these things usually go, inspiration struck while they were having a couple of drinks.

"We wanted a boutique bar where it's not too big, but it's not too small either, so it's easy to create an atmosphere," Tabatabaei says.

"Usually, everywhere else, you either start out at a bar with some cocktails and then if you want to dance you go to a nightclub. And our bar, being two storeys - upstairs is a cocktail bar and downstairs is for dancing and other stuff - so you're getting the best of both worlds.

"I find when I go to Melbourne or Sydney [there are] a lot of places like that, but in Canberra, that's the one thing that was missing."

5th Avenue officially opened its doors just before lockdown - which obviously wasn't ideal timing.

But when COVID gave them lemons, the team made lemonade - or rather, cocktails.

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They used the time to sharpen their skills, offering takeaway cocktails, expanding their menu as they went.

"We spent lockdown doing takeaway cocktails and that got the attention of people," Tabatabaei says.

"At the moment, obviously because a lot of our staff is new as well, we've been choosing new cocktails every week. So we've been adding two new cocktails every week and by the end of restrictions have an extensive menu but also training our staff at the same time.

"Now we're just waiting for the restrictions to ease so we can have our full capacity. At the moment we're about a quarter of that."

5th Avenue is at 32 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra.

Good news wine lovers - Wineslinger 2021 list of Australia's top places for wine fun has been released.

As voted on by more than 150 of the country's leading sommeliers, winemakers, hospitality tastemakers and journalists, Wineslinger is the ultimate guru's guide to Australia's best wine haunts.

"We've all had it tough in 2021. It's been like Groundhog Day," Wineslinger founder Rory Kent says.

"But now that hospitality ... has reopened, and interstate borders are about to do the same, it's time to get back to doing the things we love, in the places we love."

And would it be a national list of wine hot spots without a couple of inclusions from the capital?

Included in the top 100 are Bar Rochard - for the fourth year running - newcomers Corella Bar and Restaurant, Campbell's Paranormal Wines, Acton's Rebel Rebel and XO in Narrabundah.

"We've historically announced a top 50 each year," Kent says.

"In our fourth year of the annual awards, we're announcing Australia's top 100 places for wine fun. It provides more great places for wine lovers to experience, and hopefully gives our beloved hospitality industry a deserving boost, too."

There is a People's Choice Award still up for grabs. To vote for your favourite, go to younggunofwine.com.

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