Bar in the 'Burbs

It was a world away from Nightcliff that Dom Wundke concocted the plan for the Top End’s newest cocktail bar.

“I had the initial idea for a bar when I first moved to Nightcliff a few years ago, but it was only after drinking a few tequilas with my friend in Mexico that I thought I could actually do it. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense – I’ve always loved hospitality and hosting people at my house, so this is really an extension of my house in some ways,” he says.

Dom’s Bar and Lounge opened its doors last month and has all the vibes of a cosy wine bar with a tropical Darwin flavour. The table tops are made from African mahogany and Darwin black bottle trees that fell in Cyclone Marcus, and the drinks are inspired by local flavours.

“All of our syrups are homemade by our staff and we’re trying to feature as many local ingredients as we can,” Dom says.

“We’ve got our seasonal cocktail specials, which we’re featuring at the moment. The Nightcliff Sunset is a rosella gin spritz, which was very popular on the opening weekend, and we’ve also got The Seabreeze, which is a rosemary whisky sour.”

It’s not easy weaving through the red tape of starting a new business, but Dom says all the hard work has paid off. And the locals love having a new watering hole in the hood.

“I think people have been waiting for a venue like this in Nightcliff for a very long time. Some people who have been in the area for 35 years came in, and they were just over the moon that there’s a nice cosy little cocktail and wine bar around the corner,” he says.

“I’m so proud to open the doors to the public and people are liking the drinks and neighbourhood feel.”

So head along and take a tropical tipple at Dom’s!

Dom's Bar and Lounge
FRI & SAT, 4PM-LATE | SUN, 2-10PM | ARALIA ST, NIGHTCLIFF
facebook.com/doms-bar-lounge