A slice of paradise in the heart of Wollongong…
Scoundrel’s Rest is wollongong’s newest specialty cocktail bar & eatery, serving a range of tantalising tropical treats alongside a carefully curated list of world class spirits.
Born from a love of hospitality, Scoundrel’s Rest is the result of three bartenders/Chefs turned owners bringing their passion for tropical Cocktails, International Street Food and rum to life. Our mission is to provide our guests with a unique bar experience, an adventure around the world to explore a variety of cultures through flavour and atmosphere.
Behind the bar you’ll find a selection of over 50 rums from around the world, exploring a variety of styles, localities and flavour profiles. These provide the driving force for our cocktail menu, which features tropical classics such as Mojito’s, piña colada’s & Mai Tai’s, along with a number of original creations. Accompanying these is a tidy but thoughtful selection of beers, wines and other spirits, meaning no matter your persuasion, you’re sure to find something to your liking.
From the kitchen you can enjoy our chef’s playful and approachable take on tropical street food, drawing influences from the Caribbean, Latin America, South East Asia, and anywhere else touched by the naval trade routes of yesteryear. Built to be shared or enjoyed solo, they’re the perfect companion to our selection of libations.
Neo-Tiki, and the spirit of Adventure
Scoundrel’s Rest is the latest step in the tradition of Tiki Bars that can be traced back to Donn “The Beachcomber” Beach, and his titular establishment founded in L.A. in 1933. Since then, the genre of Tiki Bars has expanded and exploded around the world. from high streets to backyards, the culture of tropical cocktails and bamboo-adorned drinking spots can be found almost everywhere.
For us, adding to that landscape meant we had to ask ourselves; “what is Tiki?”. The answer that we came to boiled down to a single word: “Exploration”. Tiki drinks offer a a unique experience, a multi-faceted flavour combination of spirit, fruit and spice, that makes you feel like you’re in another part of the world, sampling something delicious you’ve never heard of, let alone had the chance to try.
After coming to that realisation, we couldn’t help but notice, for a genre so defined by adventure, so much of tiki culture hasn’t changed since the 1940’s. The same techniques, recipes and décor used nearly 100 years ago still get recycled to this day. Some of those elements have stood the test of time. Others have not aged quite so well.
Neo-tiki is our answer to this paradox. We’re here to embrace Tiki’s history, warts and all, and provide a fresh new vison heading into the future. By incorporating new flavours, new techniques and a new sensibility, we hope to offer a fresh and interesting take on what tiki can be moving forward. We’re excited for you to join us on this journey.