Little Red Pocket Review

Review By Madeleine Wong

Tucked away, around the corner of Queen and Little Collins Street is the upcoming cocktail bar Little Red Pocket: the new secret that has been whispered its way into everyone's ears.

Once you walk through the low-key door and shuffle up the stairs, you enter a dimly lit sanctuary with a soulful ambience. Be greeted by friendly and attentive waiters who will show you to a comfy place to sit down and relax, where you embark on the quality service that Little Red Pocket offers.

The back corner of the venue houses the DJ booth sensually exuding deep house, chill music creating an atmosphere that will make you nod along with every sip of your cocktail. What's great about this place is that you can have a conversation with your friends and not feel like you're drowning or competing against the music.

The decor is traditional Japanese infused style meets Melbourne urban modernism. Earthy colours and neatly laid out furniture showcases the venue in a simplistic way, an example of where simple and minimalistic works the best.

The main attraction is the modern and beautifully lit bar, where you will witness experienced bartenders pump out cocktails like machines! The bar stocks Japanese beers and a wide selection of rice wines, including Jumai Sake, Umeshu and Shochu, which is also used to create their famous Japanese inspired sake cocktails.

Between the Japanese styled tapas on their food menu and the cocktails, expect to pay between $15 - $$20. If you're not hungry enough to order any of their tantalising food but want to nibble on something, you can order the Edamame beans, a delightful substitute for peanuts.

The usual crowd that you find in Little Red Pocket on a weekday are the after-work suits. In general, the crowd tends to be on the mature age side but this is not limiting as long as you dress with a level of sophistication yet with an element of fun.

An addition to the unique-ness of this bar is the innovative ordering system about to be implemented with the use of the iPad2. The fundamentals of this concept are to accelerate the speed of service without the inconvenience of relying on waiters and waiting at the bar for long periods of time especially when it's busy. It allows you to effortlessly order food and beverages from your seat and still be able to customize your orders; from your specific dietary needs to certain garnishes on your cocktails. To speed up service even further, you can even swipe your credit-card straight from the system on your table! For the social media diehards, you can even access Facebook and Twitter and 'Check in' to rant about Little Red Pocket!

Instead of Kit Kat's traditional slogan, "Have a break, have a cocktail!" is definitely the mantra Little Red Pocket lives by. This venue is a seductive temptress that you will be sure to call your new home.

Function Room Info