There are always new apart­ment build­ings spring­ing up, but this Apart­ment is very dif­fer­ent. It’s very def­i­nite­ly not a stu­dio shoe­box, with vast open-plan liv­ing space and a high-raftered ceil­ing, and despite hav­ing a bed­room, bath­rooms, din­ing room and bal­cony, it is in fact bet­ter than a home: it’s a bar.

Many years ago there was an Apart­ment Bar under the Han­nahs Fac­to­ry in Leeds St, but The Apart­ment is an appar­ent­ly unre­lat­ed place that has just opened in Allen St. The vary­ing spaces promise to allow for dif­fer­ent moods, from louche loung­ing to for­mal­ish din­ing to stand­ing and shout­ing. The prox­im­i­ty to Courte­nay Place threat­ens all but the last mode of drink­ing, but giv­en a high­ly cred­itable Mar­ti­ni and some tasty snacks (chilly chilli roast almonds plus ched­dar & car­away bread), this barfly thinks it could be just the place to set up home.