One of the World’s Great Live Music Venues

It’s a throwback to a bygone era; the days of speakeasies and jazz dens. A pianist in the middle of the room, lit by candlelight and a chandelier from above, plays with hands wriggling and rolling across the keys of a baby grand. Owner Andrew Bianco designed and built Ragtime Tavern around that piano, a commanding presence in the centre of the small room.

On weekends there are scheduled gigs, sometimes with a singer, and Thursday nights are dedicated Open Piano evenings. Some of the bar staff are pianists, regularly performing mid-shift, and Bianco will jump behind the bar if things get too busy. It’s all in the name of atmosphere. And every performance is free, whether it’s an amateur off the street or a big name behind the keys.

Decor in the main bar is heavy on the curves, from the bar top circling the piano, to the shelves behind the bar. The circular theme also applies to the piano, which rotates 360 degrees thanks to a small motor.

To eat, order from the diner next door, This Borderland, where everything from the American comfort food menu can be made vegan.

Excerpt from a review of the Ragtime from broadsheet.com.au Read the full review here.