The Sydney bar with a ’70s porn chic’ aesthetic and risque cocktail names patrons can’t get enough of

Patrons can’t get enough of this Sydney CBD hotel with an unashamedly “70s porn chic” aesthetic, furry walls and risque, tongue-in-cheek cocktails like ‘The Full Bush’

“It’s fun. People have a laugh. It’s only drinks,” says Double Deuce Lounge co-founder Sebastian ‘Cosmo’ Soto, left, pictured with Charlie Lehmann. Picture: Daily Telegraph/ Monique Harmer

Serving cocktails called The Full Bush and Two in the Pink, with Playboy posters adorning their furry walls, CBD Bar Double Deuce Lounge describes its aesthetic as “70s porn chic” … and Sydney can’t get enough.

Double Deuce Lounge on Bridge Lane in the CBD is named after the dive bar in the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie Road House and has been nominated as one of the best cocktail bars in Australia in the Australian Bartender Magazine Awards.

The bar has a curated 10-drink cocktail menu, with tongue-in-cheek names like the Full Bush and Discretionary.

The interiors feature plush velvets, mood lighting and furry walls.

It’s the second venue from founders Charlie Lehmann, Sebastian “Cosmo” Soto and Dardan Shervashidze, behind their live music venue Ramblin’ Rascals Tavern.

Co-founders of Double Deuce Lounge, Sebastian “Cosmo” Soto and Charlie Lehmann pictured with their famous cocktail, The Full Bush. Picture: Daily Telegraph/ Monique Harmer

Since Deuce’s opening in 2019, it has won a host of awards, including Australian Bartender Magazine Bar Awards Small Bar of the Year in 2022.

It’s also nominated for Best Cocktail Bar and Best Bar Team at this year’s awards, while Ramblin Rascals has been nominated for Best Live Music venue.

Double Deuce Lounge’s famous cocktail The Full Bush is made of Maker’s Mark, Yuzu, Grapefruit, Rooibos, Maple. Picture: Daily Telegraph/ Monique Harmer

“We wanted to make a bar achieve this aesthetic and feel without it being a cheesy corny version of a 70s style bar,” he said.

And thankfully, despite the aesthetic, he hasn’t had anyone raise an eyebrow too it.

“It’s very tongue in cheek and the aesthetic is a fun one. We haven’t had any backlash and our patrons really get our sense of humour,” Soto said.

The late night crowd at Double Deuce Lounge. Supplied

Soto said he was inspired to open a bar that feels like it would be in a Quentin Tarantino film, and the bar was modelled after a place 70s porn stars would come after work.

Case in point is their new cocktail, Two in the Pink, which Soto calls “our most risque name” but it’s also become their most popular.

“It’s fun. People have a laugh. It’s only drinks,” he said.

Despite the team’s success Soto says there are not plans to open a third venue anytime soon.

“We would love to, but Covid did not help anything there. The trade is not back to where it was pre-Covid levels,” he said.

However if they do, you can bet it would be something with a sense of humour.

“There are enough bars that are dull but serve great drinks. But what gets people through the doors and get people back is the experience,” he said.