Low 302, Surry Hills: Reopening of one of Sydney’s most iconic entertainment venues

Cocktails, burlesque, live music and more – Low 302, the iconic entertainment venue in Surry Hills, has reopened, hoping to fill the gap after the closure of Frankie’s Pizza. Take a first look.

One of Sydney's most iconic live entertainment venues, Low 302 has reopened its doors in Surry Hills. Picture: Oisin Dermody

Delicious cocktails, dazzling cabaret performances and a fantastic range of entertainment options is just a taste of what’s in store after the reopening of one of Sydney’s oldest cocktail bars and live music venues, Low 302 in Surry Hills.

Under the new ownership of Luke Reimann and the team at Small Pubs, Small Venues, who also run the Botany View Hotel in Newtown, Low 302 is the group’s latest endeavour at 302 Crown St.

Recently reopening the well-loved venue, the group has reinvigorated the New York-style dive bar with a selection of fun cocktails, a late night food menu and a diverse line-up of live performances from burlesque and jazz to live bands and roof raising DJs.

Modelled on the classic 80s and 90s New York style jazz club, Low 302 is draped with luxurious red curtains and cosy private candlelit booths.

Mr Reimann said he had no intention of getting rid of the iconic old-school design of the space.

Low 302’s menu includes a specially crafted house cocktail list prepared by some of Sydney’s finest bartenders. Picture: Oisin Dermody

“It wasn’t a failing business, it was just a business that was in need of a little reinvigoration,” he said.

“We’ve reopened the kitchen, we plan to go back to seven days as soon as possible … because that was a big cornerstone of the venue for a longtime.

“And now, long term plan is more entertainment. We’re doing probably three shows a fortnight currently and we’d like to get that up to three to four shows a week.”

With private candlelit booths and elegant cocktails, Low 302 is one of Sydney’s last 90s New York-style bars with a sole focus on live music. Picture: Oisin Dermody

Low 302’s drinks menu features an extensive list of specially-crafted cocktails, wine, beer and spirits. Picture: Oisin Dermody

Low 302 prides itself on its selection of live entertainment, currently showcasing DJs and live bands on Friday and Saturday nights, but the customer favourites are the fun and provocative burlesque and cabaret performances.

“The burlesque shows are pretty damn special,” Mr Reimann said.

Luke Reimann, licensee and General Manager of Low 302 is keen to put his mark on the iconic late night entertainment venue. Picture: Oisin Dermody

“One in particular, Fur Ball, which is a really great trans/queer friendly event … keeping that going and watching it evolve and watching the crowds get bigger and more animated is a lot of fun.

“But this venue has always had a really rich history of jazz as well – the Sunday jazz here was legendary, that’s one of the first things that we’re aiming to switch back on.”

The closure of popular late night music venue Frankie’s Pizza in November was a big hit for the live music scene in Sydney, limiting the options for a venue that offers entertainment as well as late night dining – but Mr Reimann hopes Low 302 can fill that gap that Frankie’s left behind.

“It’s still pretty fresh, it’s only been a couple of weeks since they’ve closed doors … but we are such a like-for-like match,” he said.

“We are still providing that late night option. We’re not quite as late as Frankie’s were, we’re only 2am (closing time) but still, late night food is something that goes down really well.”

Available until 2am, the late night dining menu includes a range of bar snacks and al e carte meals. Picture: Oisin Dermody

Low 302 is keen to fill the gap that Frankie’s is leaving behind, offering late night food, drinks and entertainment. Picture: Oisin Dermody

Low 302’s new evening menu includes a range of all-night bar snacks, small sharing plates and al e carte meals with a boujee twist, plus a collection of adventurous cocktails that Mr Reimann developed from his days working in Europe, each with a fun story behind them.

Mr Reimann’s favourite cocktail on the menu is ‘Topless Yao’, a blend of mezcal, lillet, pineapple, lemon, basil and agave that he created as a tribute to one of his former colleagues.

“The Topless Yao is actually pretty cool, it was a bit of a running gag back in Germany,” he said.

With cabaret, jazz, DJs and live bands, Low 302 prides itself on being a “musician’s bar for musicians”. Picture: Low 302

“Yao was a real person who worked with a few of us and this was basically just throwing all of her favourite things into a glass and it ended up working extremely well, and it’s a cocktail that I’ve put into every venue that I’ve been in since.

“It is a really nice tribute to a really wonderful person.”

As one of the last old school proper New York-style bars in the CBD with a sole focus on live performances, Reimann said he was proud to run a venue with such a big focus on entertainment where people feel safe to be who they are.

“This whole area just needs more entertainment generally,” he said.

“It is and always has been a musician’s bar for musicians. And that’s what we at Small Pubs, Small Venues are all about.”

Low 302 is currently open Wednesday to Sunday from 7pm to 2am.