North Queensland wine bar’s list of ‘house rules’

A wine bar in a popular north Queensland tourist area has posted a list of tough ‘house rules’ after the government imposed Covid restrictions.

An up-market wine bar in north Queensland has placed a ban on children – even “quiet” and “good ones” – as part of its list of non-nonsense “house rules”.

Third on the Left owner Neil Delaney said the establishment had to ban all children because of Covid-19 restrictions, which have reduced the capacity of the Palm Cove watering hole to a mere 18 guests.

The venue has a ban on bare feet, boardies, Speedos and feet on seats at the wine bar, situated deep in a tourist hot spot near the water’s edge that should be swarming with families next week.

The five key house rules of Third on the Left wine bar at Palm Cove are posted on the door. Picture: Facebook

Anyone entering the establishment is warned of the “house rules” posted on the door, which are partly tongue-in-cheek but also serious, Mr Delaney said.

“There’s been no drama with the no-kids (rule),” Mr Delaney told NCA NewsWire.

“If they want to take their kids out, they can take them to the surf club.

“We just don't have the room for children and pushers. We can only have 18 heads and if four of them are children, that means we only have 14 heads.”

The first of the five house rules makes it clear no children are welcome, while rule five says the music of Dannii and Kylie Minogue, the Spice Girls and ABBA are off limits.

Don’t expect to hear the music of Kylie and Dannii Minogue at this wine bar. Picture: Getty Images

“No kids: Not quiet kids/good kids, whatever. Just to recap: none,” the first rule states.

“No bare feet.”

“No feet on seats: You’ll probably be told off if you do.”

“No Abba. Or Spice Girls. Or either of the Minogues.”

“No Bookings: Too hard.”

Mr Delaney said the bar did not take bookings, as it was a wine bar and did not serve food, while the ban on the music icons was to attract attention.

“The house rules have been up for about three months and we have just tweaked them a little bit,” he said.

“We are too small for pushers and parents with children and kids generally they make a lot of racket, so it’s easier to say no kids.

“The Covid rules dictate our numbers and have been reduced because of the square-metre rules.”

The co-owner of Third on the Left says Covid-19 restrictions have forced their hand in banning children. Picture: Facebook

He said the bar did not allow feet on seats, as a lot of locals got dressed up to attend the venue and did not want to sit on soiled chairs.

“They are tongue-in-cheek, but no one wants to sit where people have had their feet,” he said.

The house rules also point out that people in Palm Cove are “not all related” and that anyone who takes a picture of the wine bar and does not come in should post it on social media.

The restrictions certainly haven’t dented the bar’s popularity.

Third on the Left has a five-star rating on Facebook, from 35 reviews, and the same rating on TripAdvisor, from six reviews.

Third on the Left is situated near the water's edge at Palm Beach. Picture: Google Maps

Originally published as North Queensland wine bar’s list of ‘house rules’