King of the jungle: Ascot Vale bar The Fancy Parrot makes a splash
A new wine and cocktail bar with a jungle aesthetic has landed in Ascot Vale with a special take on a classic drink. But what’s even more unique is how the owner came across the space.
North West
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A new wine bar in Ascot Vale is taking a new tropical twist on Melbourne’s favourite cocktail.
The Fancy Parrot, off Union Rd, has been open since July and has transformed the classic espresso martini into a tropical delight.
The bar uses a special coconut cream called Coco Lopez, which is a combination of Caribbean coconut meat and natural cane sugar, to give the martini an extra kick.
The Fancy Parrot owner Alistair Smith said the hybrid martini took inspiration from Vietnamese iced coffee.
“Melburnians love espresso martinis, which makes sense given we’re the coffee capital of Australia,” he said.
The musician turned bar owner, who founded Hudsons Road Wine and Beer with a friend in 2017, said he decided to go out on a limb and open up his own bar.
“I wanted to do my own thing, I like a new challenge,” Mr Smith said.
“I sort of knew the area a little bit, the space was available and I actually found it on gumtree.”
He said his favourite dish Arancini, which is a stuffed fried rice ball with spinach and mushroom, also had a special ingredient.
“We put habanero chilli mayonnaise sauce with it, just a tiny bit, but it really works well together,” Mr Smith said.
The bar has been renovated to include a huge mural by a Footscray artist, jungle and plants painted on the walls and a new straight black bar top.
“It’s supposed to be the parrots’ habitat,” Mr Smith said.
“We’ve even added indoor plants that we’re going to train to grow along the ceiling like a canopy sort of thing.”
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He said the inspiration for the name of the venue came from his daughter.
“My daughter and wife were drawing one Saturday morning and they drew this parrot with a top hat on, and my wife thought that was a cool name,” Mr Smith said.
The Fancy Parrot is open from 3pm to 10pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and from 3pm to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bookings: 9372 8098