Bucketty’s Brewing Co, the go-to for craft beer and live music in Brookvale, has just provided two more reasons to visit the Northern Beaches suburb by opening a cocktail lounge and sports bar.

Owners Nick and Lexi McDonald transformed a former 1980s wedding venue for the new drink-and-dine hub, which also has karaoke rooms, pool tables and a former fine dining chef.

Valentine’s, the cocktail bar, is a plush, soft-lit date spot taking inspiration from the venue’s kitschy origin and billed as “the perfect space to fall in love”. On the drinks menu are such throwback classics as the Cosmopolitan and Sex on the Beach.

Down the hall, past two private karaoke rooms, is Chalky’s: an enclosed space with high ceilings, six pool tables, eight- to 12-seater booths, and what Nick McDonald claims to be the biggest screen for watching live sport on the northern beaches.

Head chef Martin Brito, who trained under acclaimed Sydney chef Peter Doyle before working alongside chef David Thompson at London Thai restaurant Nahm, has come on board after a stint as head chef at Bar Elvina in Avalon. Elevated pub fare with some South American influences is on the menu at both Valentine’s and Chalky’s.

Previous SlideNext Slide

Brito is “probably a bit above our pay grade but he loves the concept, so the quality of food coming out is incredible,” McDonald says.

“It’s a good mix – there’s easy stuff, like a bacon cheeseburger, but then we’ve also got dishes like ‘The Expensive Steak’.”

The $98 tomahawk steak, for two to share, comes with hand-cut chips and gem lettuce salad. Brito’s menu also has slow-cooked lamb shoulder with chimichurri and crispy garlic potatoes, and neighbour Scoopanova supplies the ice-cream.

The two new venues illustrate the strength of Brookvale’s independent craft brewing and distillery scene, with a drinks list dominated by local makers including Goodradigbee Distillers, Manly Spirits, Dad and Dave’s Brewing and Freshwater Brewing. Bucketty’s core range of beers will be on tap.

“We’re all small businesses just trying to have a go, and we all get frustrated that we can’t get into pubs and bottle shops because the big guys have it all tied up, so that was part of the motivation for opening this venue,” says McDonald.

“If we build our own venue, we can control what we serve.”

Pool tables are available for hire ($20 an hour), as are the 10- and 20-seat karaoke rooms from $90 an hour, with full bar and restaurant service.

“One of the karaoke rooms is fitted out like a grandmother’s lounge room with a green chesterfield couch and other vintage furniture, and the other is plastered with old rock ‘n’ roll posters my father-in-law accumulated back in the day, when he worked as a roadie,” McDonald says.

There’s still more in store from Bucketty’s, which after two years of trying has gained approval to open a second brewery in its namesake suburb near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley. Expected to open within the next two years, the brewery will add a cafe and restaurant.

Open daily, Mon-Fri from 3pm and Sat-Sun from noon.

Charlton Lane, Brookvale, chalkys.net.au