Ary’s Bar looks to attract cocktail drinkers after opening on Flinders St

A new bar has opened in the Townsville CBD, with the goal of becoming the city’s premier cocktail drinking destination. Find out where it is.

Amandeep Singh, owner of the newly opened, Ary’s Bar. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Townsville’s Flinders Street night-life precinct has a new must-visit destination where great drinks, good vibes, and unforgettable nights will combine together like the perfect cocktail.

Opened at 175 Flinders St in late March, Ary’s Bar realises the ambition of Amandeep Singh, who also operates MG Cleaning Services.

Ever since working as a bartender in Singapore, he had dreamt of owning a bar with his wife Kramjeet Kaur.

Naming the bar after his young son Aryaman’s nickname, Mr Singh said Ary’s Bar offered a relaxed modern setting where visitors can sample a range of appetisers, washed down with an everchanging menu of wines, beers, ciders, spirits, and cocktails.

“We want to make this place very famous in terms of cocktails. We are going to (offer) a variety of cocktails. People love our espresso martinis, and we have Ary’s Aroma – our famous cocktail,” Mr Singh said.

Amandeep Singh, Karmjeet Kaur with their son Aryaman Singh (Ary), 1, outside the newly opened, Ary's Bar. Picture: Shae Beplate.

“We have reasonable prices for a lot of cocktails, and apart from that, we also have food here.

“We’ve got butter chicken and rice, chicken wings, spring rolls, and sometimes we’ve got goat curries, samosas and pizzas, and the food menu keeps changing every week.”

In addition to alcohol, Ary’s Bar also offers a range of non-alcoholic options including mocktails, which were proving to be a hit with designated drivers.

The bar is located in historic Queens Building, built in 1887, which was previously known as the “greasy building” prior to its dramatic refurbishment in 2022, creating a ground floor bar area and upstairs mezzanine area capable of hosting functions.

Brodie Jankovic and Kayle Wright during the transformation of the historic Queens Building. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Following the 2024 closure of the building’s previous business, Flinders Social, and it sitting vacant for almost a year, Mr Singh jumped on the opportunity to lease the space for five years, with assistance from Colliers Townsville leasing executive Shaun McLaren.

“When (visitors) enter, they say ‘wow, it looks really good’ … they love this place, because the vibe of this place is different,” Mr Singh said.

“They also like the upstairs area because it is separate and they can book it. We already have booking for four to five … end of the year functions and staff parties.”

Amandeep Singh and Karmjeet Kaur, owners of the newly opened, ARY'S Bar. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Mr McLaren said it was great to see another business with a bar and hospitality offering open on Flinders St.

“There’s been quite a few (businesses that have) moved in, in the last couple of months that seem to be livening up the CBD,” Mr McLaren said.

“It's a great spot and a really good fit-out. It’s good to see Amandeep having a crack and I hope his business does really well.”

For more information, visit: www.arys.au.

Originally published as Ary’s Bar looks to attract cocktail drinkers after opening on Flinders St