Lyme Bar

November 09

Jamie Hanton experiences a cocktail-fuelled Saturday night.

A slice of lyme

Lyme on a Saturday is a vastly different proposition to Lyme on a Friday, warned our trusty Sherpa. The relaxed after-work crowd had been replaced by a birthday party and a stag do at opposite ends of the room. The small bar was heaving and music was blaring; it was almost like a barn dance.  

This flustered us. We'd planned to sample some of the cocktails for which Lyme is known, but this was put on hold, as the bustling bar meant there was little time for painstaking deliberations. That said, the vast selection of bottled beers was almost enough to cause a delay in ordering. I was pleasantly surprised to see bottles of Kronenbourg in the well-stocked beer fridge. We ordered three ($25) and tried to orient ourselves. 

Darkness prevailed, but I could still make out the pink sequinned hat of the stag and his leopard-print jockeys. Lyme is a rather narrow bar that bottlenecks around the middle so, unfortunately, our group had to shimmy past the dancing, half-naked groom-to-be. We made our way down to the far end of the bar, where things looked to be a little calmer. Calmer, yes; quieter, no. The music consisted of rock anthems and sing-along classics and was loud enough to prohibit conversation with anybody not directly adjacent.  

The bar is divided into dimly lit nooks and crannies with bench seating, as well as more open areas with leather couches. Despite the crowd, we easily found seats and sat back to watch the chaos around us.  

The activity became more fevered when, at 10pm on the dot, the tables at the end of bar were cleared away to reveal a dance floor. As if by magic, a disco ball fitted with an array of rainbow-coloured lights descended from the ceiling to flick streams of light into what was the darker end of the bar.  

Like a pack of vampires, the stag party crowd fled and, at once, the bar seemed to breathe. Still, a steady stream of patrons continued; Saturday-night drinkers of all ages, sharing the overwhelming desire to party, as evidenced by the seldom-empty dance floor.  

As Aerosmith came on, it became obvious it was now or never for the cocktails. Despite all the lessons learnt about dessert-flavoured beverages, we ordered the Banoffee Pie cocktail, as well as a Pohutukawa, a Falling Water, and the eponymous Lyme Bar. The cocktails were reasonably priced, around $13.  

The Banoffee Pie, which surprised us all, was deliciously light with well-balanced toffee and chocolate flavours and just a hint of banana. So good, in fact, that it was being thrust around by the drinker, who was urging everybody to experience the taste sensation. I had the Pohutukawa, a rich shade of crimson, which matched its visual punch with a fruity hit. The drinker of Lyme Bar was so taken with his choice that he declared it fit to start the day with. That's not indicative of an alcohol problem, but rather that Lyme Bar is a very easy-going cocktail that shares the mojito's sweet-clean characteristics.  

Falling Water was a flavour assault. Made with 42Below Feijoa vodka, Chi, and cucumber, it was like drinking mouthwash. Three out of four ain't bad at all, with apologies to Meat Loaf, which I'm sure was played at some stage of the night. There was, of course, a waiting time for the cocktails, which is to be expected and can be forgiven with drinks that have multiple processes.  

Slightly harder to forgive were the woeful bathroom facilities. The 70-plus patrons were serviced by two single toilets, which were connected to the bar by a unisex waiting room. This led to the inevitable, awkward conversations with strangers waiting for the bathroom. Another toilet was opened later on, but for most of the night it was locked.  

The service throughout the night was flawlessly efficient and friendly, until I ordered a Belgium Biscuit cocktail. It arrived with no sprinkles on the rim, which was fine. Apparently it was the barman's first day, but when I asked if they could be added, he suggested topping it with Ajax. Banter is one thing; poison is something else altogether. 

In the end, the cocktail was unspeakably delicious, so there were no hard feelings, and the night continued in high spirits until well into Sunday morning. For a night of drinking and dancing, Lyme is a top alternative to the more obvious and more feral haunts.  

Where: 817 Colombo Street.

Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 4.30pm until late.

Wine: A good selection, but really, the cocktails are what it's about.

Prices: On the reasonable side of standard town prices.

Service: Efficient at the bar. 

Ambience: Modernist disco lounge. 

Amenities: Lacking.