To say Casino Canberra’s Chandelier Bar is anything less than elegant, stunning and glamorous is the understatement of the century – it’s the jewel in the crown of the casino’s spectacular refurbishment with the larger-than-life chandelier literally taking centre stage of the show.
Upon entrance the chandelier commands your attention and it’s hard to stray away from its path that invites you to the lit marble-top bar to order a glass of your favourite drop before taking in the beauty of the rest of the new-look space – from the gaming floor to the adjacent Natural 9 restaurant, every detail is accounted for, and to top it off the service is next to none.
Casino Canberra Food and Beverage Director Chad Ogden has a wealth of culinary experience under his belt having served his time as a prominent figure in the industry for 25 years. This international experience in the food industry has lent itself well to cocktail creation.
“Being able to use my culinary palette on cocktails helps change the overall flare, it really gives you an intense flavour in the cocktails,” he explains.
The beverage list comprises of an extensive selection of the finest wines around the world, as well as a myriad of exciting cocktail concoctions that the bar staff are excited to share and educate guests on.
“To put together the Chandelier Bar menu we started with cognacs and whiskeys and a lot of research and tastings,” Chad says.
“What sets us apart is our collection of exclusive high-end cognacs for our guests, including Remy Martin Louis XIII.
“We’ve also got some of the rarest whiskeys you can get here, which is truly something unique and not similar to other venues. We want to be able to have what’s new, what’s hip and what tastes good, but not be stuck with standard in-house options.”
The drinks menu also boasts some much-loved local favourites, including brews from home-grown label Pact Beer Co.
“Pact is currently in the process of designing a beer for Chandelier Bar. We’ll name it Casino Canberra Brew and are looking forward to getting that. We are just currently in the tasting process so it’s quite exciting for us,” Chad adds.
“We want it to be a light ale, with lots of stone fruit and citrus tones. We also want to make it more affordable so it can be our main beer offering.
“We’ll also be putting Chinese lager beer Tsingtao on tap, which again isn’t something you find often.”
A quick peruse of the menu is sure to create a short list of cocktails for you to try, with tongue-in-cheek drink names giving a nod to the casino, including; the Texas Hold’em, made with home-infused mint tequila, cachaca, fresh watermelon, fresh lime juice and orange juice ($18); Queen of Hearts, comprised of vodka, chambord, fresh strawberry juice, lime juice, cranberry juice and sugar syrup ($16); and No More Bets, a mix of premium-aged rum, elderflower liqueur, passion fruit juice and lime juice ($16).
Chad and the expert team of mixologists have tried and tasted every wine themselves before choosing to place them on the menu. Chad says that the team have done their due diligence and have taken pride in creating a beautiful wine menu that isn’t comparable to anything else in town.
“There are 76-plus wines and among them so many stand outs; my favourite has got to be the Saint Clair Omaka Reserve, it’s a beautiful New Zealand wine – absolutely fantastic,” he says.
“The Egly Ouriet is probably the best champagne in France and we’ve got a couple of sparkling wines by the glass, such as Mount Majura Silarian which is quite a nice local Canberran sparkling, and we also have a few notable European and French wines.
“I want to offer a bar that’s new and interesting for people to come and try. When people come here we want to provide a standard of drinks, that encompasses great range and taste, that they can’t experience anywhere else, but here at Casino Canberra’s very own Chandelier Bar.”
