Adelaide’s newest watering hole, Pink Moon Saloon, proves that good things really do come in small packages. Matiya Marović, of local design studio Sans Arc, was presented with a tight brief: create a bar in a disused laneway that's a mere 3.6m wide.
His response is three linked spaces, in three types of Australian timber, which draws inspiration from Tadao Ando's revered Azuma House in Osaka, and borrows the idea of its central courtyard, which lets the sun bathe the covered front and rear sections. ‘The layered approach accentuates the movement of walking through the space,’ explains Marović. ‘Crossing multiple thresholds and experiencing the different spaces.’
The name comes from Nick Drake's pastoral-influenced final album, Pink Moon, and the bar, with its natural materials and hermetical, mountain cabin design, would surely have won the singer and songwriter’s approval.
Up front is what Marović terms the ‘drinkers' hut’, where you could easily quaff your way around Australia, with the cream of the nation's wine regions and boutique breweries on offer. Treat your tastebuds to a rare brew - spelt ale by Tasmanian brewers Two Metre Tall - or the pinot gris by local vignerons The Other Wine Co.
Calypso stools by Melbourne's Beeline Design, hand-painted by Marović, welcome visitors into the courtyard. Take a perch then try the signature Pink Moon Clover Club (gin, raspberry, lemon and egg white).
Tucked at the rear is a romantic log-cabin diner – a quiet place to indulge in slow-cooked meaty treats with a glass of Barossa Valley red.
It's small but a rewarding place that satisfies all of the senses.
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