Nick and Nora’s Head Bar Manager, Kieran O’Brien talks to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series. The city bar makes an appearance at the Australian Open in 2025 bringing their cocktails to the precinct for a quality tipple.
MY CITY
Melbourne of course. It is such a great city with something for everyone. Great food, excellent bar scene, culture, arts, fashion, you name it, it’s here.
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
Melbourne has such great restaurants, so choosing one dish that stands out is hard. At Fable on Lonsdale Street, they used to serve the best steak tartare in my opinion, but unfortunately, they don’t serve it anymore. Supernormal has a peanut butter parfait dessert that is a must-try and the lobster roll at Nick & Nora’s.
FAVOURITE BAR
Above Board is one of my favourite bars in Melbourne. The vibe is clean, and the team excels at what they do. I will always order a gin martini (dry, no garnish) and their signature cocktail, the ‘Brightside’; however, I also love the ‘Sea & Shell’ martini at Pearl Diver. A beautiful bar in the heart of the theatre district on Little Bourke Street, dedicated to serving the finest oysters, crafted cocktails, and dishes inspired by both land and sea served in a modern, industrial setting accented by subtle nautical touches.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
A classic gin martini. Wet, dry, dirty, it can cater to most people’s taste but isn’t for everyone.
BEST HANGOVER CURE
I’m Scottish, so it has to be a crisp cold can of our national drink, Irn-bru; it’ll always sort you out.
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Shotgun Willie’s in Adelaide. There was good staff and good drinks, but it didn’t take itself too seriously, so it was a fun place to hang out and throw some darts with friends.
A HOT TIP FOR AN OVERSEAS BAR
Panda and Son’s in my hometown of Edinburgh. It’s consistently in the top 100 bars and has pushed the boat out and revolutionised the craft while delivering high-quality drinks.
FAVOURITE WINE
After marrying my lovely partner, I shared a bottle of ‘Blue Top’ Heidsieck-Monopole Champagne with my family in a beautiful restaurant in Waikiki, Hawaii.
FAVOURITE WINERY
I have been to a few, but nowhere near as many as I would like; however, I did love Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley. Great team and very knowledgeable, with a great range of lovely wines. I particularly love their Syrah and Pinot Noir.
Tell us what appealed about the AO collaboration
It gave us a chance to think about our drinks a bit more and adapt them to a new environment, being able to bring our unique style and theatricality to a new location and show what we are all about to even more people.
What the cocktail list says about Nick & Nora’s
Our cocktails are a fitting representation of a different time while still being modern and yet approachable. We are about fun and theatrics; cocktails don’t have to take themselves too seriously all the time. Let’s have a laugh and cheers to good times.
What you’re most looking forward to at AO food and drink-wise
I am excited to see what all the other bars have brought to the (tennis) table and how they have encapsulated the whole AO experience within their drinks. But I just can’t wait to be in the atmosphere of the entire event.
