Misfits is an eclectic new bar and dining local in Redfern, luring you in from Tuesday 8 August. Much like Redfern, Misfits is a little quirky and full of personality. There’s a handful of retro-inspired spaces cleverly created within the one venue, perched up on the first floor of the building that straddles Redfern and George Streets.
Follow the neon sign up the stairs to a lively bar that flows through to a relaxed dining space, private dining, laid-back cocktail lounge, and a rooftop terrace. Misfits is by hospitality thoroughbreds the W. Short Hotel Group (The Glenmore, The Australian Heritage Hotel, The Royal Leichhardt, The Tudor Redfern), so expect that charming local publican vibe but that’s where the similarities end.
There’s a large selection of local craft beers on tap, single malt whiskies, and twists on classic cocktails (hello smoked paloma, chilli margarita and America’s famous boilermaker). The wine list tours Australia and abroad with several by the glass in standard and large sizing, plus an impressive collection of magnum (1.5L), jeroboam (3L) and imperial (6L) wines and champagnes. If you’re off the booze, there’s refreshing house made ginger beer and infused sodas.
Renowned Group Executive Chef James Privett delivers a casual dining menu that works for bar snacking through to a long lunch or dinner in the relaxed dining space, kept to yourself or shared with the table.
The menu is grounded by comforting flavours. Smoky beef tartare with charcoal crisps, pressed chicken terrine, capsicum relish & chipotle or some crab rolls or empanadas could be the go while perched at the bar. There are several seafood dishes including Charred WA octopus with romesco, black beans and sea succulents; and pan fried mulloway fillet, prawn tortellini, peas, carrots, roe and beurre blanc.
Meat eaters should try the roast double lamb cutlet, mustard crumbed lamb breast, eggplant, smoked potato and broccolini, or the confit pork belly with house made blood pudding, charred radicchio and apple relish. Vegetarians have nothing to fear with several substantial options including roast Jerusalem artichokes, zucchini, herbed ricotta, celeriac and a dusting of toasted nori powder or a fried slab of silken tofu topped with seasonal baby vegetables, bathed at the table in a roast potato broth.
“This is fun, delicious, slightly sophisticated casual dining that compliments the great bar atmosphere of Misfits” says Privett.
“I’ve been able to play with some new flavour combinations and styles to create a menu that we believe offers something different for Redfern but that also differs from our other venues in the W Short Hotel Group. Don’t panic though, there’s still a burger! It’s stocked with smoked cheese, house-made relish and a hunk of crispy fries.”
The interiors favour an eclectic aesthetic over a more polished style and feature splashes of retro colours and neon. It’s a little bit 60s, a great deal 70s, whilst also embracing of a new-age Redfern. Five different spaces within Misfits are subtly combined into the one venue and feature a mix of bar stools, booth seating, casual dining tables, and lounges throughout the split levels.
Misfits is an exciting new direction for the W. Short Hotel Group. Drawing on more than 40 years of running great hospitality venues, they’ve dialled up the drinks and dining to create a destination for neighbouring suburbs and a new kind of local for Redfern – a community the business is proud to be part of since purchasing The Tudor Hotel in 2015.