Smoking Panda is a must visit cocktail bar in the heart of the city. The decor is a little different. It is reflective of an old school Chinese restaurant with a sprinkle of the sunset strip. They serve up some of the tastiest bar bites you will come across. Even better, they now have a specialty cocktail menu paying homage to a classic, the Old Fashioned. With 228 different types of Old Fashioned varieties, to be precise. This is partly due to Smoking Panda having the largest collection of bitters of any bar in Australia.

Smoking Panda is serving up the Old Fashioned with a range of spirits including vodka, rum, gin and all types of whisky, including a quality collection of scotch, bourbon and rye. There is surely an old fashioned to suit anyone’s taste. If Old Fashioned’s are not your thing, there are plenty of other drink options, with beer, wine and a range of cocktails. If you are a whisky fan you are in for a real treat. The smoking panda 2.0 is a must, if you are an Old Fashioned fan. Iain the bar keeper goes all out on this cocktail, without blowing out the price.

Not only does Smoking Panda have an amazing drink list, the food on offer is sublime. The menu reflecting the decor, with a mix of American and Asian selections, perfect to enjoy with a few bevvies. The sticky USA pork ribs were mind blowing, it would be almost impossible for the meat to be any more tender. We were surprised the meat was still hanging onto the bone. The sticky BBQ sauce was damn tasty too. On par were the Panda Kuro prawns coated in a bamboo charcoal infused panko crumb, there bad boys were incredibly moreish. Other notables include the sliders, the devil wings and the Panda San choy bow with a Smokey Asian sauce, this dish perfectly sums up The Smoking Panda.

With a great drink selection, including an impressive list of whisky and bitters. This combining this with some ridiculously tasty food. The Smoking Panda is up there on our favourite bar list and is well worth a visit.