Get ready to go starry-eyed for Offworld, a new Queen West cocktail bar with an outer space theme. Run by the same people behind self-appointed โnerd barโ Storm Crow Manor, Offworld leverages the teamโs flair for creating theatrical dining and drinking experiences.
โWe’re taking the thing that made Storm Crow so famous and popular and trying to elevate it to that next step,โ says general manager Tyler VanderWallen. While Storm Crow nods to a range of pop culture topics, from Game of Thrones to Dune, Offworld narrows the focus with an homage to sci-fi that includes showy cocktails and screens that transport diners through a fictional solar system.ย
โWe have to walk that fine line of being fun but not campy,โ says VanderWallen.
The Food
Offworld offers a menu of light bites designed to pair with drinks. Like Storm Crow, the menu is peppered with geeky references to the barโs theme, from the Hyperlight Pretzel to the Tau Ceti Pรขtรฉ.ย
The Belter’s Burrata, named after the Expanse TV series, features blistered tomatoes, basil and a side of sourdough bread.
The โnanoburgersโ come in standard and vegan-friendly varieties. The beef burger is topped with fig compote and foie gras, while its meat-free equivalent features a Beyond Meat sausage patty with caramelized onions. The slow-cooked pulled pork burger is layered with pickled red cabbage, as is its vegan version made with spicy jackfruit.ย
Offworld partnered with Nugateau Patisserie for its desserts, which include these multi-hued macarons.
Nugateau is also behind the Dark Star Eclair, which is made with 64 per cent dark chocolate cremeux.
The Drinks
Bar manager Flor Duran Acuna aims to put a sci-fi spin on classic cocktails.
The Xenophauna, for example, is a riff on a Last World cocktail, made with celery-infused gin, green chartreuse, lime juice, demerara syrup and tajin โ all garnished with a fried grasshopper to add an otherworldly-feeling element.
The Tikinaut swaps the traditional Tiki mug for an astronaut-shaped glass made in the same style. The drink features Wray & Nephew rum, Goslings rum, coconut, lemon, lime and housemade kiwi syrup. Duran Acuna says that housemade syrups are another key feature of Offworldโs cocktail program.
For the No Tribble, a mix of 1800 Reposado, Cointreau, Lambrusco and cherry soda is hugged by a layer of cotton candy.
True to its name, the Warp Bubble is topped with a vapour-filled bubble that eventually dissolves into a dramatic cloud of smoke. Itโs made with Four Roses bourbon, honey syrup, cherry soda and lemon juice.
While these creative cocktails are the showpiece of the bar program, VanderWallen says the team also wants to cater to imbibers looking for a simple, well-made drink. โWe have our nine fun, tongue-in-cheek, classic cocktails that weโve sci-fiโd up, but we want to be able to have somebody sit down and order the best Manhattan theyโre ever gonna have or their favourite tequila,โ he says.
The Space
Offworld blends a lounge-like vibe with glowing lighting, an illuminated stone bar and hologram-like light fixtures to create an ambiance that feels part-nightclub and part-geek den.ย
Owner Jason Kapalka, whoโs also the founder of video game company PopCap Games, tapped his network of animators to develop the barโs โdigital windowโ screens, according to VanderWallen.ย
The screens display a star-filled galaxy as a default, but change throughout any given evening to take guests to various โplanetsโ populated by weird and wonderful creatures. โWhen this room is full, you hear the reaction when we change over,โ says VanderWallen.
VanderWallen says DJ performances and a late-night dance floor are possibilities in the coming weeks. โWe’re very proud to be the next experiment in the Storm Crow world,โ he says.