One Part Aesthetic Beauty, Two Parts Refreshing Design – Eileen’s Bar by YSG Studio

Known globally for the production of award-winning gin, Yarra Valley-based distiller Four Pillars has found a new home in Sydney’s Surry Hills. Designed by interior design wunderkind Yasmine Ghoniem of YSG Studio, Eileen’s Bar, the latest offering to a resurgent Sydney hospitality scene, welcomes patrons to quench their thirst surrounded by aesthetic beauty.

“We wanted to envelop the guests and patrons at the bar and make them feel like they never wanted to leave,” states Yasmine.“ It was about creating this magical beacon in the middle of the space so everyone could get to enjoy the bar and it wasn’t just one part of the venue, but it was the whole of it.” This sentiment certainly rings true when, upon entering Eileen’s Bar via a discreet door on the corner of Fitzroy and Crown Streets, the eye is immediately drawn to visually striking ‘juniper blue’ 20-stool concrete bar. This gleaming stage dominates the space, striking an immediate blow for Sydney’s much maligned bar culture and signifying one’s arrival in a truly special place.

“We wanted to envelop the guests and patrons at the bar and make them feel like they never wanted to leave.”

With drinks ordered from Eileen’s custom menu, utilising Four Pillars entire family of gins, guests are treated to supremely comfortable banquette seating organised around the perimeter. The dark timber and cork finishes found here are a deliberate design consideration to keep the focus on the cocktail-making action at all times, championing the beauty and drama of bartending. The seating is from Cult’s Nau range, blue-stained Sia bar stools and chairs by local designer Tom Fereday, while the banquettes are upholstered in navy fabric by Kvadrat Maharam. At the rear of the space, in a moody alley dubbed ‘Tinder Lane’ (no explanation needed), beautifully finished timber tables anchorcosy settings for two.

Two gin and tonics in and it is easy to forget the industrial foundations within which Eileen’s bar resides. “The site appealed because of its character and its industrial roots,” says Four Pillars experience director Leah Mackenzie of the Bussell Brothers tea company building, home of Eileen’s Bar and Icon and Sydney’s post-depression era architecture. “Essentially we are producers, so we love an industrial vibe. So, while our Distillery is in Healesville, we wanted to still have that maker feel here in Sydney. It’s being honest about who we are. We always want to bring people closer to what we do.”

“The site appealed because of its character and its industrial roots.”

Following an evening of creative cocktails and gin-infused food delivered courtesy of the bespoke bar set-up, one cannot help but leave Four Pillars Eileen’s Bar with a smile. The immersive experience delivered by Eileen’s Bar is testament to the design prowess of Yasmine and her team at YSG Studio, as well as the vision of Four Pillars co-founder Matt Jones and his dedicated team of gin enthusiasts. “At our Four Pillars Distillery home in Healesville, Cameron and his team make the best gin in the world,” says Matt. “When we thought about what we wanted to bring to Sydney, we were determined to take that same passion for making, creativity and experimentation and focus it on the delicious drinks you can make with our gins.”

Eileen’s Bar is located at 410 Crown Street, Surry Hills, NSW and is open from 5pm – midnight, Wednesday through Sunday.

“When we thought about what we wanted to bring to Sydney, we were determined to take that same passion for making, creativity and experimentation and focus it on the delicious drinks you can make with our gins.”