First look: Kodiak Bar

Posted on 12 August, 2022

Cocktails with a twist, a comfort cuisine menu, and bartenders in ties: Kodiak Bar has officially opened its doors.

Taking over the space on Kingston’s Kennedy Street formerly housing iconic upscale pub The Kennedy Room and turning it on its head, after months of leaving us wondering what they had planned, owners Leeroy and Sophia Petersen have finally brought Kodiak Bar—a new cocktail bar—to life.

And while you might know and love the “good ole charm” of their Canadian-themed “real” pub Caribou, Kodiak (which is named after the largest recognised subspecies of the brown bear) will be wholly different from their hospitality venture in Green Square.

Instead, Sophia explains, Kodiak is the sophisticated cocktail bar the south has been begging for.

“Kodiak is a place of celebration where we bring people together to create memorable moments,” she says.

“I feel like there’s a lot of great pubs that you can go to—really big fun pubs—and then there’s a lot of really good restaurants. But sometimes when I go out I don’t necessarily want to go to a pub and I don’t necessarily want to go to a restaurant. I want to go somewhere and I want it to be accessible, I want it to be fun, I want there to be great things to eat and drink and a really easy menu that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I just feel like there’s a massive gap in Canberra for something like that, so we thought we’d create it.”

And create it they have.

The moment you walk through the doors, patrons are transported into an eclectic, yet upmarket bar that’s brimming with character. Moody, dark, and taking inspiration from New York industrial style interiors, every aspect of the fit-out—from dark wood banquettes, to exposed brick, metal-backed shelves, leather chairs and gilded framed mirrors—has been chosen for a purpose, because as Venue Manager Kierain Bunton says “the devil is in the details.”

“I think it’s a pretty cool opportunity that we have here to revitalise a suburb that was once held in such high esteem. This used to be a hub for entertainment and hospitality and then it went away for a really long time and it’s a pretty special opportunity to be in a place that has so much history,”

“It has been a lot of cool places and people have done a lot of cool stuff to it and it’s really nice for Leeroy and Sophia to have come in here and to have not only matched what was here but really step it up and give the place a breath of fresh air.”

And it’s not only the interiors that have a surprising twist.

Bringing in Ben Sanderson (formally of Raku) as Executive Chef, the food centres around shared plates as well as some more classic offerings: think oysters with rum and pineapple, beetroot tartare served with pickled apple, whipped goats cheese and smoked almonds, and a North American style cheeseburger—because according to Leeroy you need at least one on the menu.

And while the kitchen might close at 11 pm each night, charcuterie boards and toasted sandwiches will still be available to order, perfect for curing any late-night cravings.

But if it’s an after-work drink you’re after, there’s plenty to choose from. From creative cocktails (which use ingredients like chai infused rye whisky and cold dip coffee), craft brewed beers, as well as an extensive wine and champagne list Leeroy and Sophia describe as “hipster juice/ biodynamic wines”, you can see why Kodiak (and its offerings) is summed up by the pair as “playful and relaxed”.

It hits the sweet spot of casual yet sophisticated—just like their authentic ‘comfort cuisine’.

“You can sit here with 20 people and everyone can share or you can come in on your own, have what you like and relax without feeling like you’re overly full,” explains Leeroy.

Planning on introducing live music in the coming weeks and opening up the venue as an event space (which will be available for bookings in the future) now that the doors have flung open, Leeroy, Sophia and Kierain hope that Kodiak a place for locals to make connections—and to enjoy a night out without having to hit the town.

“Kingston was really cool once and it fell off the map,” says Kierain. “And we’re really looking forward to re-cementing that with everybody.”

And with chai-infused Manhattans on the menu and bartenders in ties, we’ll say cheers to that.