Fine Spirits

By day, Fine Spirits is an upscale liquor store, the shopfront of importers La Maison Du Whisky.

By night, sofas and armchairs appear out the front, the central bar transforms from tasting station to cocktail mixery, and the store becomes a bar.

A clean, slick space, with an impressive list of spirits, among them over 100 whiskies by the glass, Fine Spirits is popular with the business crowd and a cut above Riverside's often formulaic and touristy bars.

Mondays, when punters can bring their own ingredients for the friendly, professional bar staff to whip up into cocktails for only $15, are popular.

The cocktail list is short and to the point. A Margarita made with Del Maguey mezcal and Luxardo, served without the salt, was an interesting variation if not entirely an improvement on the original.