If you know, you know—and if you don’t, Bar Selecta doesn’t seem all that bothered about explaining it to you. That’s part of the charm. Tucked down a rear entry at 717 Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn, this new 10-seat listening bar isn’t chasing foot traffic or TikTok virality. Instead, it’s tuning into something slower, deeper, and more analog.
Bar Selecta is the creation of six hospitality lifers—Joey Tai (ex–Flower Drum), Masaki Hisaike (sake sommelier), Kelvin Low (The Elysian), Adam Ong (Golden Monkey), and Michael and Eleena Tan (Brand Works)—who’ve taken the DNA of Japan’s hallowed vinyl bars and remixed it for Melbourne. The result: a sonic lounge where vintage jazz, Japanese funk, and old-school hip-hop swirl through vintage JBL speakers, bouncing softly off walls lined with red onyx and orange glass bricks.
But the vibe isn’t just in the sound. Behind the onyx bar, the drinks hum with the same spirit of curation. The Sailor Moon Gimlet feels like a club track in cocktail form: Japanese gin, cherry blossom cordial, and a little Midori for a neon wink. Sake is served in wine glasses, chosen less by label and more by feel—guided by Masaki’s ever-shifting sense of mood.
The room itself, though small, opens out in stages: a moody main bar, a 25-person lounge, and a laneway terrace where Sunday BYO vinyl sessions are coming soon, along with smoke-swirled yakitori.
And while the bar seats just ten, it never feels exclusionary. The team’s motto—Softly spoken. Deeply felt.—isn’t so much branding as instruction. Come with ears open and shoulders down. Leave the loud opinions at the door.
Bar Selecta isn’t for everyone, and that’s the point. It’s for those who believe that music sounds better when it’s played off wax, that cocktails should be felt not flaunted, and that small, quiet rooms sometimes make the biggest impression.
For more information, head over to the bar’s official website.
