For a new Wollongong bar and nightspot - the clue is in the name. Halfway, opened by Adam Murphy, sits literally half way between the Crown Street nightlife baron's two other venues, rooftop bar Humber and nightclub Heyday. The new venue also offers an experience that is halfway between the outdoor, evening drinks vibe of Humber and the late night rave cave of Heyday. Opened last weekend and with the final touches installed earlier this week, Mr Muphy is hoping Halfway is the missing piece of the puzzle along upper Crown Street, as the area becomes a thriving nightspot. "It allows people to have a late night experience in the CBD." Stepping through the front door, the 120 person capacity bar stretches out around a large, single room. Couches and bar tables are scattered on the one side, with a large bar in the middle and off to one side is where local DJs will take to the decks with space for a dancefloor. Teased via Instagram earlier this year, the fit-out is Cancun meets Saint Tropez, with a tropical display reminiscent of the opening diorama of season one of HBO hit The White Lotus. And the drinks list is designed to match. The bar menu offers over 70 different types of tequila, along with an impressive selection of rum and other spirits. Cocktails have been a favourite so far, with the Violette Bliss, combining elderflower, violette - a French spirit made with violet leaves - and vodka. Also on the menu is a selection of "99 per cent" Australian craft beers and wines, as well as charcuterie boards and cheeses. Mr Murphy said with the bar open from 4pm until 12pm Thursday and until 2am on Friday and Saturday, the bar is open for patrons to drop in for a drink or stay and make a night of it. "It's a cocktail bar that expands into an adventure as the night goes on." It has been an adventure for Mr Murphy and his team to get the bar open. First approved by Wollongong City Council in 2021, they decided to put opening on hold as the hospitality industry weathered the storm of lockdowns in that year and getting used to the 'new normal' the year after. With the introduction of the 24 hour economy commissioner to Wollongong this year and new rules to support small bars and live music, Mr Murphy said 2023 was the right time to open the new bar. "Five to 10 years ago, there wasn't much activity out on the streets here at night. [Now] with everything else that's been going on in the centre of town, it's really busy and a good place to come." As WIN Grand rises out of the block across the road, Mr Murphy said he is looking forward to Halfway being part of an increasingly vibrant CBD, and that new residents aren't here to spoil the party. "We can coexist, and live side by side."
