The Snug Team’s Trilogy Is Complete With Bar Cooper’s

Peer into Bar Cooper’s, the Snug team’s new venue, and the first thing you’ll notice is the woodfired oven: a beautiful, 35-year-old relic anchoring the room. For the past decade it sat idle in the California Native space, unused for logistical reasons, until owners Leaham Claydon and Jianne Jeoung decided to build their neighbourhood bistro around it.

“The last thing we wanted was a closed-in kitchen,” Claydon says. “You’ve got that amazing oven. It needed to be retiled and brought back to life, but it’s such a good centrepiece.”

Beyond the makeover, getting it operational was another challenge. After years without a flame, the oven required a week of steady fires to coax it back to temperature. “Because it had been cold for so long, bringing it to a point where it could hold the heat wasn’t easy,” Jeoung says.

Now, the oven is roaring. Fed with ironbark, it can reach 500 degrees Celsius. Last week, it faced its first real test when Bar Cooper’s opened its doors – the name a clever nod to the suburb of Coorparoo. Housed between Snug and Jane’s Deli, it’s the final piece of the puzzle for Claydon and Jeoung’s corner precinct. It also plays an important role in distinguishing the three venues.

“People have been getting confused between Jane’s Deli and Snug, but having Bar Cooper’s in the middle, which is so clearly different, [helps] people see [three distinct venues],” Jeoung says. “With Bar Cooper’s open, it feels like we’re complete.”

The couple envision the venue becoming a family-friendly spot. As such, there’s a dedicated kids menu and a strong mocktail list. But there’s also plenty to tempt bigger appetites.

Settle in for a full meal, starting with snacks like woodfired oysters with chicken velouté and tarragon, and flatbread with green garlic butter and parmesan. From there, you might order cold poached prawns with tomato caper mayonnaise and curry leaves, or garlic butter pippies with kombu and fermented chilli. Then there are larger dishes like wood-roasted fish with jalapeno and coriander sauce, a dry-aged Wagyu cheeseburger with fries, and Angus sirloin with mushroom gravy.

Venue manager Samantha Pritchard (ex-Caretaker’s Cottage) has devised the cocktail list, which features eight signatures – some with woodfired ingredients – alongside the classics. The wine list leans European compared to Snug’s Australian-only selection.

Bar Cooper’s fit-out is understated, with lots of timber, bronze tiles and dark tones. Large windows draw in plenty of natural light, which will no doubt make early dinners and Sunday lunches particularly appealing.

Bar Cooper’s

321 Chatsworth Road, Coorparoo

No phone

Hours:

Wed to Sat 5pm–10pm

Sun midday–3pm

@barcoopers.bne