When Gemelli Italian opened on James Street in 2021, it didn’t just open a restaurant – it also opened a bar. The anticipated addition to the Gemelli portfolio, took over and converted the old Bucci and Lululemon spaces, creating two distinct halves that, while linked, also operate as two standalone venues. On one side you’ll have Gemelli Italian itself – a slick three-level Hogg & Lamb-designed space boasting large open windows, a bespoke pizza oven imported from Naples, a salumi display fridge and huge back bar with more than 100 wines on offer. On the other you have Bar Tano, the restaurant’s drinks-oriented neighbour, which is noticeably moodier, with a sensual aesthetic of green marble, polished concrete and mirrors creating a striking interplay of textures. The concept, which is the Gemelli group’s first bar concept, is inspired by Milanese aperitivo bars. With this in mind, the bar team has curated a stellar list of Italian wines, classic Italian-inspired cocktails and a bunch of ‘cocktails della casa’ – house beverages concocted by head bartender Fabrizio Del Re like the Drive Me Nuts, a blend of the negroni and old fashioned, and the Martini Express, which features Bar Tano’s housemade aged coffee liqueur. Guests can also nibble on whipped ricotta dip with citrus, Nonna’s pork-and-beef meatballs, potato-and-taleggio croquettes topped with Sicilian anchovies, fluffy 100-percent hydration house-made focaccia, or a customisable assortment of salumi and cheeses, if preferred.