Taking inspiration from the roaring 50s, a time of The Rat Pack and Hollywood glamour, walking into Maybe Sammy feels like stepping into a hotel lobby from a storybook, albeit a small one. It’s perennially sunny, the party is just about to start, and the cocktails are as flamboyant as the bartenders.

Maybe Sammy broke the mould when it first opened in Sydney, launched by a small team of Italian founders with an eye for theatre, at a time when Australian bars leaned towards a pared-back, dark and minimal style. Here, guests step into another world, designed to be glamorous, flirtatious and a little silly. Daylight floods the venue in the afternoon, washing the marble counters, long forest-green bar front, pink velvet couches and pale wooden arched back bar in warm light. Bartenders in pale pink jackets bring complimentary bar snacks and occasional splashes of champagne, offering more than a drink — they offer a show. On busy weekends, a queue forms outside, with extended pavement seating giving more guests a taste of Sammy’s magic.

Behind the theatrics — the bubble cocktails, the bartenders tapping out the rhythm of “Tequila” by The Champs on bottles with their bar spoons — sits a serious cocktail programme. Most guests will remember the feeling of Maybe Sammy more vividly than the contents of each drink, though the drinks themselves are crafted with real precision. The whole team is involved in building the menu, each member bringing their own creations to the table, with a structured process that culminates in a soft launch for friends and family to refine the final line-up. The style is thoroughly modern, drawing on distillation, clarification, infusion, fermentation, carbonation and milk-washing, with ingredients sourced from small producers with an emphasis on fair trade and organic practices. Guests won’t see any of this equipment in action — instead, drinks arrive quickly even at the busiest times, with bartenders still finding room to engage and entertain. That’s made possible by a dedicated lab down the road, staffed by a full-time prep specialist.

Despite the work behind the scenes, the team can still turn out off-menu classics on request, and on quieter weeknights the venue settles into something closer to a cocktail lounge, with more traditional service. Later in the week, the mood shifts from Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr to higher-energy sounds — Mister Rock n Rolla plays hits from 1950 to 1966 every Friday from 5–9pm, with live DJs taking over late into the weekend, spinning soul, funk, disco and hip hop.

The team credit much of their efficiency to what they call the “80/20 rocket rule” — inspired by the way space rockets burn 80% of their fuel while still on the ground, and only 20% once airborne. In the same spirit, 80% of Maybe Sammy’s effort goes into meticulous preparation and mise en place before doors open, leaving the remaining 20% for service itself — the balance, they believe, behind their blend of spectacle and precision. Part of that preparation includes a daily team gathering before opening, combining a short break with food and water alongside a full briefing, helping the team start service grounded and aligned.