Esca Group opens 100-capacity basement bar Loa beneath Amé

Esca Group has opened Loa, a 100-capacity late-night music room in the basement of Amé, its new Nikkei restaurant on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. The walk-in-only venue trades until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, extending the group's trading hours well past the dinner service upstairs.

Loa was part of the original plan for the heritage-listed building, according to Ibby Moubadder, co-founder and creative director of Esca Group. "Oxford Street has such a rich history of nightlife, music and self-expression, and we wanted to create a space that carries that forward," he said. "Loa is a room for everyone, where the music comes first, the drinks are flowing and the night builds to a full dance floor."

Who runs the bar program?

Beverage director Jerom Morris leads the drinks offer across both Amé and Loa. His résumé includes Los Angeles' Gwen by Curtis Stone and Accomplice Bar. The list leans on neo-classic cocktails — familiar builds reworked with fresh ingredients and refined technique — a menu-engineering approach that favours repeat ordering over novelty. "We have the cocktails everyone knows and loves, but we've given each one a new shape with fresh ingredients and refined technique," Morris said. "They're drinks you'd order again and again, made to keep the night moving."

The lineup is built on recognized specs with a twist:

• Cobalt Cosmo — Absolut, Cointreau, blueberry, tarragon and lavender
• Skinny Colada — Havana Club, cream sherry, pineapple, coconut water, strawberry rim
• Perfect Cadillac — Los Altos, lime and agave, served with an orange-infused reposado shot

A soft serve machine pours a reimagined Gimlet — house gin with lime soft serve — doubling as a dessert and a drink in one order. Non-alcoholic cocktails, Australian and international wines, and beer on tap round out the offer, a spread that covers multiple price points and occasions across a nine-hour trading night.

What does the food menu share with Amé?

Executive Chef Erik Ortolani curates the kitchen, running the pass across Itō, Jōji and Amé as well. The menu draws on the same Japanese-Peruvian flavour base as the restaurant above, reformatted for late-night grazing — a shared kitchen model that spreads one culinary payroll across four venues. Dishes include a golden curry empanada with green herb sauce, chicken karaage with rocoto honey and sesame dip, and a Wagyu burger with American cheese, caramelised onion and tsukemono.

What are the trading hours?

The room operates Wednesday and Thursday 5pm to 12am, Friday and Saturday 5pm to 2am, and Sunday 5pm to 12am. A happy hour runs Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm to 7pm, covering small plates, cocktails, house wines and lager — a two-hour window designed to capture the pre-dinner and after-work crowd before the DJ programming takes hold.

Design comes from Matt Darwon, Esca's longtime collaborator: low-set red ceilings, timber seating and chrome accents, centred on a DJ booth with a custom-built Martin Audio sound system. Neo Soul, R&B and eclectic grooves run Wednesdays and Thursdays, with resident DJs and special guests from Friday to Sunday. With Amé above and Loa below, Esca Group now controls a full day-to-night vertical in one Darlinghurst address.