HOTA’s new Gallery would have to be one of the most notable openings of 2021, and along with it the respective opening of both Palette Restaurant and The Exhibitionist Bar. And if you haven’t been treated to the superb views that The Exibitionist Bar offers, are you even a rooftop bar connoisseur? Behind the creative cocktail menu at the venue is Tom Angel. With a wealth of knowledge, Tom brings to the venue a refreshing and imaginative slant to all beverages that will be sure to treat all the senses. Read on to find out a bit more about his career and his love of all things hospitality on the Gold Coast.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local? 
I moved here beginning of 2006 for a holiday, fell in love with a lady, the place and surrounding areas, and never left!

Tell us a bit about you.
I caught the bug from an early age working for my Aunt in her award winning café in Christchurch, NZ. Ever since then I’ve been on a quest to embody the art of hospitality as she did. I spent a few years working at The Star Gold Coast, learning all aspects of the industry, before moving onto smaller venues. I count myself very lucky to work with and learn from some best in the business, like Josh and Astrid and the team from La Casita/Fleet in Brunswick Heads, Adam Lane at Kiyomi (now at Yamagen), and of course Dayan Hartil-Law, before opening a small cocktail bar in Broadbeach. Owning and operating a bar gave me some invaluable lessons that I very much appreciate and has only strengthen my resolve and passion for this industry and the bartending community. Finding like-minded individuals, David Aznar (L’apero Pop-Up), Jackson Connor (Rosella’s in Burleigh) and Finn Hope (Exhibitionist Bar) to name a few, to develop and collaborate with has been very exciting!

After moving to the Gold Coast, I met my future wife a week afterwards, and now we have two boys together! My oldest son is also hearing impaired like myself, and my family is one of my biggest sources of drive and passion, to show that having a disability should not hold you back from achieving what you put your mind to.

What do you consider your greatest career achievement?
I consider the Diageo world-class competition one of the most prestigious bartending competitions worldwide and I love that I’ve made the top 100 bartenders in Australia 5 times, which shows to me all my hard work and staying in touch with what is happening internationally in the bartending world is paying off. I came 2^nd in 2017 and went to Bangkok for a priceless bartenders Bootcamp with Andrea Gauldi and some of the best bartenders in Asia. The pop-up bar we did on the rooftop of the Sofitel hotel was a night I’ll never forget!

Currently working at HOTA, Home of the Arts and the amazing team here definitely feels like a privilege especially with the Culinary Arts team, and it feels like this is going to be an important milestone in my career. The Curatorial Arts team here has provided me with a new source of inspiration which is very rewarding!

What makes The Exhibitionist Bar a superior rooftop bar on the Gold Coast?
The view is amazing! Both daytime and night-time. We have this panoramic view of the Gold Coast city skyline, which is becoming iconic, combined with the hinterland behind us to watch the sun go down over the hills. Quality drinks and food on offer as well, with our talented bartenders able to make classics well, and live music entertainment on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. Our cocktail menu is inspired by the current show in the major gallery which is currently An Art Mixtape: Yours for Summer. We have done our own mixtape of cocktails with  A) some being our favourite cocktails and flavours and  B) we have collaborated with international legends such as Monica Berg from Tayer + Elementary in London, currently number 2 in the World’s top 50 best bars list, and Heather Garland, co-owner of Caretaker and Deadshot in Auckland, NZ. We are having a lot of fun with this menu!

What is your personal favourite cocktail, and why?
I’m loving the Kokomo, from the new Exhibitionist Bar cocktail menu. Clarified cocktails are cool and it’s been a while since I’ve done one! It’s a take on one of my favourite classic cocktails – Mai Tai – we essentially take a sour cocktail and make it clear, I love watching people’s reactions when they taste the drink and they are not expecting it to be sour. Husk Pure Cane rum, Glenlivet Caribbean Cask, Marionette Orange Curacao, lime, m’orgeat (macadamia orgeat). We then float a layer of a bitter Davidson plum liqueur on top.

How long does it take you (from start to finish) to come up with a new cocktail?
It all depends, sometimes I can do it on the fly, some of the best drinks I’ve made have been when under the pressure to make a drink in 5 mins! I like to start with a base flavour and keep it really simple with a minimalist thought process behind it. Often if I’m working with a particular spirit, I’ll pinpoint a certain flavour that would work well accentuated. I will write down on paper in a notebook or scraps and work my way through it, often with random drawings and indecipherable sentences. Here at HOTA, Home of the Arts, it’s been really nice to use the artwork as a starting point, and I will dive deep into it. Why was the artwork created? What does the artwork look like? Colours, textures, lighting, emotions? One of my favourite projects has been with Claudia de Salvo – a ceramist who created an artwork called Heat and Time for our opening major show back in May. She was exploring the different temperatures of firing the clay, and how by pouring water into them, showing us the chemical process involved in breaking down clay. This is a metaphor for time and human intervention. The resulting drink was exploring the use of ginger and native ginger in different temperatures and forms, served in a vessel made by the artist!

With the borders having just reopened, what are you most excited for in the immediate future?
I’m most excited to bring my family across the border for some fun and catch-ups with family and friends! I’ve got some restaurants I’ve been waiting to go to (looking at you Eddy + Wolff!)

For those celebrating at home this year, what’s an easy NYE cocktail recipe you would recommend someone to make?
Mezcal Margaritas! I’m a huge fan of mezcal and I think this would be perfect and very easy to make at home. Grab a bottle of quality mezcal, limes, agave nectar, sea salt and ice.
Add two parts mezcal to 1 part lime and ½ part of agave nectar, shake with ice (if you don’t have a shaker use a glass jar with a lid or a Tupperware container – be imaginative!) pour all contents including ice, into a short glass with a half rim of sea salt. This is a great base to work off, you can add to this and make your own twist! Add cucumber, mint, chillies, berries, melons.

How would you be spending your New Year’s Eve, if you weren’t working?
If I wasn’t working I would be at home with the family, probably invite the neighbours and friends over and bust out some special wine that I’ve got stashed away somewhere!

What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2022?
I’m looking forward to seeing a sense of normalcy coming back hopefully, but the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers NSW scene is looking very exciting in the hospitality world, so I can’t wait to explore this further.

What are your Gold Coast favourites… 
Café: Not the Gold Coast, but Cubby’s in Chinderah. Always an essential coffee stop in the morning on the way to work and the team there are amazing.
Coffee spot: Vector, Tarte and Stable are all making quality cups of brew! Beam Roasters and Therefore Roasters, both from Northern NSW are roasting some amazing blends as well. Dino at Rosella’s makes the best Espresso Martinis ????
Restaurant: North Room, Eddy + Wolff, Muso, and my sons reckon that Eddie’s Grub House makes the best burgers on the Coast (they do). Also do yourself a favour if you haven’t yet, get down to La Casita in Brunswick Heads for some cracking Mexican food.
Bar or pub for a drink: Rosella’s for shit chat and great drinks. The new wine bar Paloma by the Labart legends has a very slick wine list curated by Channey. Super happy that Après Surf is back in Burleigh too. My home bar is coming along real nice too, almost completed so the neighbours will be happy about that!

How do you choose to spend your weekends? 
I spend it with my family first and foremost, and catching up with my friends and like-minded individuals, always on the lookout for the next project, and of course training my palette.

Sipping a cocktail in sophisticated surroundings on an elevated balcony with dazzling views of a world-class skyline might sound like you’d frequent in international cities. But hold that thought. Because as of now, it is a firm reality on the Gold Coast with the exciting new opening of HOTA Gallery’s Exhibitionist Bar!

There has been much excitement around the opening of HOTA’s new multi-million-dollar attraction for some time, fully cementing the Gold Coast’s legitimate claim as an arts hub here in Australia. Arts aside though, this beautifully fitted out bar nestled on the 5^th floor with unhindered views of the Surfers Paradise skyline and our beloved hinterland, is set to become your new favourite drinks and tapas hangout.

The space is the ideal scene — at any time of the day — to mull over and discuss the pieces of artwork you’ve just seen and enjoy a drink. Take note: should you have any out-of-towners coming to visit and you feel the burning need to impress them with what we have here, this must be on your list.

As there are no other buildings like it nearby, the terrace area of the bar takes in an entirely new perspective of Surfers Paradise from a raised north-westerly perspective. And even if you’ve lived here for years, it is guaranteed to still impress. While the view is spectacular at any time, we highly recommend visiting at sunset for a colourful light show like no other.

The drinks offering is an incredibly thought-out affair headed up by Bar Manager Tom Angel. Tom’s a Gold Coast veteran when it comes to conceiving and pouring only the finest alcoholic libations (you may be familiar with his previous work at Fig + Frankie’s, Old Tom or Kiyomi). In conjunction with the gallery and like Palette, his cocktail list mirrors and complements the art installations. Meaning once you have taken note of your favourite piece of art, you can then head upstairs and drink its cocktail equivalent.

Expect big and complex flavours from signature drinks like the tequila-based Cloud Drive and vodka-based Steal the Sunshine. The connection to art pieces is both complex and exciting, to say the least. In the menu, you will find a description revealing how the drink was envisaged and came to be — providing excellent replay value and painfully forcing your hand to come back and try them all!

Classic and new world wines join house-made sodas and local craft beers to round out an impressive selection to quench your thirst.

Taking in all this culture will no doubt put you on your way to feeling hungry. But be assured the sophisticated tapas-style snack menu is something to behold. Grazing your way through the afternoon has never been so easy with a glass of champagne in hand and a Soft-Shell Australian Bay Lobster Roll, or perhaps a crisp white wine and the Oven-Roasted Gold Coast Prawns with Finger Lime, served in Foraged Beach Leaves. There’s also the fanciest of sausage rolls and pies you just have to try. Ideal for those with a more classic taste!

Like the gallery installations, the food and drinks menu will change and evolve over time to work in harmony with the art and its associated themes. Nothing will remain stationary here, and much like our beloved city will be a continued evolution — for all the senses!

Where: Level 5/135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise
Hours: Seven days 10am – 10pm (Fri & Sat till midnight)

Words by Alex Mitcheson.