Entries into the Diplomático Artisans of Taste competition are open now, and close on December 10 — that is today! —, with a bartending trip of a lifetime to Brazil up for grabs. For more information and to enter, visit diplomaticoartisansoftaste.com.
Welcome to our end of year series of interviews with the people behind the award-winning bars from this year’s Boothby Best Bars Awards program. Next up is Jacob Cohen, general manager of Savile Row in Brisbane, winner of the 2025 All Time Great Queensland presented by Club Suntory.
When it comes to Brisbane cocktail bars, few have been as consistent busy and performing at the top level for as long as Savile Row. First opening in 2017, this year at the Boothby Best Bars QLD Awards the award-winning team took home both the number four spot on the Top 30 list of the best bars in Queensland, as well as the 2025 All Time Great Queensland presented by Club Suntory.
The All Time Great award goes to a bar which not only places high on the Top 30 list, but to one that has been trading for seven years or longer. In other words, it’s a bar that has become an institution in the local bar scene. That’s an apt description for Savile Row: it’s an industry favourite, the cocktail list is always smart and inventive, the team is well-drilled, and they’ve got loads of whisky.
Sounds pretty good to us. Below, general manager Jacob Cohen talks to us about what he thinks makes Savile Row the bar that it is, what they look for in their bartenders, and how they’re going to address the challenges and opportunities that 2026 will bring.
BOOTHBY: In your opinion, what is it about your bar that resonates with the bar industry?
JACOB COHEN: Savile Row resonates because it strikes a rare balance: serious craft without the pretence. The industry recognises the level of detail that goes into our drinks, our training, our sound, our lighting, and the way we build culture but they also see that guests walk in and simply feel welcomed and looked after. It’s the blend of precision and warmth. We obsess behind the scenes so the guest never has to think about it. I think other bartenders and operators respect that duality, because they know how hard it is to maintain after eight years of trade.