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, Charlie Lehman, co-owner of Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern in Sydney, which took home the title of the All Time Great NSW 2025 presented by Club Suntory at the Boothby Best Bars NSW Awards back in June.
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Ignore what you read anywhere else on the internet and on social media — Sydney bar Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern is the true and original five star dive bar, as Charlie Lehmann (who owns the bar along with fellow founders Sebastian Cosmo Soto and Dardan Shervashidze) says below.
The bar has been a favourite of the Sydney hospo scene since it got its start back in the heady days of the 2010s, opening in 2014 with an emphasis on democratising cognac and selling ‘shit tinnies’ of lager for $6 a pop. As Charlie says, it’s a place where everyone is welcome, and over the years they have managed to popularise the only bar rule worth enforcing: ‘Don’t be a dick.’
Long may Rascals reign.
Below, lightly edited and condensed for clarity, we asked Charlie to weigh in on the bar’s success, how they’re approaching an uncertain economic climate for bars, and what they’re looking forward to in 2026.
BOOTHBY: In your opinion, what is it about Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern that continues to resonate with the bar industry?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: Rascal is a something-for-everyone type of bar, that’s the beauty of dive bars. There’s no pretence here about who you are, how you’re perceived or what you drink. Rascal is a haven where the only rule is “Don’t be a dick.”
BOOTHBY: How do you describe your bar to people who are only just learning of it?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: We are Australia’s premier five star dive bar, a joint where you can sink Boilermakers (beer and a shot) or you can get a perfectly constructed Martini (“this is a better martini than most cocktail bars spit out” said a Martini-drinking suit lady).
BOOTHBY: What’s the most popular to order classic cocktail at your bar?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: I reckon the big four, which includes the Old Fashioned, Margarita, Martini and Negroni. I always punch out Vieux Carrès when guests ask, “what’s your favourite cocktail to drink,” and I never fail with Charlie Chaplins, Clover Clubs and London Callings, because they’re fucking delish.
BOOTHBY: Can you describe the attributes you look for in a bartender at your bar?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: Someone who is personable, a bartender who can hold a conversation with guests is imperative. Attention to details is always a plus!
We have a team of bartenders who want to learn and grow in this industry, who are passionate about the craft of cocktail bartending but also understand that the guest’s experience comes first.
BOOTHBY: What rough percentage of the sales mix is cocktails at Rascal?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: 60-70 percent of sales are cocktails, with beer being the next huge sales category.
BOOTHBY: How are you finding business in a general sense - are the people out there spending like they did a year ago? Better or worse?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: Business at the moment can be like a yo-yo or it can ride you round like a rollercoaster, one week will be cranking and the next will be a ghost town but we are finding guests are spending more wisely across more days.
We’ve constructed the menu at Rascal to appease all wallet sizes, including Rascal Signatures which we switch up Spring/Summer to Autumn/Winter, these are our drinks made lovingly by staff for $25 which is the top end for cocktails here. But then we pump out our 5 Star Dive Bar Classics menu which has varied classics including a Bloody Mary and Paloma at more competitive rates of $18 and $16 respectively.
This scaled type of menu has people of whatever fiscal means able to savour our cocktails without breaking the bank. So far it has worked well, with more cocktail drinkers rolling in earlier in the week to peruse the menu.
BOOTHBY: What’s the biggest challenge the bar faces as a business over the next year?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: The things we can’t control like inflation, excise tax on booze (even though we are trying thanks to NTIA, Dre Walters and Pasan Wijesena) and a general downturn in the economy are things we see foreshadowing challenges but we take it in our stride. Bars have always been a bastion of ideas, revolution and solace all rolled into one and Rascal is held in our friends’ and guests’ hearts all the same.
BOOTHBY: What gives you hope and optimism as a bar owner for 2026?
CHARLIE LEHMANN: Our industry has so many talented individuals and stunning venues that have opened and will continue to open.
Highlighting these things puts us smack bang on the world stage in our industry, and we [are] punching above our weight compared to most Northern Hemisphere venues and institutions.
As the world gets a little more crazy I find comfort that our independent bar industry can adapt and survive even from the mono-cultural, two-bit, hospitality titans who continue to pump out cookie cutter, Macca’s-style venues for property developer profit.
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