Oxford Street’s nightlife revival has received another boost, with ESCA Hospitality Group opening Loa, a new underground music room beneath its recently launched Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Amé. Hidden inside the heritage-listed building at 90 Oxford Street, the 100-capacity venue opened on Friday, 23 October, bringing live music and late-night dancing to one of Sydney’s most historically significant entertainment strips.
This one has a unique format as well. You can start the evening upstairs at Amé, where executive chef Erik Ortolani is doing some genuinely interesting things with Nikkei cuisine, before heading downstairs for cocktails and music that stretches into the early hours.
I was at Amé’s opening night and came away impressed by how imaginatively Ortolani has worked those gorgeous, zingy Peruvian flavours into Japanese cooking. A standout was the king prawn served with koshihikari rice and aji amarillo butter. The rice brought a pleasantly earthy, roasted character to the dish, while the creamy prawn and lively butter worked beautifully together.
The Murray cod with inaka miso and spring peas was another highlight, the fish wonderfully soft, while a moreish kombu brioche with corn and miso butter was difficult to stop eating. It’s the sort of cooking that makes the idea of an entire night at 90 Oxford Street rather tempting.
Downstairs, Loa takes a different approach. Architect Matt Darwon has designed a moody room with low red ceilings, timber seating and chrome accents, centred around a DJ booth fitted with a custom-built Martin Audio sound system.
Music is very much the focus. Wednesday and Thursday nights will feature live acts exploring neo-soul and R&B, while resident DJs and special guests will take over from Friday to Sunday, moving between disco and house.
“Oxford Street has such a rich history of nightlife, music and self-expression, and we wanted to create a space that carries that forward,” says ESCA co-founder Ibby Moubadder.
The cocktail program comes from Jerom Morris, who also oversees drinks at Amé. His menu reworks familiar favourites, including the Cobalt Cosmo with blueberry and lavender, and a Skinny Colada made with pineapple and coconut water.
There’s even a soft-serve Gimlet combining house gin with lime soft serve, which should make for an interesting talking point at the bar.
Ortolani has also developed a separate late-night food menu, carrying some of Amé’s Japanese-Peruvian influences downstairs. Expect golden curry empanadas, chicken karaage with rocoto honey and a Wagyu burger with tsukemono.
Loa joins the developing Oxford & Foley precinct, which also includes Mecca Coffee and Aenza. Soho House is expected to open next door in 2028, adding another high-profile arrival to this increasingly busy stretch of Darlinghurst.
Loa is located at LG.01, 90 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. The walk-in-only venue opens Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm to midnight, Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 2am, and Sunday from 5pm to midnight.
Photos supplied and credited to Ethan Smart.
