A speakeasy promising theatrical cocktails and Japanese-inspired touches has opened on the Sunshine Coast.
Hid Den, owned by Dean and Jeanelle Mariani, opened on September 10 as the second venue from the team behind award-winning Mooloolaba bar WAT Den.
Hidden behind a vault door with no external signage, the 20-seat bar is located inside the Mantra building.
Mr Mariani said the concept was influenced by his travels through Japan, including its small bars and omakase-style chef’s tables.
“It’s a modern speakeasy, I guess,” he said.
“We want it to be fun, lively, playful.”
As guests are seated, they will be handed a small bowl of spiced popcorn and three words: “enjoy the show”.
Most of the seating will be at the bar, where customers will be able to watch drinks being prepared using techniques including blowtorching, smoking and liquid nitrogen.
The menu includes prosecco sorbet made to order with liquid nitrogen, meringue blowtorched over a sour, smoked Old Fashioneds and margaritas served with mandarin “caviar” pearls.
The bar is located about 60m from WAT Den, and its space was a major drawcard for the team.
“This one felt right from the very beginning because of the layout of it,” Mr Mariani said.
“It’s very conducive to a long bar, you know, smack bang in the middle of the venue.
“If you’re on one end of the bar, you can see someone on the other end, like 12 seats down. It creates a nice sense of community in there.”
Mr Mariani said the new venue would have a different energy from its sister bar.
“It’s not going to be very quiet,” he said.
“We want it to be fun and there’s always movement, you know, movement with the people, with the bartenders, the drinks, with flames and fire and smoke. We never want it to feel stale.”
At the helm of the drinks program is Bri Reilly, venue manager of WAT Den and Hid Den.
Ms Reilly was named among Drinks World’s Top 100 Bartenders Australia in 2025 and 2026 and won the 2025 Archie Rose White Cane competition.
She said her cocktails were inspired by the people and memories closest to her.
“I pride myself on making drinks with a story, drinks that can appeal to a multitude of people and palates,” she said.
That storytelling extends across the entire menu, with theatrical elements incorporated into every cocktail rather than reserved for the venue’s signature creations.
“We’re just playing. We’re just having fun with each drink. Even if you order the margarita, it’s not just our signatures. It’s every single drink,” Ms Reilly said.
“We don’t want to be this exclusive, secret place. The door might be shut, but nothing else is.”
One of Mr Mariani’s favourite drinks on the menu is the Velvet Curtain, a blueberry and lavender-infused bourbon cocktail inspired by a whiskey sour.
“You get this kind of dessert boozy, fruity, luscious drink at the end,” he said.
WAT Den, which opened in 2023, was named a finalist in three categories at the 2026 Australian Bar Awards, including Regional Bar of the Year, Whisky Bar of the Year and Tequila Bar of the Year.
It was also ranked number 11 in Boothby’s Best Bars QLD, making it the highest-ranked venue on the Sunshine Coast.
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Mr Mariani said the new bar reflected the changing hospitality scene on the Coast.
“Sunshine Coast is evolving before our eyes,” he said.
“Mooloolaba has come alive obviously with the Avani hotel and then a few other venues now along this end of the strip.
“There’s great opportunity to expand, and whilst we’re supported by our locals and then holiday makers alike, they’re always asking us, ‘What’s next, what’s next?’”
Hid Den operates from Wednesday to Sunday, from 5pm to midnight.
Food will be limited to small bar snacks and nibbles, including a Mediterranean olive mix and roasted nuts.
Customers who arrive when the venue is full can wait at WAT Den, which is a short walk away.
