Drift Vista Lounge, Riversdale


Summer – sunshine, warm breezes, flirty dresses, and bare skin. And Drift Vista Lounge is the perfect place to celebrate the season with its second-storey verandahs, wide-open garage doors and fans. Not to mention an appetizing collection of tapas and Spanish wines.

Now, this isn’t to say that Drift Vista Lounge won’t be a wonderful place to while away a few hours in the winter. It will just be different. I can imagine lazy conversations or solitary daydreams looking out the windows at the city lights.

The best part of all about the view is that you can’t see the freeway. Instead there are green, leafy trees, both up close and across the river. If you can’t make it to the tropics, this is a satisfactory substitute.


I shared a meal and a bottle of goRu el blanco wine from Jumilla (the perfect summer wine – light and fruity) with my brother and his wife. We shared two small plates and a large one. There are lots of vegetarian options, and I’m sure that some of them are vegan.

Who knew that marinated olives taste so much nicer when they’re warmed up!


The Serrano Pepper Poppers are stuffed with Manchego cheese and served with Black Garlic Aioli and Marinara sauces. They were excellent, although you should be prepared for a bit of a bite.


Adri’s Potato is served with Oregano Feta, Tomato, Sea Salt, and Tzatziki. I thought they were a bit plain and would try something else next time.

The Grilled Cheese Greens combines fresh Spinach, candied Figs, sliced Almonds and a slab of wonderfully salty Haloumi. This was my favorite dish (and I forgot to take a photograph).


Desserts are fun – you choose between a spoonful of Cheesecake with Berries, Chocolate Crème Anglaise with a Gingersnap Cookie, and Watermelon Lime Granita. And they’re small enough that you can have more than one!

Drift Vista Lounge is located above Drift Sidewalk Café at 339A Avenue A. The Lounge is open from 4-10 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 4-12 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s available for special event bookings from Sunday to Tuesday.

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