“The DNA of Bimbos is so much about the interior and the vibe of the place, and we thought, ‘Shit, if we’ve lost that, how do we reimagine what Bimbos would be if it was brought forward to today?’” This is Lawrence Dowd, managing director of Colonial Leisure Group, which is behind the all-new Bimbo (formerly Bimbo Deluxe), as well as sister bar Lucky Coq, Albert Park Hotel and Brighton eatery Half Moon. It’s been a long year for Bimbo fans, who’ve gone many days and nights without an integral part of the Brunswick Street itinerary. Formerly the Punters Club, but operating as Bimbo Deluxe since 2002, the corner site succumbed to fire in May last year. Dowd’s mission has been to preserve as much of the spirit of the original as possible, while also taking the opportunity to evolve.

The giant Kewpie doll on the building’s exterior is familiar. But inside, regulars won’t recognise the place. The re-fit is by former owner of now-closed city institution Honkytonks and interior designer Rabindra Naidoo (Epocha, Neapoli, Pidapipo, Juliet), who kept the original floor plan and stayed true to the comfortable dim lighting that made it so easy to spend all night at the old iteration. The fire took out the bar, so now there’s a commanding American oak horseshoe bar in its place. There are black and white terrazzo floors underfoot, broken up by diagonal brass detailing. Where once you’d have sunk into one of the mismatched old couches, now there are pale pink fibreglass booths. The design team applied layers of shellac to the old walls, creating a mottled, lived-in effect. “Where it was damaged we’ve had to grind into the walls,” says Dowd. “It’s been an expensive process, but it’s created this interesting texture.”