THE PARTY KING
Justin Hemmes is the first to admit he likes to have a good time. Everybody does, he says. It’s a basic human instinct: we want to have fun. But creating an environment in which people feel relaxed and comfortable enough to have fun is an art. One in which Hemmes is unusually gifted.
“Mum and Dad had such a passion for life that when I grew up and started going out, I was like, ‘Things are quite boring.’”
“Often you’ll go to places and people don’t feel comfortable and they’re looking around,” he says as we sit side-by-side on a leather banquette, sipping freshly poured cocktails (Martini with a twist for him, French 75 for me). “When you go to a place that’s brand new and everyone is talking to their friends, you know it’s right,” he says. “It’s about creating an environment that people feel comfortable in, and can actually converse and have a good time. They’re not waiting for something to happen.”
We’re at Little Felix, Merivale’s newest opening and latest addition to TheRestaurant Awards) but the bar’s décor – with its dark green walls and plush velvet chairs – creates an instant intimacy. It’s conspiratorial.
