Dulcie’s was presented with the highly sought after award in Sydney last Tuesday, September 19 at an event with 600 bar professionals from around Australia. Voted for by the bar industry, the Bar Awards are hotly contested and highly prized.

The small Merimbula bar was up against nine other finalists from areas including Townsville, Noosa, Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.

Owners Mitchell Nadin and Kirsty Pongratz said they were stoked and very surprised when they won the award.

“We were by far the most remote of all the finalists in the category so we definitely seemed to catch everyone’s attention,” Mr Nadin said.

“We knew what we were up against, we knew just how good our competitors were and really that’s what made it all the more sweet.”

Since opening in December, 2015, Dulcie’s has been consistently busy and one thing Ms Pongratz and Mr Nadin pride themselves on is that the bar is inclusive.

“We didn’t have a specific demographic we were targeting, we just wanted to open a bar for everyone,” Ms Pongratz said.

“It is inclusive, it is a place where everyone can feel at home and can feel comfortable.”

Mr Nadin and Ms Pongratz also said they strongly believe there was no way they would have won the award without such a great team behind them.

"We've been so blessed with amazing staff who helped us win this award," Mr Nadin said.