{"id":320600,"date":"2025-11-26T21:23:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T21:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/alcohol\/a-little-spark-for-the-city-an-interview-with-sakura-house-co-owner-cynthia-litster\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T21:23:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T21:23:16","slug":"a-little-spark-for-the-city-an-interview-with-sakura-house-co-owner-cynthia-litster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=320600","title":{"rendered":"\u201cA little spark for the city\u201d: An Interview with Sakura House co-owner Cynthia Litster"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Evan Stroeve and Cynthia Litster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you walk down into Sakura House, the new late-night basement izakaya from the team behind The Waratah, you immediately feel like you\u2019ve stepped out of Sydney and into the backstreets of Shinjuku. That\u2019s exactly what co-owners Evan Stroeve and Cynthia Litster wanted \u2013 a venue that doesn\u2019t just reference Japan but feels it.<\/p>\n

I sat down with Litster during the venue\u2019s opening week to talk design, drinks, late-night culture, and what it really takes to open bar number two.<\/p>\n

Litster wanted full immersion \u2013 the kind where you walk down the stairs and forget you\u2019re in the CBD at all. \u201cWe want people to walk in and feel transported\u201d she says. \u201cYou don\u2019t really get that in Sydney.\u201d<\/p>\n

A big part of that comes from the details \u2013 the obsessive, lovingly overthought ones. Melbourne calligrapher Junko Azukawa <\/em>hand-painted the walls after Cynthia spotted her at an event. \u201cShe was writing English words in Japanese, and I had a lightbulb moment,\u201d she says. The finished work frames the room: \u201cAt the top of the bar you have the 72 micro seasons of Japan, and behind the spirits there\u2019s poetry about cherry blossoms.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJapan uses space so well,\u201d she says. \u201cTiny izakaya\u2019s, everything tucked away, coat hangers because everyone comes straight from work. I wanted that \u2013 practical, small touches that make sense.\u201d Much of the colour palette and fabric comes from vintage Japanese textiles \u201cIt\u2019s meant to feel warm, sexy, dim.\u201d<\/p>\n

And yes \u2013 the 4am licence is coming. \u201cWe\u2019re waiting for the final tick,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ll trade to 2am for now.\u201d When it lands, this will be one of the few spots in the CBD where you can walk in at 2am for some food and a drink \u2013 not just a regretful drive-thru situation.<\/p>\n

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The drinks list <\/strong><\/p>\n

Co-owner Evan Stroeve publicly champions the Sakura Sour<\/em>, and for good reason \u2013 featuring Haku vodka, Lemon, Yuzu, and bubbles, this boozy lemonade is what Stroeve recommends trying first, although Cynthia has her own favourites.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Nagano Sour<\/em> \u2013 I\u2019ve never tasted anything like it,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s got wasabi, tequila, apple\u2026 they spray this wasabi aroma over the top. It\u2019s one of the coolest drinks I\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the Fizz<\/em>. \u201cIt tastes like a mango milkshake \u2013 mango, passion fruit, condensed milk, slushy vibes. Total crowd-pleaser.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Sakura Martini<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bringing nightlife back<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cynthia wants Sakura House to be part of something bigger \u2013 a nudge to get Sydney staying out late again. \u201cWhen I was in Japan, we were eating ramen at 5am,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I kept thinking, why is there nothing like this in Sydney?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe my little bar won\u2019t revive the whole city, but I hope it\u2019s a seed. Bring a little bit of life back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opening bar number two<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been an entrepreneur. I had a sneaker business before hospitality,\u201d she says. \u201cI always loved bars \u2013 the craft, the food, the drinks \u2013 as a customer. Eventually I thought, okay, let\u2019s actually do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her advice for others thinking about expanding? \u201cDon\u2019t skimp on technology,\u201d she says immediately. \u201cIf something makes your venue more efficient \u2013 fridges, glass washers, anything \u2013 pay more. Otherwise, you\u2019ll pay twice.\u201d<\/p>\n

And second: stop waiting for the perfect moment. \u201cYou\u2019re never ready. You just have to go for it. Be open to feedback, adapt fast, and trust your team. You can\u2019t grow if you\u2019re doing every tiny thing yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sakura House wasn\u2019t the \u201ceasier second venue\u201d people promised. \u201cBeing in a strata building made everything harder. More approvals, more layers, more people to answer to. The Waratah didn\u2019t have that.\u201d Lister said.<\/p>\n

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The bottom line<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sakura House is atmospheric, vinyl-driven, warm, and proudly late-night. It\u2019s the kind of bar Sydney used to have and needs again. As Cynthia puts it: \u201cI just want people to come in, feel transported, and stay up talking until late. Bring your friends, have a yarn \u2013 like it used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n