TUCKED away in the northern end of town on Buck Street sits The Tipsy Camel, a restaurant and bar run by Broken Hill’s Brendan Barlow who purchased the old building the bar inhabits as a function space during COVID.
Mr Barlow has worked in hospitality for the past 20 years, and said he’d been thinking about buying a space to use for functions like weddings and performances when he came across the old building for sale.
“I was driving past one day and saw the for sale sign,” he said.
“I had a vision of a functions and entertainment space and had already been looking at some spaces.”
The venue space opened during COVID as The Old Brewery. Now the restaurant and bar The Tipsy Camel is celebrating its first birthday this month.
“The restaurant has been very successful,” Mr Barlow said.
“I didn’t really know how it was going to be perceived, being that it’s a bit out of the way from the main drag, but we still have walk ins.”
Mr Barlow said now that the restaurant space had been established, he could begin working on organising events and entertainment.
“Now that it’s running the way I want, I can focus on getting into running the whole business rather than just focusing on individual elements, it’s very exciting,” he said.
“I’m really keen to do as much as I can here, I’d love to do more queer-based art as well, which I definitely think there’s opportunity for.”
Outside of running the venue, Mr Barlow also performs twice a week for the Indian Pacific Train passengers as Drag Queen Shelita Buffet.
“Being able to do shows in the restaurant has been a huge plus,” he said.
“I did a 30th anniversary tribute show for Priscilla here recently, which was a highlight.”
The Tipsy Camel recently received their license to serve alcohol without food, which Mr Barlow said would allow more casual events in the restaurant.
“People can come and get a cocktail, a cheeseboard and wine, it’s just allowed us more flexibility,” he said.
“We’re looking at doing acoustic nights and making it more of a cocktail bar later in the evening.”
Tipsy Camel is open Tuesday through Friday from 5pm, and to celebrate its first birthday is offering specials like schnitzel burgers and chocolate birthday cake martinis.
