Blowtorched meringue, liquid nitrogen sorbet and a colour-changing Tom Collins, the 20-seat speakeasy coming to Mooloolaba this September is pure theatre.
The Sunshine Coast is about to get its most intimate and most theatrical bar. Hid Den, a 20-seat modern speakeasy from the team behind Mooloolaba's multi-award-winning WAT Den, opens its discrete door in early September.
It's a milestone moment for the Coast's fast-maturing food and drink scene. WAT Den, which opened in 2023, was this year named a finalist in three categories at the 2026 Australian Bar Awards, Regional Bar of the Year, Whisky Bar of the Year and Tequila Bar of the Year and ranked number 11 in Boothby's Best Bars QLD, the highest-ranked venue on the Sunshine Coast. Now the team is doubling down on Mooloolaba.
"Mooloolaba has grown up," said co-owner Dean Mariani "People here are looking for an experience and for quality, not just a big night out. We think the Coast is more than ready."
Inspired by Dean's travels through Japan, its tiny bars and omakase-style chef's tables, Hid Den blends Japanese minimalism with the warmth of the beach. Guests who find the discrete entrance are seated at the bar, handed a bowl of spiced popcorn and told: "enjoy the show." Almost every seat faces the bar, because the bar is the stage.
The show is real. Prosecco sorbet churned to order with liquid nitrogen. Meringue blowtorched over a ruby-red sour. Old fashioneds smoked under glass cloches, margaritas with bursting mandarin "caviar" pearls, and a colour-changing alcohol-free Tom Collins that shifts from blue to violet as it's poured.
Locals won't be able to book, Hid Den is walk-ins only, all twenty seats. When it's full, WAT Den just a short stroll away becomes the waiting room.
"It's a modern speakeasy, but a lively and fun one," Dean said. "We're discrete, not secret and definitely not pretentious."
Hid Den opens Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm until midnight,and, like its big sibling, it will never close early.
DETAILS
VENUE Hid Den
LOCATION Mantra building Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast QLD
OPENS September 10th 2026
HOURS Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm until midnight
CAPACITY 20 seats, majority at the bar
BOOKINGS Walk-ins only
About us:
Hid Den is a 20-seat modern speakeasy in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, from the team behind the award-winning WAT Den. Blending Japanese minimalism with coastal warmth, Hid Den serves experimental, theatrical cocktails, fire, smoke, liquid nitrogen and molecular technique in an intimate, unpretentious setting. Walk-ins only, Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm until midnight.
