Mae Mabel is Wollongong's newest cocktail bar in place of Births and Deaths

Mae Mabel Bar takes over where Births and Deaths left off in Kembla Street, and a sister to Kiama's Little Betty's.

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"We think a lot of the cocktails have been forgotten about over the years and we've turned it back into a classic cocktail bar, something that you'd find in New York or LA in a hotel lobby," said one of the owners.

The force behind the new venture wanted to keep their names out of the focus and let their extensive drinks list do the talking instead.

"I feel like everyone's catering for the masses and we've forgotten about what was pioneering in the industry," he said.

The new venture softly opened on Friday, serving French aperitifs, whisky highballs, kamikazes, Amaretto sours and Cadillac (their most expensive cocktail at $25 a pop).

The bar also has a selection of wines and a small selection of spirits, while if you're in the mood for food they are currently doing grilled toasties with a focus on cheese.

While Jay Gatsby may not be onboard with toasties, he may be comfortable sipping a martini amongst the "lounge" atmosphere with dark, mood lighting and a "really sexy 10-seater booth".

"We want you to get lost in there and let the time slip away," the co-owner said.

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As for the inspiration behind the name? It was simply the owners thought it was cool and remained in the theme of the old world, names that were in vogue decades ago.

Mae Mabel is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm until late, and can be found at 2/74 Kembla Street in Wollongong.

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