The Annex just got a genuinely exciting new arrival. Bellis, a Japanese- and Italian-inspired dining bar inside the newly opened Nomas Hotel, brings a sophisticated dual-concept energy to the neighbourhood that feels both fresh and surprisingly well-calibrated for the space it occupies.
What makes Bellis unusual — and immediately appealing — is its commitment to being genuinely good at two very different things simultaneously. During the day, it operates as a sunlit café, the kind of place where you can post up with a coffee and actually get work done, or settle in for a leisurely brunch that doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard. When evening arrives, the space shifts almost imperceptibly into an intimate cocktail and snack bar, the light dropping, the pace slowing, the menu pivoting to more drink-friendly fare.
The Japanese-Italian inspiration sounds like a trend-chasing move on paper, but the kitchen executes it with a light hand. Think dishes that draw on both traditions without slavishly reproducing either — pastas with Japanese ingredient inflections, small plates that borrow technique from izakaya culture while using locally sourced ingredients. The cocktail program has the same cross-cultural sensibility, offering drinks that feel considered rather than gimmicky.
As an all-day dining bar attached to a boutique hotel, Bellis also functions as a neighbourhood hub in a way that more destination-focused restaurants can’t. It’s the kind of place where you might run into the same faces across breakfast, lunch, and late-night drinks, which gives it an energy that purely dinner-focused spots rarely develop.
The Annex needed a place like this, and Bellis has arrived at exactly the right moment in the neighbourhood’s evolution. Stop in for a coffee today, and you’ll find yourself back for cocktails before the week is out.