The Dudley at Paddington is a busy local between Paddington and Rushcutters Bay.
BUSY on Christmas Eve, but each year we always go a park at Rushcutters Bay right next to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia where we picnic and wander among the boats before they start the Sydney to Hobart.
An internet search suggests The Royal is a Paddington favourite. It’s a heritage pub situated at Five Ways, a fascinating and we imagine a $$$ area of Paddington, just up the hill from Rushcutters Bay.
A great area to go for a walk.
It’s a neighbourhood local where you can grab a drink and a seat in one of the different rooms, balcony or rooftop with views of the harbour.
Shared plates, pub classics and contemporary dishes.
Somewhere to return!
Back to Balmain… again! The Royal Oak is less than 200m from last week”s Sir William Wallace and a pub from much earlier in the year, The Dry Dock, emphasising just how many pubs there are in Balmain! And to think 90% of them are closed from the heady 1800s and early 1900s.
The Royal Oak has been done very nicely. Modern but with a real old world charm about it.
Go there.
The Shakespeare Hotel (affectionately known as “The Shakey” by locals) is a Surry Hills institution. The building has remained practically unchanged since doors were opened in 1879, making it a rare time capsule of old-school pub culture. Inside you’ll find locals who have been coming in for 50 years drinking happily alongside the new generation of young professionals enjoying Surry Hills’ gentrification of the last decade or so.
Old world public bar with lots of timber, old tyles on the wall (inside and out) private areas for function hire, good food and cold beer.
A little hard to get to at the moment… the light rail is heading straight up Devonshire Street so a lot of roads are closed, but it’s worth a trip… terrific.
Not a local… more a local that’s a meeting place with a huge bistro trade that caters for large groups and children’s parties!
Nevertheless, has to be someone’s local I guess… and in this part of \Sydney, pubs are pretty few and far between.
Annandale. Go for a walk and you easily get the sense of what used to be. On just about every single corner is what could have been a former hotel.
Historically, suburbs like Annandale, before the gentrification, were very working class, and very much like Balmain or Rozelle, hotels proliferated.
The Victoria Hotel in Young St Annandale is a great little local tucked away amongst houses just off the main drag. Cold beer, great food and while the beer garden’s not leafy, it’s a good space to enjoy any time of the year.
I’ve driven and run (City to Surf) countless times past the Sheaf Hotel at Double Bay and in all those 50+ years had no idea it led a double life.
From the front it’s a typical hotel… heavy brick two story art Ecco facade with public and gaming bars at the front, but walk through the breezeway (past some fantastic music memorabilia) and there’s another world out the back.
The beer garden is warm and inviting with Sunday arvo music, heaters and plenty of shelter from rain and sun.
VERY dog friendly. Fab afternoon.
The Kauri Foreshore Hotel. Glebe, down near the fish markets.
Limited wine list, and only a few beers on tap. The Blackwattle Bay foreshore walk has been done really well. Gorgeous day in the sun for a walk… the company was better than the pub.
We deliberately sought out a dog friendly pub somewhere near the water this weekend as Sydney was set to experience a beautiful (record breaking) 26 degree winter’s day.
Dick’s is an iconic Balmain hotel, well known to Swans fans as a designated fan hotel showing every Swans game live. A very suburban hotel opposite The Exchange in Beattie St, it has a really clever canvas sound shell over the dog-friendly beer garden that contains the noise and keeps the neighbours happy.
A good range of beers and ciders on tap in the various bars.
What a great little local.
Right near the very end of Darling Street, close to the wharf and bus turning circle, this hotel is a great place to relax in one of the various cars and dining areas.
A great outdoor area, a cozy fire, good range of beers on tap and a decent menu from the kitchen.
It would be a terrific place to book an area for a birthday.
We’ll be back.
So, this weekend, we... 