The Swanson Hotel holds only good memories for us… our nephew was married there a couple of years ago.
Located a bit away from Erko shops and strip, just near Erskinville Oval, comfortable downstairs bars with an open fire on a cold day, upstairs dining and footpath tables.
Good food menu, our trio of tapas went down very nicely! Lovely spot.
What a surprise to find, hidden from view, a quiet beer garden at the back of the the Horse and Jockey on busy Parramatta Road at Homebush.
We enjoyed a beer (Wild Yak Pacific Ale) and a NZ Sav Blanc (“South Island”) on a glorious Good Friday afternoon.
This part of Sydney – Homebush/Flemington/Strathfield – is extremely multicultural, so no surprise to find all of the shops open in the local strip shopping on this traditional public holiday; not just an Asian grocer but the supermarket, cafes and chemist.
Must remember this when we really need something on a (Christian) public holiday.
Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore near Hornsby, the Blue Gum serves a huge area in this, Sydney’s least populated pub area. Only about half a dozen real “pubs” are to be found on this stretch of the Pacific Highway from North Sydney to Hornsby.
Typical pub fare, a popular spot on a weekend evening.
A hilly spot for a walk!
During the week, the Rag and Famish at North Sydney is a suits lunch pub, but come the weekend, when the CBD is quiet, it caters to the locals.
Quite a bit of history in this old girl, the first hotel to trade in North Sydney in 1860. the pub’s name, Rag & Famish, comes from a slang term for the Army and Navy Club and has been known by this name since 1866.
Great local beers on tap and a wine list with a definite Australian flavour. Throw in an expansive and inviting beer garden with benches, tables, stools and lounges and you have pub where you can sit and drink away the afternoon.
On the corner of Darling Street since the 1870’s, The London’s colonial era building with its veranda and sandstone walls is reminder of times gone by.
The hotel has very close ties to the Cooper’s Brewery and the site was once part of a Cooper’s Brewery Complex.
Great pub grub and and fine dining with a great selection of beers on tap (including a gluten free option!) and wines.
Very dog friendly, so if the mutt is part of the family, then bring him or her with you. They are always ready to welcome puppies with a fresh bowl of water.
And their little secret? If there are fireworks going off over the Harbour Bridge, then this is the place to watch them 🙂
So, our last weekend in Sydney for the year and, perfect timing (luck, not design) we finished walking all the water west of the Harbour Bridge.
The iconic Bay Run at Drummoyne was the perfect place to finish up, too. A 7 km loop, it’s one of Sydney’s most well known and well used walkin/running/riding/training/fitness loops.
And so ends the year. Now, on to 2017 and a year of drinking in local hotels! Woohoo!
An early morning ride along the Alexandria Canal from Tempe to Alexandria.
Enjoyed breakfast at The Grounds cafe.
Not really what could be described as a scenic ride… it is along a canal and beside an airport after all, but still, a bit of blue on the map to fill in, and breaking at an institution such as The Grounds… well, any excuse will do!
