I've seen many a great band advertised here but as is my wont, the thing that finally got me here…read morewas the lure of a spankin new comedy night. And it doesn't hurt that this deep wild-wild-inner-western venue is on the freakin bondi junction train line! #ftw Hump Night (Wednesdays, in a camel themed bar, capiche?) Comedy's opening night was brilliant, with a stellar lineup & full house. The decor description is best quoted to the night's MC- David Smeidt- who described it ss if a gay pirate was having a garage sale. Camels, camel themes, and some classic posters- the gay pirates responsible for decorating Camelot have definitely never heard the expression, "less is more"... I ordered a garlic pizza cos it was like $8. It was alright & for $8 I ain't gonna complain the crust was a bit hard tho. Some pretty amazing looking mezze plates were doing the rounds and making me regret my decision. Now that I know how easy it is to get to and groovy a venue it is I'm looking forward to joining the camel cult.

Random nights are the best nights, aren't they?…read more My friend Isobel sent me a message last week, with a Facebook link saying, wanna check this out next week in good old Marrickville? I was like, yeeerrrppppp, let's go. Why not, right? So tonight, I look at the Facebook page to figure out where it is and its like all trendy and ambiguous "in the back streets of Marrickville".... well, where the FUCK is that, eh??? Bloody thing. Well, I figured it out and I can't tell you how AWESOME it was! Dimly lit, trendy, hipster kitch. Think Shady Pines, but not so much Americana. Yes, cowboys. But also gypsies, persian carpets, camels and eastern flair. The owner, came over and introduced himself to us and was like, how did you hear about us? Well, we have the very uncool story that Isobel's mum told her about it. Yeah, I'm serious. LOL. We think it's funny as hell too, especially since the place was so great, so unknown. Her mum saw some live music here a few weeks ago. I should probably make up a cooler story about how I know about the place that makes me sound really awesome with my finger right on the pulse of avant guarde Sydney or something, so when I bring people here I can be like... yeah... I'm cool... man?!! We had wines which were delicious. I had an SA Pinot Noir. Hey, look! I'm trying to learn my wines! Be impressed. I'm a wine doofus. Downstairs is "Django Bar" which is I guess, not a music venue. Camelot is technically on the top floor, and is a music venue with some food... the garlic pizza is amazing. Perfectly garlicky and cheesy melty goodness. Sean Taylor was playing, he was described as a Chris Isaak acoustic guitar type.... well, wow, I could have easily stayed out til past midnight if it wasn't a school night. He was amazing. Everything was 5 star. I'm really glad to be able to write this review for such a great NEW establishment, but it's even better that it's in my home suburb of dear old MARRICKVILLE!!! Marrickville is seriously Sydney's Brooklyn. Seriously. Its coming up in the world. Watch out.

Always wanted to go here every time I pass by..and when I did, I couldn't wait to go back.read more

This is the most amazing new nightspot in sydney, Great…read morelive jazz bands and the best DJ's that play old records of some real classics Craig the owner and barman is out of this world this place is going to do really well. Hidden just off the main street of Marrickville up a few flights of stairs you walk in to a awesome bar with the roof painted with a huge Kama sutra mural and tin roof tiles and leather lounges. Licensed to 3am with great wines and boutique beers on tap.

The Vanguard is a delightful high-ceilinged theatre with balcony and a 1920's feel perfectly suited…read moreto the fantastic acts they always have on here. They mainly book great Aussie blues, roots & jazz-type bands but mix it up with some cult cinema and the like. I have never ever seen a not-great gig on the Vanguard stage or even in their calender- true story! They do dinner & show packages and the dinner seating varies depending on the type of act that are playing, booking numbers etc - sometimes it's in front of the stage and sometimes up on the balcony. The sound here is really good no matter where you end up sitting, tickets are reasonably priced and I can't comment on the food because I've never tasted it. You're on your own there sorry! Drinks prices are a little on the high side but the service is good - we were unintentionally in the way of the bar & the woman we were bothering, instead of getting annoyed, graciously found us a table. The only reason I dropped a star was the drink prices. I would go here for the music every night if I could afford to! Oh and check their listings for business hours as they're not open every night - it varies.

I haven't seen my mate from school in a while and he happens to be playing at the Vanguard. I've…read morenever been to the Vanguard and so take this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. (A violent yet skill involved metaphor.) The night goes as follows; I get to the Vanguard early and take a seat in one of the booths, only to discover that behind me in the near booth is my friend, looking quite different, but still recognisable and I join their table for a chat and to meet his band. They play their set and I watch on from the rear of the club standing with the family at the CD sales stand. A few CD's are bought and I drink of the wine. Next comes some Cabaret, a few strips and a lot of singing. The MC is tres hilarious and the music is great. I get my phone out and track down a few of the numbers for later listening activity. The night ends in further beers, additional chats and the purchase of a CD for my good self. Good shows, tasty wine and a food option. The view from upstairs is glorious, but interrupted briefly by a pair of lesbians ripping each others hair out and getting escorted by the security. The view from downstairs is great as well, but lacks lesbian lovers quarrelling.

A lot of these reviews seem to be first impressions. I'm a big fan of The Townie, and perhaps it…read moresays something about the friends I keep, but I actually feel the most at home at this pub out of the many that I frequent in Sydney's Inner West. For a girl covered in Tattoos who likes to dress like a Country and Western starlet, I would never feel alienated, self conscious or worried about Hipsters or scene kids invading this space and passing judgement with their Brosies. It's an alternative people safe zone. The Townie has seen a few changes since I started frequenting it back in 2005. It has had it's out door smokers area refurbished, and an upper smokers deck added off to the side of the Restaurant. The restaurant is still, I believe run by the same owner and the food is fairly standard pub fair, and I believe they do a Sunday roast. I love the Vego burrito and it goes down a treat after eleventy beers while participating in Thursday night music trivia with "The Cheif".... Music Trivia! We fancied ourselves as pretty au fait with the music world. How wrong we often are! When faced with teams with names like " A flock of C words" ( those guys are guns at trivia) you can rest assured your behind is swiftly kicked. It is, as it modestly claims to be " The best trivia....... in Newtown" But it's the venue itself that continues to seduce me back into it's sticky arms. With the ever growing list of obituaries for pubs with live music, I am happy that the Townie has managed to hang on. That doesn't mean the bands are always good, or that the sound is very good either, but sticky carpet and swinging fists make for that quintessential Rock pub experience that seems to be dying away. And despite some comments here, I have actually found the Townie one of the harder pubs to get into depending on the time of evening the bouncers get pretty strict, the later it gets. And yes it's true, I have been ejected from the premises once, I promise you it was just a joke though. ... promise!

For many years me and my friends came here for some hearty pub tucker. The food was what you would…read morenormally expect from a pub bistro, but the quality was good and the prices affordable on a semi-restricted budget. But now, the worst has happened. New owners and a devastating overhaul of the menu. I'm really not sure what sort of crazy this is, but the new owners have turned the menu into some weird bistro/asian fusion. There's tempura on the entrees menu. I mean.. What?! Sure I'm sure people will probably like it, but if there is anything that King Street doesn't need any more of, it's asian food. Ok, so we dared to be daring and ordered anyway. For entree we got the tempura. It was a little bland, but was okay. It just took me -ages- to remember what I ordered for mains because it was that memorable... It was a 3-cheeses chicken schnitzel with vegetables and chips. The schnitzel was dry, dry, dry. The melted cheese was tasteless. The vegetables were some crazy Asian vegetable stir-fry mix. They tasted okay, as covered in oil as they were. Chips were good though. They had some interesting asian spicing on them and were fairly crispy. My partner ordered a rump steak with vegetables and chips. It was one of the only things on the menu that looked like what we used to get. What he received was an overcooked slab of meat, that although looking medium rare (as ordered) had a taste similar to charcoal. I messaged my best friend and informed him that they no longer served his favourite Fettuccine Boscaiola. Devastation ensued. Another lost customer. We were quite dismayed, so thought to cheer ourselves up with dessert... No dessert menu to be found. Enough said. The prices haven't increased too much. I remember seeing a specials board with $10 meals on it... I don't know if i'm game enough for that though. I'm sure there is something on the menu worth eating. I will be back to try something else and give them a second chance. But for now, all I can say is: RIP Platform 9. You will be sorely missed.

Another one of the great bars in the Newtown Area. I actually spotted this one quite by accident,…read moreand decided to simply go and check it out while wandering around the area. Well, it certainly turned out to be worth it because the atmosphere was great. The staff were really friendly and welcoming, which is something that always grabs my attention, and there were also some pretty nice beers on tap as well. This is another one of those bars I'd have no problems returning to in the future.

A great little bar in Newtown, perfect location for any post meal drinks and for a little bit of a…read morechill out. They have occasional Live music, although the venue is small it isn't overly loud and your friends are still somewhat audible during. I love the changing selection of beers on offer (Had a watermelon pilsner I'll never forget) and a pretty mean cocktail menu for the brave. I haven't had the food here as of yet since Newtown is bursting full of new places but no matter what I tend to come back to this little bar.

cool atmosphere. Pepsi the choice over the other cola brand. some other options could be yelpful to…read moreus ... uhem ... non drinkers. but no worries! :-)

We had the pleasure of speaking with Jaz, serving at the bar, whilst upstairs for the 5ive concert…read more This young lady was so professional, friendly and accommodating in helping us with with our merchandise. Jaz needs to be commended on her quick thinking and bubbly persona :)

Now it is these types of bars that is the reason that I love the inner city. This place is just so…read morecool. I would say classy but that might just give you the wrong impression. No, not classy, hip, trendy, but not classy. Actually, the back area certainly has its charm, especially the caravan that has been set up as one of those private areas where you can get away from everything. Oh, and the interior is pretty good as well, and they also offer that rather nice beers.

Although the décor has its charm, sadly this bar seems to be relying on this alone at the detriment…read moreof the food, drinks and service. I paid $10 for the "Starving Artist" plate which consisted of Jatz Crackers, Cheese cubes, and Cabanossi. The martinis and negronis were nothing to write home about - especially at $18 a pop, and in an all but empty bar it took me a few goes each time to grab the bartenders attention to get another round. Take your own food and drink if you wanna check this place out.

If you're looking for great service and well crafted cocktails, this is the place to go in Newton…read more It's and old fashioned bar masquerading behind the storefront of a butchers shop (walked past the building twice before finding it). Inside, you'll find a dimly lit but beautiful space with old pin board drink lists and a sheet metal roof. The bartenders are amazing. Friendly and attentive while quickly making some great cocktails. I opted for an old fashioned with Makers and it was one of the better ones I've had. They stuck some nuts and water in front of me and started a tab. I was all set. While it's not the New Orleans style place it's described as, the atmosphere is great. As the night goes on it gets crowded but you can still move around. Prices are on the higher side, but you're paying for quality.

I read about Earl's, oddly enough, in the Tigerair in flight magazine. The article raved about the…read moreNew Orleans theme & I got this idea in my head of a jazz bar. I was totally keen! I got to Earl's and was met with a modern take on N'yorleans - nought ies' hip hop, hot (seriously) bartenders in singlets with beards & 40's haircuts & voodoo trinkets galore. I was hooked. I ordered "something with gin" and my friend got a dark & stormy. The drink I got was really readily drinkable, smooth & tasty. My friend said the d&s was the same. The staff were way friendly (Stefan was super hot) and the drinks were good (~$15 mark each). Overall, as they say in Instagram, "would." Definitely would.

I love the Enmore and been coming here for almost twenty years for shows, comedy, theatre and…read moreconcerts. It's an institution in the inner west and whilst a bit dated has a great vibe about it. Plenty of cafes and restaurants in the neighborhood for a pre show cocktail or dinner.

Love the Enmore. So unique and still keeps its original charm. The Johnny cash and June Carter show…read morewas OK - good fun. He had the moves down excellent but needs that voice!!!

I visited Manning bar because a colleague recommended it for live music. I noticed a band I knew…read morewas playing that same night and went for it. I loved it. Intimate enough to feel close to the band but still big enough to fill the stage with a +15 band (lost count with the band). Beer for many tastes and short queues at the bar. At first I thought this was going be a venue packed with Uni students. But I now realize that it probably has Uni-related events... but it also hosts events people of all ages come to. I look forward to checking out the Rock n Roll Market soon

This is a great bar for gigs. It's the right size (i.e., small) and - because it's a uni student…read morebar - they get lots of out-of-the-mainstream acts. I've seen bands like Japandroids, dEUS, the Beards, and the Besnard Lakes here. Every spot has a decent view thanks to a sunken dance floor. There are lots of outdoor tables on the balcony at the back. The bar is long and stocked with good beers. The vibe is pretty relaxed. The sound isn't bad. Fun spot for rockin' live tunes. They have a lot of metal acts here too, I think.