This place is fantastic…read more It's a teeny tiny wine bar with a spectacular retro feel. It's all sumptuous vintage, plush antique chairs upstairs, a book case and vinyl records you can play. And of course great wine, and also friendly staff and patrons. Perfection.

I dont know why I havent come in, as a very very local person, to The Temperance society until now,…read moreon a whim as a really half arsed attempt by the husband and I at doing the whole valentines thing. Booze brings us together. Wow. This place is very cool. The staff are rather boisterous which brings down to earth, what could easily be a very snobby little locale ( only because of the the high class booze and all those chesterfields and floor to ceiling bookshelves - sploosh) Not having a good sample to go by, this place seems a go to for girls nights, and the night I visited there was a medium sized group of ladies cutting loose and not caring who heard their hollerin. Wine is a gal's best friend and I watched as they palmed off a would be suitor with nothing more than a glance. Heros. Wine by the glass in big bowled wine glasses with a great selection, and Elvis who I presume is the owner, knows his tipples. My pick of the eve was the Alto Monte - $14 a glass but by George that wine is as delightful as a magical miniature new born fawn prancing across your tongue on a rainbow. Food is basically nibbles. Sharing platters: a cheese one, a meat and cheese one and a Vego one with Cashew cheese. Toasties including one with Brie, cranberry and Rabbit terrine. Delicious. Anyone can google the origin of the name of this place, and I think it does every justice to the moniker. I think this may become my regular hangout.

I was about to give up on Marrickville, and as I was wandering down the road towards the railway…read morestation I spied this little hole in the wall bar. A part of me thought that hole-in-the-wall bars was a Melbourne speciality, but it turns out that Sydney has its fair share of them as well. Anyway, I decided to pop in for a beer, and not surprisingly, I loved this place. Not only do they have craft beers on tap (and some good ones at that), but also regular events. I came here on Open Mike Night, though nobody was brave enough to take advantage of the open mike. Oh, and the atmosphere was great as well.

What an exciting venue. It's only open at key times but is small, cosy and busy. It has limited…read morespace & seats when things get really busy. Live music is a winner but it's worth checking prior to just showing up ..... otherwise it's a perfect place for that intimate lounge session. Craft beers are a highlight.... and ..... lots of wines .... spirits...... small snacks ....... enough to keep you happy and switched on. Oh !! ...... the mood lighting will definitely put you in the mood for something saucy.

I came here with the Simpson desert in my mouth. A 9pm booking saw us arrive a little early and a…read morelittle eager to check out Summer Hill's newest attraction. I mean everyone. . EVERYONE in Summer hill town has been talking about this place. From the outside you would not know that it was completely packed to the rafters with people. Outside you could hear crickets chirping. Inside was the sound of chatter and laughter and clanking dishes. You can't go out on the upstairs balcony after 8pm. Fair enough, it's right in a residential area. But you can hang out in the cool, lounge and table dotted bar and have a cocktail or a young henry's on tap. "The Smith street sour". Now, that's the street it's on. I loved that they've done that. Downstairs is separate from upstairs. You can get food up there too, but space is limited by the looks so I recommend just booking something. Brunch. . You can't book though, but try your luck. First up the dinner menu will dazzle you with temptations, but if you've never been before just get the "trust the chef" menu... just get it. It's 4 courses of the best things on the menu and that, my sweet sweet friends, includes the ur-example, the anti-matter that precedes the toast times, that which was made from the fragments of the universe. Duck liver paté. I fricking dug this so much I made the waiter bring us another, AFTER dessert and the complimentary cheese board he so very kindly threw in for us. Let me tell you I don't like mussels. But now I do. Only if they are served with pearl barley, tomato and trevally. Salted cod croquettes. . I think stuffed in zucchini flowers? Wut?? I like prawns in general, but these were gifts from the hand raised prawn nursery of the Mermaid queen. Dat Lamb shoulder tho... it was fall apart, meaty and gamey. The spinach, the pomegranate and dressing side just complimented and offset that taste perfectly. Dessert.. Well the time it came through we'd had several top notch wines and bubblies and DON'T EVEN FORGET calvados! Shut up! Let's admit this is a top notch restaurant. My friend and fellow foodie said if it was in Canberra it would have a hat. A lovely top hat, which gets tipped when fine ladies pass by its lovely renovated doors A nod to the building heritage, but a thoroughly modern interior, menu and outstanding service. Get here. Now.

Got an email telling me i had to check out this place and so i decided to go for brunch on…read moresatruday. Opens at 10am, they have outdoor and indoor seating, the entrance is up the stairs and then you turn left and you walk in beside this huge bar. The host will sit you down where there are tables available, however we choose to sit outside so we could get some good ole vitamin D. (Sunshine for those that don't know what that is =P) Ordered the pancakes with house sugar cured bacon and maple syrup, spanner crab & cress omelette, bisque butter, toast and the Quinoa fritters, 63'C egg, hot smoked trout and avocado. You betcha i had a sample of all 3 dishes! Pancakes were just divine, soft and soaked with maple syrup, the bacon yum! My sister had the omelette and she devoured it with gusto! I opted for the fritters and was pleasantly surprised how everything went well together. Staff are friendly and always on hand to top up your water. Coffee is great too! Will have to go back for dinner after reading Ingrids review! It's always a great way to start your day with brunch and family to share it with you!

Alas, Berkelouw Wine Bar is closed at the moment so we were left stranded and in need of a drink…read more There were some dingy pubs around, but this looked like an OK option above the shopping centre on Norton St. It was OK-ish. We sat outside (which was nice) with the smokers (which was not) and watched Norton St cruise by below us (which was nice), including buses (which were not, they were loud). Staff were friendly. Probably not a bad option for Leichhardt, but by any other standard pretty average.

Oh Beejay's. I really really want to love your guts. I really do…read more But if we are gonna have a good relationship there needs to be a few ground rules. First, teasing me by putting the famous cocktail 'The Aviation', on the menu, and then the very next time and every time after that, never EVER having Maraschino liqueur in stock again, and then taking it off the menu? Well sorry, it just isn't good enough. Sure, I once requested Don the Beach Comber's Zombie cocktail, back when you used to be cool, and would take requests for things that werent written down... and seemingly you liked it, and put a ring on it ( or at least put it on the regular menu) I can totally see why, because you know, It's a really tasty and amazing drink, best served in a Tiki mug... wait a sec... Oh man, you've gone and changed the glassware. I just cant abide it, OK? I have to say, I think it's you, not me. And it was too soon in our romance for you to go and change everything like that. Old Grandad's gold rimmed whiskey tumblers are no place for an espresso martini, and frankly, i think you know it. What were you thinking? Your tables, my God, your tables. If you insist on having your waitresses constantly shuffle from the bar to the Kitchen to the back courtyard, at least give them some room! There is seriously nothing more irritating than having the back of your chair knocked by a butt or a knee by someone trying to take drinks to another table. And what is with the kid's bicycle theme? I give up. I wanted to love you Beejay's. I wanted you to be my place of respite from the madding crowd, Sadly, it's over. Im going to make cocktails at home from now on. I even made my own Violette Liqueur, because I was that desperate. ( Ps: You can get Maraschino from Dan Murphys.. just sayin)

Did Marrickville ever need this. The gentrification continues…read more.. Beejays started as just another cafe. Like there weren't enough coffee shops here now. But it did well, and the young owner was told that an evening wine bar would also do well, so now it does that as well. And it does both well. It's a small space, with a street-facing counter for a quick coffee, a few tables, and a semi-private booth in front; a long corridor past the kitchen and storerooms; and then a small funky courtyard in back. I've been for breakfast and found it fun and tasty. My salsa eggs, with spicy diced tomato-y bits and salty halloumi, were a fine breakfast. I've been for drinks and found it very relaxed, and with a big and interesting list of wines (by glass and bottle), beers (imported bottles), and cocktails (2 for 1 Hendricks gin sours? sure!). Shared with some warm spiced olives, and you've got yourself a very happy hour. We had one incident where coffees were forgotten during a breakfast order, but other than that service has been exemplary: very friendly, and not in a fake way. Super neighbourhood cafe/bar.