Why doesn't Chatswood have any cool bars? Like, it's growing. Exploding, almost. Nobody but oil…read morebarons and foreign princes can afford property here now. But there's no small bars, and no late-night nightlife. Mike Baird, what have you done here? And why doesn't anyone know about it? Anyway, that's clearly a digression. This place bucks the no-bar trend, in fact it's the only place worth drinking in Chatty. (Chelsea Hotel and The Orchard are both soulless). It's *gasp* trendy, if I can say that and not sound like a dag. Probably too late for that. Ah well. There's craft beers you've never heard of and a thoughtful wine list and creative (and affordable!) cocktails and lots of different places to sit depending on whether you're on a date, a corporate lunch, or a catch-up with an old friend that likes playing pool. Magical trees covered in fairy lights welcome you, there's couches, and fun outdoor areas. Come. Drink. Liven Chatswood up with the sound of your laughter and Viking-like merry-making.

Good times great place. Highly recommended! The funky…read moreatmosphere is only topped by the yummy food.

They have happy hour but it's very unclear what the prices are and what's on it. It runs from 4-6p…read more The bartender said it's a gamble which ones come up. They were clear on beer though- the ones on either end- but I don't drink beer so I don't care. I ordered the Paraíso cocktail first, not on special, then a margarita, not on special also a glass of rosé wine also, not on special. The sign says- wine, beer, cocktails. The margarita was good but took 15 minutes, I think the one guy was newer and didn't know where things were. The staff was very pleasant but again, I only came because of happy hour and it being next door to my hotel.

Update 9 months later - went back for a specific night and ti see if anything had changed as the…read morelocations is convenient. This is the first time we have tried it again since the review below. Seems not much has changed and in fact has become more about what the manager wants rather than their patrons - you know, the people that put money in your POS. No real change to the wine list - dreadful options and very limited beer and alternate options downstairs. There is more upstairs but should I really have to walk upstairs every time I want to get a drink? The day we went, the sport on the TV is determined by what the manager wants to watch - even if the groups sitting in the area are all asking for a specific game. There was literally no one left sitting in front of the main screen, instead all huddled around a small screen inside. Broke up our group. Service rating down - this has NOTHING to do with the staff behind the bar who are delightful working the best they can with what they are given. This downgrade is purely a reflection of the service of the owners / managers and consideration of their patrons.

Mate what can i say best meal ever i need meat so Karma at the bar gave me a special order that was…read morenot on the menu beef ribs for two .. my wife ate one i ate the other 3. Thank you Karma for the best service ever

A great find in Crows Nest, great service, a good wine list at reasonable prices. The salmon dish…read morewas amazing and live music on Sunday afternoon makes this a good choice for a Sunday session. Transport at door and a great ambience makes this a must see if in the area.

Great spot for breakfast; nice vibe, good coffees, tasty food and high chairs…read more We headed up here for an early breakfast in winter on a Monday morning. We had our 10 month old in tow and it was surprisingly great. We ordered 2 coffees, plus the avocado with tomato and fetta and just eggs on toast. Prices are reasonable (approx $12 a meal) and the service was lovely. Lots of delicious looking pastries and sweets and the coffee was good. For an out of the way spot in NB, there was a steady takeaway coffee crowd so we weren't the only ones that liked it. That they have high chairs is a massive win in our book and makes breakfast so much easier with a little guy. For winter, there are quite a few tables inside which is nice.

The best gin bar in Sydney as far as I'm concerned. The flights are amazing, the cocktails…read moredelicious, and the staff actually know what they're talking about. Haven't eaten here but the food looked wonderful too. Cafe during the day and gin bar at night - perfect plan!

This was one of those places that I almost broke my rule of having at least one beer at any pub I…read morevisit for the first time, though I am not necessarily going to call this place a pub because that would be too nice. Yeah, if you could consider a place that only has pokie machines a casino then this is basically what this place is (and I believe that is the case in locals that happen to be overseas). Anyway, so that I feel comfortable letting people know what to expect when they come here, I decided that I would have one beer, and then go and find some place else to spend my time.

Are you a sucker for cheap drinks? Then this place is for you! Monkey Bar is established in…read moreChatswood CBD and is close to The Orchard and Chelsea Hotel Bar. Start the night off at Monkey Bar before bar hopping your way around Chatswood. The food at Monkey is of star quality and will be luring you back again for another feed. I love the fact that Monkey Bar is open until 3am from Monday- Saturday, a rarity nowadays! While the bar itself is a little on the seedy side, the cheap drinks and the delectable food sure make up for it. The frosted glass in the girls bathroom is a little off putting but after a few drinks you won't notice. The frosting barely shows anything, but at first its a bit daunting. Happy Hour starts at 5pm and ceases at 7pm. Schooners are attractively priced at $3.50 and with karaoke on Thursday evenings, it's bound to be a loose night. For those who can't get enough of Mexican food, Monkey Bar hosts an all-you-can-eat night on Thursdays. They also have functions for Christmas and Melbourne Cup. Poker nights occur on Wednesday's and is best savoured with a cheap drink or two! For a full list of weekly specials visit their website and click "menu". Champers at $2.50 on a Friday between 4-6pm is almost unbeatable in terms of price! The staff are also really talented at creative shots and cocktails.

The first time I've ever tried a veggie burger that reminded me of a fish taco happened while I…read moredined at The Hayberry in Crows Nest, Sydney, and boy, was I thrilled. The Vego ($15AUD) patty is made with mixed bean, corn and coriander, and topped with citrus rocket, tomato and jalapeño mayo, and this monster of a sandwich had me reminiscing being on the Rocky Point beach. The burger wasn't the only stellar reason why this bar and restaurant made me happy. Head through the dimly lit pub area to the back of the restaurant to discover a fresh air patio filled with lots of natural light and quirky decorations. It's relaxed and will make you feel right at home. Back to the food. I was so excited to try the waffle fries that usually come with the burgers and sandwiches, but unfortunately, the fryer was down -- or "f*cked," as a humorous sign pointed out. The restaurant compensated for the lack of fried potatoes by giving us complimentary chips and guacamole, normally $10. The portion was plentiful and would be a great appetizer option, and the guac was creamy and sprinkled with some heat. For those in Australia hankering for Mexican or American food, The Hayberry is a great choice because of its wide selection of tacos, fajitas, buffalo wings and burgers. Service was super-friendly, and the casual atmosphere makes it a top-notch place to stop for after-work drinks and bites, as I did, or to meet a big groups, since there are lots of spacious tables to spread out on. The cocktail menu is also fun, as it offers margaritas and fruity drinks with fresh juice. It quickly became one of my favorite places I've checked out since I've been in Sydney.

Just like that Natalie Imbruglia song (remember her?), I'm Torn. Because this place rocks socks,…read moreit's like someone bundled up a little slice of Slurry and deposited it right in the middle of the Crows Nest Eat Street that has lots of delicious but has sorely, sorely been lacking the cool factor, and in fact still has nowhere near enough. The Hayberry has tons going for it. I rocked a bad-ass burger, The Classic ($15), and it was the nit's tits, juicy and cheezy and the bun melded with the patty and made sweet sweet love to it without becoming soggy or break-y and man it was just dope, the waffle fries were great too. The $10 pints of Angry Man Pale Ale hit the spot, and the vibe was dark and dingy and smoky without being, y'know, actually smoky because that's illegal, anyway my point is it's a damn fun place. BUT. And here comes the bad. The glassie working tonight was the pits. Since we're talking songs, y'know that Kendrick Lamar song "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe"? Well this guy did that, hard. I asked if there was a menu I could look at and he shrugged and said all testy-like "They're all out on the floor" and stalked away with his tank top and his rib rattoo. Super helpful, thanks friend! Soon after we found a seat at the side of the bar and this same guy saw me waiting to order and snapped "Ya won't get served there mate. It doesn't have a bar mat, you'll only get served where there's a bar mat." Oh good, thank you, you've been wonderful. Guy needs to find a new industry because he sucks at customer service, really put a downer on what was an otherwise great night. Should also mention the rest of the staff were awesome, so props to them.

This bar is awesome, though it probably has a lot to do with it brewing its own beer. Okay, some…read morehome brews are pretty bad, but in the case with this bar they were nothing short of awesome. While it wasn't all that busy when I was here, that probably had a lot to do with when I actually visited (the late afternoon), however, the atmosphere was great, and the beers were nothing short of fantastic.

There is a sea of change in the once staid Neutral Bay where the only appropriate watering hole was…read morethe institution otherwise known as The Oaks. A local weekend night use to start at this institution followed by a local restaurant then return to the Oaks and when it closed the night owls would search for possum, the Pickled Possum that is. Grosvenor Street has opened with new bars White Hart, The Pony, Firefly and drinks can be enjoyed at Blue Plate, Eno Pizzeria and Garden Brassiere. Honey Rider gives a welcome alternative and on the evening we visit we are surprised to find that it is not jammed to the walls with people who only consider a quick drink then move on. The bar is beautifully fitted out with quirky bits and pieces to admire. This includs upside down hanging pots, a wine/cocktail list contained within an old Australian Ballet programmes and beautiful antique lights. Pizzas are available for a light snack We order a gin and tonic and sink back into our warm surroundings and find the music is so pleasant. It is nice finally to have somewhere for the local crowd to hang out that is gratefully absent of the pretentiously formal.

Bassim just couldn't resist the temptation. They've got a prime Chatty location, and take advantage…read moreof it by jacking their prices up. Sigh. It's kinda disappointing because I love Korean food but this was deeply average and we paid through the nose for it. My brother and I shared the Galbi BBQ Platter and it was not only small, but poorly thought out - um, those strange slices of potato that never cooked properly and remained like sad little castoffs at the end of the meal? Looking at you, big guys - and it didn't even come with rice, for which we got slugged an extra four bucks each for weeny little bowls. Had to ask twice for water, couldn't get it refilled, and just, blah, the whole service and food package was pretty underwhelming. Mum got a soup which she seemed pretty pleased with though, so there's that. I'll probably give them another shot, but I won't be excited about it.

One of the best Koren charcoal grill restaurant. Yummy pork…read moreribs, baby octopus

A giant dining space pumping out tasty wood fired pizza and dinners!…read more The staff are attentive enough and are quick in bringing out your meals once you have decided which items to try. A friend and I came here on a Thursday night and the place was fairly empty - just the usual families celebrating kid week birthdays and friend catching up. We tried the aranchini balls, a pizza and shared a dessert. The pizza was great - freshly made, fresh tasting ingredients and a great balance of flavours! The aranchini balls were a bit on the bland side - not crisp or full of flavour. We tried the dessert special which was a flop - a bit bland and underwhelming, the highlight was the grilled pineapple YUM! The bill wasn't too bad for a small shared dinner - approx $30 per person with a tea to drink rather than an alcoholic beverage.

Guy walks into the Doctors rooms, he's got a piece of penne in each nostril and a bit of gnocchi…read moresticking out of his ear. Says 'Doc I feel terrible, whats wrong with me?' Doctor says 'Well first, you need to start eating more sensibly' This place is really incredibly Italian even though it was a hardware place until about three months ago. It is now a massive restaurant and "Spuntino Bar".....nope, me either, no idea. The food is really fantastic, Lindfield, Gordon and Turramurra have each kicked off a few new places in the last few months which is a great sign. This is right up there. Shared plates and great authentic pizzas. The service was great if you got the right woman, the bloke on the floor was way too Italian and prone to wandering away. When I asked him for the bill he nodded at me and went happily dawdling outside? The lady was on top of things and was cheerful quick and helpful. We had prawns, rolled veal, meatballs, calamari, and a proscuitto salad (all of course described in Italian so D1 can show off) and a bunch of pizzas. Nine of us all well fed and happy. Its not cheap but its good value, the wine list is short and mainly Italian. The whole place is comfy and cool in a New York bar way. This just in ... a spuntino bar is a bit like a tapas bar only Italian. There you go!

My friends and I had a hankering for tacos and we saw the variety of pub style foods they had, so…read moresmall bar it was. The name was fitting as it was quite tiny inside, but we were able to find a seat right away. I ordered the jerk chicken tacos, which were absolutely delicious. My friend ordered the same but got the gluten free version. Maybe it's just me being silly and a little too American, but I found it a little ridiculous that she had to pay 2 dollars extra for corn tortillas, when that's exactly how tacos are served traditional. Thankful, because corn tortillas are typically smaller, she got 4 tacos instead of 3. I also was able to grab a gin and soda which was flavored with orange, delicious.

Great burgers and a very nice wine list…read more We stopped for dinner on a Wednesday night and ordered a couple of glasses of wine and a couple of cheeseburgers. You order at the bar (it's at the bottom of the menu, but we were tired and didn't immediately notice that), and the food comes out pretty quickly. The wine list had great offerings, including a very nice brut sparkling wine, and a good choice of other varietals. The burgers were juicy, flavorful, and very filling. The fries were crispy and delicious too.