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    The Dispensary

    5.0 (1 review)

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    15 years ago

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    The Empire Hotel - Outside

    The Empire Hotel

    3.0(3 reviews)
    1.8 kmPotts Point
    $

    I probably have been to this place a few times, namely because it happens to be a bar on Kings…read moreCross, and sadly, and I found myself wandering around there on occasion. Well, this bar is pretty tacky, and it certainly isn't anything that I would want to return to. The beer selection is pretty limited, and the bar itself is, well, not sleazy, but it certainly isn't all that great. Yeah, there really isn't anything that would attract me to this place.

    After a long 14-hour flight from California I arrived in Sydney at 7:30am on a Sunday morning. My…read moreGF and I had hotel reservations in King's Cross and her flight had been cancelled and rescheduled for the next day, so I made my way out to KC to get the hotel check-in done. I arrived around 10am; check-in time at our hotel was noon so I had a couple of hours to kill. The hotel stored my luggage for me and I set out on a leisurely Sunday morning exploration of King's Cross. After a bit of seriously jet-lagged, zoned-out strolling I noticed on a corner an enclosed patio area open to the street, empty but beckoning. It was attached to the Empire Hotel, an historic-looking building with a very cool art-deco facade. I crossed the street and walked in and met bartender Albert, who kindly sat me down and gave me a sample tour of all the Australian beers the Empire had on tap. All were fantastic; Australia is a kind of beer paradise if you're a golden lager fan like me. I made my choice and retired to the patio with my pint to relax and soak up the vibe of Sunday morning King's Cross street life. Over the next couple of hours (and pints) I met several colorful characters on the patio, notably well-dressed long-time KC local Tim, who was in the Australian Army and was preparing to deploy back to Afghanistan in a couple of days. Tim filled me in on the history of King's Cross, which has through the decades been Sydney's bohemian zone, red-light district, gay-pride zone, and seedy all-night party bar destination. It was easy to see "The Cross" as it's called was currently in transition, undergoing a steady gentrification as befits its gorgeous physical setting amid historic architecture and streets lined with mature shade trees. Around noon I made my way back to our hotel to secure our room and a well-deserved nap, happy to have been so well-received by the friendly Australians at the Empire Hotel and looking forward to our Sydney adventure that was soon to begin.

    Photos
    The Empire Hotel - Sports Bar

    Sports Bar

    The Empire Hotel - Sports Bar

    Sports Bar

    The Empire Hotel - TV Screens

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    TV Screens

    Sweethearts Rooftop

    Sweethearts Rooftop

    4.0(26 reviews)
    1.8 kmPotts Point
    $$

    Let me tell you upfront: There is no elevator. You will have to climb up all those stairs. I huffed…read moreand puffed my way up there and it was a mad house once I arrived. Seems to be a popular place. Several parties were going on, seemed like a bachelorette party, a birthday, a group of folks all dressed in pink and another group dressed like flappers. It was extremely loud and unfortunately I was not able to make my way to an area where I could have checked out the view. It is semi covered by a roof and then there is an open air area, but the are large umbrellas you can hide under. I had a nice little drink and enjoyed the people watching. They have quite a drink menu and also offer some food, but that is rather limited. Just come up here for the drinks and the party atmosphere. I have to say that the bartenders are very nice.

    Had it not been for Yelp (thank you Yelp) and my own lust for BBQ, I would have never found this…read moreplace since it really is up on top of a roof and when I went there had to navigate my way through a first floor restaurant, The Sugarmill, in order to find the staircase. The staircase had a few more steps than I had thought but since the walls were covered with a rather nifty form of graffiti art sort of fun. Overall I found the seating and general atmosphere of being up on the roof top extremely pleasant and sort of a welcome relief from being on street level. The general set up with bar and food service is really good, orderly, neat, clean, trendy and fun. For food, I went for the for their Wagyu flat iron steak. Though listed on their menu as barbecue it actually came grilled, but that might be because Australians, as is the much the same situation in the United States north of the Mason Dixon line, are oblivious to the differences between "barbecuing" and "grilling." Hence when Australians say they are going to "toss whatever on the barbie," they actually mean they are going to toss it upon an open grill. Nevertheless, the steak was really good, served with a nice side salad. My dining companion, Yelper Jim D., ordered the salmon skewers which were likewise perfectly grilled, served with a side of greens and topped with a sprig of fresh dill in what was not only delicious but eye appealing. Because of the good food, reasonable prices and nifty rooftop location, I haven't any hesitation in being a fan of Sweetheart's or of recommending it.

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    Sweethearts Rooftop
    Sweethearts Rooftop
    Sweethearts Rooftop - Sweethearts Rooftop

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    Sweethearts Rooftop

    Terrace Bar - Aperol and wine

    Terrace Bar

    3.0(5 reviews)
    1.2 kmSydney

    Not just a bar, but a lovely setting for lunch in the park near the art museum. Even on a Saturday,…read morewe had no trouble being seated at an outdoor table with a great view of the flowers and historic trees, kookaburras, with an ibis or two strollng by. The menu leans towards Italian food, but there are several interesting choices, including barramundi. My husband and I moved on to the grilled peppers after beginning with our aperol spritzer and white wine course from their extensive local wine list. My barramundi was inspired, and my husband's pasta was perfect. Service was leisurely, but pleasant.

    The Terrace Bar and Restaurant abuts the Domain-Phillip Park, across from the Art Gallery Museum of…read moreNew South Wales. There is seating inside as well as outside on the terrace. Staff are professional, friendly and efficient. The menu is mainly Italian but has a wide range of items that are very well thought out, presented, and will interest most palates. My wife and I went for a late lunch after visiting the museum. We started with an antipasto of roast peppers w/ sea salt that went very well with my NSW SauvBlanc and her Aperol Spritz. My pasta with sausage and sauté 'd spinach was delicious. My wife was equally pleased with her grilled barrimundi. There is a full bar and they are open for dinner.

    Photos
    Terrace Bar - Garden view

    Garden view

    Terrace Bar - Canestrini pasta w/ pork/fennel sausage

    Canestrini pasta w/ pork/fennel sausage

    Terrace Bar - Barramundi with crisp Jerusalem artichokes and capers.

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    Barramundi with crisp Jerusalem artichokes and capers.

    FBI Social

    FBI Social

    4.5(2 reviews)
    1.9 kmPotts Point
    $

    This is a joint where $10 gets you 3 live bands…read more That's, like, three bucks a band. Is that even legal? How are these kids making money? Financial concerns aside, what an ass-kicking deal. Combine that with a super intimate venue and cheap drinks and why would you not come here, eh? The bartender was having an off night when I went - lost his bottle opener, had to run downstairs to find a new one, and couldn't find a light beer (I was driving, awright) on the register and asked "How does $5.20 sound?" Good question. Caught me out. Should have gone for some happy bartering but didn't think quickly enough. But hells, this is run by community radio station FBI and I saw 2 hrs of cracking tunes, what's a couple bucks between friends. Plus he was super nice about it in a Fawlty Towers kinda way. And you'll notice this still gets 5 stars. They could spit on me when i come in and it would still get 5 stars, that's how much I rate the local live music scene and these dudes that make it happen.

    I love live music and any venue dedicated to keeping Sydney's live music scene from fizzling into…read moreextinction. If I'm honest, I secretly want Sydney to be filled with divey-style bars like this level of the Kings Cross Hotel... I'm a sucker for dim lighting, cheap drinks and good tunes... throw in a few tall men in shirts and tight jeans and my little heart is content. The music can be hit and miss (as it should be) and occasionally the painfully-hipster:regular-person ratio is too heavy on the hipster... but if you're happy to chill out, go with the flow and get your indie on, you'll have a fun night here.

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    FBI Social

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    The Deck Bar - Bar in front, restaurant at the back.

    The Deck Bar

    3.8(12 reviews)
    1.4 km
    $$

    5 stars on the view and atmosphere of this restaurant. However I have had a few issues here…read more The first time me and my friend came across it it was a week night and we had not made a booking. However a seat was found for us and although it was not next to the window overlooking the harbour, those were booked, it was totally understandable and our spot was still nice. We ordered a paella for two which was large and very nice and high quality. We also ordered cocktails which were very nice and of the average, expensive cocktail price. They were presented nicely and seemed quite strong which I like; money's worth. We ordered a dessert which was delicious and plated very well. As it's such an expensive restaurant the desserts seem to be all small but very rich. Upon such a good meal I booked again for a future date. A week prior to the event I rang up to confirm my reservation next to the window. After a long long phone call and an employee raising their voice to the fact that someone had already reserved the table and trying to secure me a different spot, we came to the agreement someone had spelt my name wrong on the reservation sheet. Expecting this to be fixed, I showed up to The Deck early to my booking so I enjoyed a few cocktails at the bar. Me and my friend made our way to dinner only to be told the table was reserved by someone else. The worker did not speak perfect English and had some difficulty pronouncing my name thus thinking the one on the sheet was different. It took a long time to settle the problem, she left for a period of time and came back and eventually I was able to show her that it was my name spelt slightly wrong. We sat down half an hour late to dinner and I was pretty annoyed but I still got my seat so it was okay. We were first waited on by a young woman on what seemed to be her first shift so I didn't mind that she was a little slow to use her equipment and needed assistance. However the main waiter we had seemed slightly rude and bored. He treated an elder couple next to us very well and spoke to them politely and made general conversation with them. However me and my friend are both only 18 and while we were polite and respectable he treated us in a complete different matter, with a monotone voice and not looking up from recording our stuff. For such a nice place I expected better and equal service. We had to get up and walk to the bar to ask for second servings of wine as no one came to serve us. The food was very nice quality though, we were both satisfied and too full for any dessert. The menu is very minimal and it was going through go changes when we came so only a few selections were available. While on the costly side it's a nice place to treat yourself.

    A favourite place for enjoying a glass of wine and food to share whilst watching the ferries go by…read moreon the Harbour. Whilst located just inside the entrance of Lunar Park, it has a strict adults only policy so is a lovely spot to escape the noise and hustle of the Park. We stumbled upon it by accident and now go back on a regular basis. Have yet to eat in the restaurant because the bar has a good selection of snacks to share at reasonably prices. My favourites are the Tapas plate and pulled pork sandwich.

    Photos
    The Deck Bar - Sumac crusted salmon, rocket and Parmesan salad and a steak for myself with melt in your mouth "chips" cooked to absolute perfection

    Sumac crusted salmon, rocket and Parmesan salad and a steak for myself with melt in your mouth "chips" cooked to absolute perfection

    The Deck Bar - Front Bar area perfect for relaxing drinks

    Front Bar area perfect for relaxing drinks

    The Deck Bar - Just keeps getting better !

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    Just keeps getting better !

    The Dispensary - bars - Updated May 2026

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