The Dock is our Monday night favourite. Typically we go to Wah Fung (Chinese restaurant on Regent Street, Redfern), and then retire to the dark, cosy confines of The Dock. [EDIT on 3/7/12: No longer open on Sundays & Mondays!]
Normally bar staff don't really set the tone of a place -- but in this case, the Dock's vibe comes principally from its owner.
The Baron - who runs the joint - is a dead-set barman for life. Formerly the entrepreneur who ran the slightly illegal Beer Baron delivery service, the Baron has now gone legit, and opened The Dock, an unassuming small bar in Redfern.
The Baron wears suspenders, and often has a tea towel slung across his shoulder. He could be straight from the 1940s, andlooks like a younger version of Al Swearengen from Deadwood, except maybe not so scary or terrifyingly charismatic. Then there's the Baroness, she's gorgeous and friendly, and everyone is greeted upon arrival. Actually sometimes there are different Baronesses working there so maybe the term is inaccurate. Whatever.
But enough about the people. What about the place? It's dark and a little shabby, and doesn't seem to be trying too hard to be hipster. The popcorn is free, and they've just started offering dumplings and other small comestibles. The cocktails ($10 on Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays) are not always mixed with precision, but the servings are generous, and the cocktails on offer are classics. The beer is cheap, and they serve Skittlebrau (yep, that's beer and skittles, as in Homer Simpson's fantasty... it's disturbing and amazing, all at once).
Live music has started appearing (think bluegrass and jazz). It gets super crowded on Fridays and Saturdays here, we prefer weeknights. read more