One of the prettiest bars I've ever seen. Very "Newtown-esque" hahaha. Friendly, great staff too…read more Their jalapeño margarita was a bit too chilli for me but the bartender was wonderful and offered to make me a new one just because of that (I didn't take it of course!). However, I'd recommend the Lime Bramble cocktail for anyone looking for something nice and fresh.

I arrived 90 minutes early for a show at The Enmore and needed somewhere to pass the time. Secret…read moreGarden was the first place I passed that happened to have a liquor licence, so I went on in. This place boasts 3 rotating taps and a Newtown-worthy selection of about a dozen or so bottles. I grabbed a Sierra Nevada and settled in to wait for my date. The smell of pulled pork filled the room and I couldn't resist ordering a couple of sliders (pork or beef $5/each, $12/3). Both were pretty tasty. I'd happily return to Secret Garden next time I'm early for a gig at the Enmore.

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.

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.

Came in on a Tuesday night with a fairly large group. Was pretty empty besides us. Super hipster…read morebar with a dark seediness to it. Both bartenders were quick, courteous, and gave awesome recommendations. I usually drink beer but since this was more of a cocktail bar, I started with a margarita. I asked for the basic, but the bartender quickly tried to get me to try the jalapeno margarita. I was quick to decline since I'm not into jalapeno or spicy drinks. The drink was mixed and strained into a martini glass... didn't seem to be as full as it should have been, but I wasn't upset. Drink tasted great, not too strong, too sweet, or too tart. I noticed lots of people getting the freshly pressed apple drinks, so I decided to try one. When in Rome, er, Newtown.... Asked for the Sailor Jerry and apple, but once again, the bartender was quick to recommend something different. He wanted me to try JD Tennessee Fire and apple. I know it's like Fireball, which I hate, but he was very persistent with his glowing recommendation, so I obliged. I'm glad I did, because it was delicious. You could only taste a hint of the whiskey, but mixed in with the fresh apple juice - which had a nice frothy foam on top - it was like cinnamon spiced apple sauce. Yum! If you don't listen to the bartender's advice, listen to mine! Prices? Eh, it's Sydney, not cheap. It is what it is. In the end, very pleased with my visit. Kind of annoying that both times I asked for a drink, they tried to convince me to make me something else (must have been competing on a promo or something), but hey, their advice was sound and if I didn't listen, I would't have had my delicious applesauce drink!

Great little bar to catch up with friends or to kill time!…read more Bartender is very chilled and down to earth, very hospitable. Lots of beer choices as well as wine, fresh apple juice to go with your vodka for those on a health kick ;) First time visit and already I feel at home. If your in the area stop by for a beer and some hot dogs.

Worst service I have ever experienced in an eating establishment. Promptly ordered our food as did…read morethe others in the party. Our food didn't come out until 45 minutes later and everyone else in the party had received theirs and already finished eating. The place was empty so this was clearly not a lunch rush problem and others had the same menu item , the Sunday Roast, and received it promptly. The food was barely warm. No apologies or acknowledgment of the delay when the food was brought out. There are many better places to eat. Choose one of them.

The Bank Hotel is one of Newtown's busiest pubs and I've been kicking around here for as long as I…read morecan remember. They renovated a few years ago and it's now a lot more pleasant with a lovely beer garden that houses the Bank's great Thai restaurant, and that is also venue to a ripping game of 2-Up on Anzac Day. I'm sure they do other stuff in here but they're the only things I've done downstairs! My preferred spot is in the windows, watching the peak of King Street crazy from a safe vantage-point while nestling a beer. The Bank is also famous for it's long-running Wednesday night Girl's night (for girls who like girls) and as I saw on the poster outside, they are kicking off Summer with a Drag Queen hosted "Sausage Fest". I laughed.

I like hive bar for it's $10 cocktail nights. Espresso…read moreMartini relieves my depresso. The staff are all pretty cool, and even though it's a small cramped space, it provides just the right ambiance for after work drinks. The food here is phenomenal. The menus are presented inside old Vinyl record covers, ours was the sounds from Hitchcock films, which was just awkward enough to laugh at. We had the platter that included Kangaroo kebab sticks, pate... oh my.. the pate. Other charcuterie standard fare and lebanese bread. I think around $30 rods, but well worth it for a work weary start to the weekend. You can also hire the upstairs room for your party. The craft beer selection is off the hook with some nice IPAs, Young Henrys on tap as well as others in the fridge. Get on down here after work on a Friday night.

I was only lucky enough to go in store briefly here for a brewsky while on a food tour of Sydney…read morebut what impressed me the most about Hive Bar was the wonderful service, clean floors and diversity of menu and coffee offerings this place had to provide clients outside of its nightlife entertainment. I also admire the fact that The Hive Bar has embraced its local, inconveniently located, smallness and tried to offer local flavourings on its menu, inlcuding sourcing local brews from St Peters Brewhouse! I tried the E'Vile (a.k.a the Erskenville) brew on tap and was blessed with a deliciously pleasant boldly going where no man has gone before type beer! I am definitely coming back for brunch, lunch or dinner and one of their many themed nights on my next adventure to Sydney!

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.

Jazz hands... What an eclectic, eccentric and too cool for…read moreyou, place this is. LazyBones is about as underground as you can get on the second level. It's a Jazz club with live acts every night, its a bar lounge. It's sophisticated dark and intimate. " Once you're inside Step back", says the purple haired door mistress with the voice activated LED t shirt, "and look up". Apparently painted by a famous Sydney artist, there is a huge mural on the ceiling. The place was pumping on Friday night. Jimmy Vargas and Mia Mortal (say it slowly... ) Vargas like a Brian Ferry look-a-like is apparently a self titled 'Croonoir' from San Francisco's cabaret. Mia Mortal has been sashaying the burlesque scene for the past 25 years. The show was a stunner. The Owner Craig was at the door when we walked in, he told us he'd moved up from Melbourne, and had been running clubs like Lazybones for years. He said "If it's not underground, I'm not interested" I liked his Moxie, and I had to concur. The hipster scene seems finally on it's knees with the clientele here being an over 30s crowd. I admit, I felt very relaxed. I even saw a member of a well known Sydney rock band here. If you want to stay ahead of the game? Say Hello to sophisticated class! Lazybones you're doing it right. $10 on the door gets you entry. Wine and Beer are priced reasonably, cocktails at $18 seemed a little pricey, but it looked like top shelf liquor. The menu, while I didnt try it, featured "Bunny Chow" with pick your own topping for around $12 as I recall. There were also Samosas and curries. It's very loud on a Friday night, Adults only. Good for date night or a chilled out trip into sin alley.

This place has three levels? I feel like this review might be hampered by the fact that I only…read moreexperienced the ground floor drink/dine area, but with that being said the 1/3 of the pub which I did experience was a nice place to hang out. The deco is confusing, however charming. A bare brick wall, racked ceiling with chicken wire, plumbing with light globes coming out every which way. Like an outback pub trying to keep things modern and trendy. The bar lady seemed a touch preoccupied. As if she was expecting an order of something to arrive. Such behaviour isn't indicative of bad service, it was just slightly distracting to continuously see a head pop out from behind a wall to gaze over the front entrance. I went for the $12 lunch special. One Black Angus Beef Burger with thick cut chips and ketchup on the side. The chips lived up the standard thick cut. Decent amount of crunch while fluffy inside. I believe the ketchup was made in house. Tasted like smooth tomato chutney which a touch of chilli for warmth. Nice. Everything about the burger was fresh. The beef wasn't over processed. The cheese and sauces complimented everything. The bun was soft. Simplictic and wholesome. Burgers like how mum use to make... but in a pub. For $12 it was a decent meal. I was certainly filled up by the end of it but not so much that I couldn't walk. When you're in Newtown you need to be able to use your legs. I'd like to return here with a group of friends. The six seated high tables looked comfortable enough to enjoy a few drinks over the course of a couple of hours.

This bar was nothing short of awesome, but then again I've come to expect this standard from…read moreNewtown. To say that they had a good selection of beers is an absolute understatement because, being Newtown, you are going to find great selection of beers in their pubs. The thing that I loved the most about this pub though was the rooftop bar that gives you a great view of the surrounding area. The place is relaxing, and the view is magnificent. I could literally spend ages up here.

Ordered a vegan cauliflower burger and was given chicken (which I only found out after biting into…read moreit). If you are vegan or have food allergies, I'd steer clear.

I walked in and Black Sabbath's children of the grave was blasting on the house speakers. I knew I…read morewas going to like this place. Full bar, craft beers on tap, demonic murals and sick, twisted graffiti on the walls, sets the tone. Kinda a "filthy hipster" vibe. One of the servers had a tee shirt on that said "eat dick mate" it's like that. And the food. Sick burgers, some of the best in Sydney. Done properly, fried on a griddle, old school. Nice squishy toasted buns. Fucking yum! Fried chicken, their other specialty, equally awesome, offering mashed and gravy. Not sure what Aussie obsession with gravy is all about, but they offer it in portion cups like catsup in the States. WTF? Mary's gravy is worthy of the extra calories to help lube up the crusty, fried chicken. Their have been some mixed reviews about this place, but it's legit in my book, rock on Mary's!

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 like this place but I am not so sure of its direction now that it is owned by spice. They have…read moreput tables and chairs in the front bar that look unkempt and need fixing. They have glued plait patches over holes in cheap vinyl. This bar used to be so busy that there were too many people to have this spread of tables and chairs. Didn't go in the back bar which I think they call the lounge or the spice bat downstairs. Thank god there is still a predominantly gay crowd. They seem to have drag shows only on Saturday nights now.

I have never eaten here so my review is not for the food! I love the vibe here, everyone is always…read morehappy and in a good mood here, it's a popular gay/drag bar where everyone is welcome! I love dancing here. It's great as a last stop before heading home :)