This pub was okay, but certainly not one of the best. There was some charm about it, but it was a…read morelittle too crowded for my tastes. Okay, that probably had more to do with Australia Day than anything else, but while a part of it was nice, other parts of it were a bit too tacky. There were some decent beers available, but none that would really grab my attention. Once again there was a beer garden, but that was more for the smokers.

Darlo bar (as it is known to pretty much everyone) is a tale of 2 bars. Downstairs you have the…read moremix-match retro-chic look, complete with old-school arcade games. Upstairs, you'll find the outdoor patio area - complete with wrought-iron garden furniture - with walls so high, it almost feels indoors (except when it rains). It can get very busy in the evenings, especially Friday and Saturday, so if you want a seat, you better get there early! Both bars over a good variety of drinks, ranging from local boutique beers to a variety of wines and cocktails, so all bases are covered in that respect. Although there is no kitchen, food is on offer from a number of local outlets (order at the bar), with a minor surcharge for delivery. They also nightly specials and events, so check out the website and see what's on when you're heading down!

This is one of those chameleon-like bars that changes by time of day…read more Come in between 4 and 7 most nights and it is pumping, especially Friday night, when you will find it full of suited and frocked business folk enjoying a glass of something and a nibble on any of the various platters and eats available. By 7.30-8pm it is nearly empty as the herd moves on to night-time watering holes. Come in a bit later and it is starting to fill with the night-time crowd, and a doorman has appeared. Nice wine, good nibbles, fertile ground for people watching - a good spot all round.

Tank Stream has a wonderful ambiance, serves up great food and has a great choice of wine and…read morecocktails. Hidden away in a laneway there has been many a night that has been spent here enjoying cheese platters and a glass of wine. The cheese platter I order is around $24 and has the following cheeses. milawa brie, simon johnson brie, black wax cheddar and janine ash log goats cheese with a sprinkling of muscatels. With a nice Pinot Gris life is just grand. The decor helps create the warm and inviting ambience in Tank Stream Bar and the bathrooms actually have space.... yes lots of it which is a nice change not to be stuck in a cubicle where the toilet meets the door then you need to sidle out past the queue to search for a basin. Sometimes wine and cheese evenings are held at Tank Stream which are great value and well worth the experience. Verdict: One of the best small bars in Sydney though it was here way before the sb revolution.

While in Sydney, my friend, curious about Sunday Roast (a dish we Americans had never tried),…read morediscovered the Glebe Hotel. The pub has an old-school charm at the entrance but opens up to a brighter, more modern dining area in the back with plenty of natural light. My friend ordered the Sunday Roast and enjoyed it, while I opted for the fish and chips, which were decent but not particularly memorable. Overall, it was a good experience, but I wouldn't return--now that we've tried Sunday Roast, and there are better fish and chips options in Sydney.

As you are probably aware, I'm not really a big fan of these really fancy pubs, probably because I…read moretend to feel out of place. Look, I probably would like to give this place a higher score and all that, but in reality, the fanciness of the place did get to me a bit. The staff were pretty and they had some nice beers and all that, and I probably won't go as far as calling it pretentious, but still, it really wasn't one of those pubs that I particularly enjoy.

Meeting friends for dinner nearby, but I saw the sign for an Irish pub and knew I had to stop by…read morefor at least one pint! The place just opened so it was empty but as I was leaving people were starting to pour in. Since there was a game later I was told it will be packed. Talked with the bartender for awhile, very nice. Happy hour prices were about $6 a pint. I checked things out both inside and out. Nice tables outside to relax and enjoy the fresh air. Very cool place to hangout.

A great selection of beers. Service was quick despite a lot of people before an event at the SCG…read more Our biggest issue was that it was a beautiful evening, we sat outside in the fresh air as it was one of the first days with no bushfire smoke and a few minutes later a couple of tables close by were filled with smokers. The breeze blew all their smoke over out table. All other tables were take outside so we had no choice to move. We left after 1 beer and to the Bavarian. Terrible that they still cater for the very few people who smoke!

If there is a word to describe this pub then that would be eclectic. It is just that it doesn't…read morematter what room you walk into there is always something different to see. They have certainly done a great job making this place a great place to sit down and have a beer, and having a decent selection of beers on tap certainly helps as well. Okay, it might not be on any of the main roads, but that makes this pub even better, particularly since it is quiet and out of the way.

Was here for my birthday with family and friends and we had a pretty average experience…read more The staff were kinda non-existent. Do they have staff? I don't remember seeing any. It was pretty quiet at the time we arrived and the staff seemed to have all the time in the world to serve, so they took that time. I remember walking up to get a drink for 3 of us and it taking an eon to get attention, and an aeon to get served. The beer tap must be set to boring, because it took so long to pour I was taking photos of photos (how meta of me). The space itself is quite festive. Sexy lighting and contrasting colours all give off this wonderful vibe. Exposed brick. Nice one, never seen that before. The red and blue awning is sahweet (like lemon). First impression in the back courtyard was the stale beer smell. I couldn't work out where it was coming from... till I picked it up... the menus, which are laminated, had obviously been wiped down with the same rag that is used to clean up the beer slops bucket. They were sticky, still wet, and smelly. It wasn't a good start. The courytard area itself was actually nicely closed off and offered us a semi-private section to celebrate whilst above us others enjoyed a Sunday arvo sesh. The menu is really ambitious. Sweet Portuguese slow dances with a spicy Jamaican, whilst traditional Chinese seduces a redneck American. The hit dish was the Jerk Salmon w chinese brocolli and pineapple salsa . My birthdaygänger (non-twin same-day diff-year birthday) had this and was gushing at its glory. I had the BBQ Texas scotch fillet w potato bacon and jalapeno salad. It sounded superb, but the steak was poorly cooked, a large chunk of un-rendered fat sat un-tantalisingly in the middle of the scotch fillet, which itself lacked seasoning and had the consistency of a flogged horse. Upon seeing the dish I immediately regretted not ordering the sliders, which come in 4 varities, and at 4 for $20 (or $6 each) seemed like good value, and looked good - though the girls that chose them, weren't raving - so if I could pick again it'd be that Jerk Salmon. The Aspen fries with pecorino, truffle & rosemary (what's the deal with truffle fries these days???) sounded amazing, and the first few tasted good, before you realise that the flavours don't really work that well together, and what you get is really over-powered by cheese and salt with that distinct hit of rosemary... you can't even taste the potato. After a handful, two of us sharing a bowl left the remainder. Everyone at the table tried them, thought they were great, but more than half the serving was left un-finished.... Speaks for itself. Lamb ribs looked dry instead of juicy, and whilst I too was assured they were good, they went unfinished also. The prawn, green papaya and peanut salad was a poorly composed dish that gave the impression it was lacking additional elements. It was also rather sauce-less making the overcooked prawns dry and uninviting. Inside in the bottoms up bar, it looks like The Balmain has tried to ingratiate itself to the selfie-stick-loving, social-media muppets of society. If that's our future, somebody help us. Nobody wants to live in a world where in order to go to the pub, people need to get dressed up in their trendiest outfits, and spend half their night in the pop-up photo booth, creating photos, to put on their facebook to pretend how great their mediocre life is... So mediocre, in fact, that they spent it at The Balmain taking photos of themselves all night with a fake smile instead of actually going somewhere they enjoyed and living in the moment, then and there, rather than savouring one that never existed. Woah! (end rant) I probably would come back to The Balmain again, but would skip the food and do the Sunday arvo sesh upstairs instead... That looked like fun. No pretention, just a few bevvies with buds in Balmain.

Fun bar in Sydney head up the stairs to the semi open rooftop bar. Good food and drinks.read more

In spite of the name, this is actually not a hotel. Hotel has a double meaning in Australia as I…read morehave learned. It can be a place of lodging, but also many pubs use it as well as it relates to past liquor laws. Using the term "hotel" as a way to skirt liquor licensing regulations. Strawberry Hills is a nice Aussie pub just down the street from Central Railway Station. It looks a little divey on the outside, but the 2nd floor interior is quite nice and stylish and even has free Wi-Fi. This is a good spot to get a drink and quality pub food at a reasonable price in Sydney. If you are dining upstairs, you order your food and drinks at the counter. If you are dining in, the staff then brings the food to your table when it is ready. While they do have a wine menu, there isn't one for the large assortment of beers and cider on tap. If you are not sure what to order, I would list the types of beer and cider that you like to find one that suits you. As for the food, there is a regular menu consisting of pub food and a late night menu of different pizzas. The pricing here is quite reasonable as most mains (name for entree in Australia) are under $20. Had a Sunday night dinner here and opted for the slow cooked lamb shoulder ($18) with a pint of Bulmers cider ($7). I chose lamb because it is harder to find this meat on menus in the US, whereas in Australia it seems to be a standard offering. The lamb was terrific as the meat was fall off the bone tender. There was a bit of fat and gristle on the lamb, but I was okay with this since this helped to accentuate the meat's flavor. The accompanying roasted vegetables and red wine jus were also delicious and complimented the lamb. As for the cider, it was my first time trying Bulmers and I really liked it. It has a very crisp and refreshing taste that paired well with my meal. Enjoyed my meal at Strawberry Hills. The food and drinks here are good and value for your money. I like the ambiance of this pub too as it is modern, yet is casual enough to be a local drinking hole that you frequent regularly.

This is our goto place if we are off to the Seymour Centre. (It was also our goto place in 1970s…read morewhen we were students too!) The menu is good for a pub and the drinks are bought at the bar. There is parking in the street if you are lucky but the parking attached to the Seymour is not that expensive. The seating is on long tables and three levels. There are plenty of TVs to watch sport too.

Booked an area at the Rose a few times for a non-profit social. The area was good and I love the…read morebeer selection. Went to book it, that area wasn't available so the Rose offered us a different area. A week out from the event, well past the initial discussion, they suddenly announced the vastly increased minimum spend and knocked back any attempts to negotiate given this bait and switch was leaving us high and dry without a suitable venue. Don't risk hosting events here. They simply do not care. The beers're still good though.

Since I'm not a Sydneysider I can't really say whether this is an institution or not, but it is a…read morepub that I remember visiting back in the 90s when I was passing through the city to a camp in the Southern Highlands. Most of the time I've been here I've looked at the pub and moved on, namely because I had already been there (and believe I may have even stayed in a hotel next door - but that was years ago). However, since I hadn't been here in years I decided to pay it another visit. It's not a bad pub, but nothing hugely fantastic either. I was pretty quiet when I was here, but it was getting pretty late and on a weeknight as well. Their meals are reasonably priced, and the staff okay, but it is certainly not one of my favourite places.

Maloney's is a sizeable and well maintained Irish pub suitably located near many city hotspots…read more Its a great meeting place where you should find a table and you could do a lot worse for food. Nothing special here, but for what it is, it doesn't disappoint. Good for sports too as the screens are well placed and fairly large. If you're looking for a pub vibe with good food and plenty of space, look no further.