The Vanguard is a delightful high-ceilinged theatre with balcony and a 1920's feel perfectly suited…read moreto the fantastic acts they always have on here. They mainly book great Aussie blues, roots & jazz-type bands but mix it up with some cult cinema and the like. I have never ever seen a not-great gig on the Vanguard stage or even in their calender- true story! They do dinner & show packages and the dinner seating varies depending on the type of act that are playing, booking numbers etc - sometimes it's in front of the stage and sometimes up on the balcony. The sound here is really good no matter where you end up sitting, tickets are reasonably priced and I can't comment on the food because I've never tasted it. You're on your own there sorry! Drinks prices are a little on the high side but the service is good - we were unintentionally in the way of the bar & the woman we were bothering, instead of getting annoyed, graciously found us a table. The only reason I dropped a star was the drink prices. I would go here for the music every night if I could afford to! Oh and check their listings for business hours as they're not open every night - it varies.

I haven't seen my mate from school in a while and he happens to be playing at the Vanguard. I've…read morenever been to the Vanguard and so take this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. (A violent yet skill involved metaphor.) The night goes as follows; I get to the Vanguard early and take a seat in one of the booths, only to discover that behind me in the near booth is my friend, looking quite different, but still recognisable and I join their table for a chat and to meet his band. They play their set and I watch on from the rear of the club standing with the family at the CD sales stand. A few CD's are bought and I drink of the wine. Next comes some Cabaret, a few strips and a lot of singing. The MC is tres hilarious and the music is great. I get my phone out and track down a few of the numbers for later listening activity. The night ends in further beers, additional chats and the purchase of a CD for my good self. Good shows, tasty wine and a food option. The view from upstairs is glorious, but interrupted briefly by a pair of lesbians ripping each others hair out and getting escorted by the security. The view from downstairs is great as well, but lacks lesbian lovers quarrelling.

cool atmosphere. Pepsi the choice over the other cola brand. some other options could be yelpful to…read moreus ... uhem ... non drinkers. but no worries! :-)

We had the pleasure of speaking with Jaz, serving at the bar, whilst upstairs for the 5ive concert…read more This young lady was so professional, friendly and accommodating in helping us with with our merchandise. Jaz needs to be commended on her quick thinking and bubbly persona :)

I am so glad to have caught a show inside the opera house! The acoustics were amazing…read more I watched the Sydney symphony orchestra perform Beethoven's Symphony No 5. It was so good! To enter, start from the left bottom of the stairs and follow the crowd. (Don't go up the stairs expecting to be seated, like I did.) Then you go through security with bag check. Once inside, backpacks must be deposited at the coat check. This is where the toilets and concessions are. Then you get your tickets scanned, one ticket per person. Then you should head to whichever door is written on your ticket. They start exactly on time, so be prepared to arrive early. I feel like this is a must-do whilst in Sydney. I highly recommend!

I would say this is the most recognized opera house in the world... easily. It is gorgeous,…read moreespecially when there are special occasions where it may be lit up in colorful displays. What really surprised me was that the exterior consists of small tiles... who knew. One drawback is that it is not easily accessible. Loads of stairs to climb and the distance from any transportation option to the entrance is huge. Once inside you will still be walking quite a distance and many many stairs. You will not be able to enter here without staff assistance if you are not walking perfectly well. The inside is as gorgeous as the outside, there are several bars and restaurants inside and out and serivce is great. I came here for my very first opera and even so I could only afford the 'cheap' seats, I must say that my view of the stage was great and the sound quality was excellent. A great help were the small screens on which the translation of the opera followed along. Sort of like closed captioning for the happenings on stage. Helped me tremendously as I tried to follow along, but do not understand a lick of Italian. What else can be said that hasn't been said a million times? Oh yeah, don't forget to visit Benny the seal who hangs out on some stairs in back of the building facing the water of course.

Purchased tickets for an event billed as 11 PM to 4:30 AM. The manager shut the event down and sent…read moreeveryone home at 2 AM. Complete disrespect to ticket holders and patrons. The event was hosted by young local DJs and it's a shame this venue showed zero support. Don't bother buying tickets to events hosted here, because who knows when they'll close? Waste of time and money. DJs/promoters - beware of booking here.

I flew from interstate to see a gig here..but I am pretty disappointed. It felt like the gig had…read morebeen oversold, although staff did reassure me it was below capacity. Was extremely packed, not enjoyable, people shoulder to shoulder, very hot. Staff very friendly though, and drinks at reasonable price ‍ I won't come back to this venue

I've just started working in the area and it seems like this is the 'after work drinks' spot...it's…read morehidden away, like stepping through a portal into a strange little funky den. Definitely wouldn't have noticed it if I wasn't taken here! It's nice, cozy and definitely has some attitude for a small little place. The staff seem 'ok'...I guess (one guy was a little moody), but put your hand up at the bar to be served or they'll probably just ignore you. The paintings that adorn all the walls are pretty cool (except for the one that's upside down...fighting the OCD to turn it the right way up!!!) and the theme of always having something to look at continues to the bathrooms, us guys even get retro 50-60's topless pinup pics (most probably to take attention away from the total mess that the itty bitty bathroom is in). As I've only been on Friday's, I know happy hour is from 5-7pm with beers, wine, cocktails & jugs on the menu, all seemed to be priced ok (nowhere as cheap as places close-by like the Brighton Hotel). Be warned that they're quite strict on times, so don't show up 5 to 5 and expect happy hour prices. The range of drinks isn't massive here and most of the drinks are bottled. Outside of happy hour, the price of drinks can be pretty high. I felt like cider after a long day at work and saw that they had Rekorderlig on the menu, but for $14 a pop I'm going to pass (only $7-8 at BWS). Now, what I give the place credit for and really is a hidden gem...the pizzas. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but free pizzas with jugs were most welcome (not sure if this happens all the time). I tried the chorizo pizza which was awesome, flavourful slices of chorizo, flowing with melty cheesy goodness and on a decent thin base. I also tried the margherita but can't remember how it was...I pretty much inhaled it (my colleagues seemed to do the exact same thing). As it's so close to work, I'll probably keep hitting Cafe Lounge up on a Friday but don't really see myself trekking over from the North Shore at any other time. If you are in the area though, go lounge around, chill, have a drink and try to resist the need to stick the toy animals/dinosaurs they give you as table numbers into the giant jars with candles...(it wasn't me, seriously...).

This joint is very hipster with random decor. The staff were very frienly and laid back. When you…read moreorder from the bar they give you some random shark, dinosaur ..... toys etc instead of a number or a buzzer. They do nightly food and bevvy specials. They pour some stiff drinks, love it. We stopped in on a Thursday for $10 burger night. I ordered the southern fried chicken burger. Full of flavour with a kick from the cajun spiced fried chicken and jalepenos, niceThe burger came with some crispy fried wedges. The wife was trying to get at mine, so I had to divert her hand a few times with a slap. Also noticed they have $3 pizza on Tuesday nights and $10 cocktail happy hour on Friday from 5-7 for after work drinks, Bargain Great spot if you are a uni student, on a budget or just a tight arse who loves a bargain.

- lots of younger folk - music was great on a Friday night…read more- cocktails are stingily precise - urinating into a trough - mixed drinks taste cheap - I had a great time

New bar on Oxford Street brought to you from the same duo behind Tio's. It's definitely a different…read moreventure. It's huge (compared to small bar Tio's) and has a dance floor stuck in the middle. It's made to look like you've stepped underwater with blue wavy lights on the floor and paper lantern fish above your head. It has more of a club atmosphere, but not in a creepy "let's go clubbing way" that you might associate with some places (especially if you're not a club person). When we were there Friday, they had an Elvis impersonator signing live and played mostly 60s classics through the night. It's a great addition to the area. Drink menu is simple but has a lot of character. Cocktails starting at $10 up to $16-17 range depending on what you're after. They also have this crazy monkey head tiki drink for $25 that is meant to be shared by two people (or one really thirsty person).

Yes it's true, I'm kind of a big deal. I was in a Holden Captiva advertisement once. I'll pose for…read morephotos if I must. (Editors Note: Nobody cares.) But when I was getting fitted for the wardrobe for that ad, I found myself at Dawes Point on Hickson Road and this is where the story begins... I got to the location early for two reasons. Reason number one: I prefer to be forty minutes early rather than five minutes late and thus I always, when possible, leave at my earliest convenience. Reason number two: As I'll be trying on various clothing options, I don't want to be sweaty and as I have ridden my bicycle down, will need a moment and bathroom sink to freshen up in before the fitting. I park my bike and walk into the Sydney Dance Company bar and cafe. It's a cool piano bar attached to the school of dance, the views are of the wharf and the sound of music echoes through the corridors adjacent to the seating. I order at the bar and take my seat. Laptop out, thinking cap on, I try and get some work done. The coffee arrives and I sip on it tentatively, as I write and watch the various actors and dancers walking into auditions and coming back out again. I finish my coffee and go to the bathroom to get ready to head to the fitting. The doors to the dance halls are slightly a jar, and as I walk past I can see the occasional room full of pirouetting students and teachers in spandex. I've always wished that I could dance.

Sydney Dance Lounge shares a building with Sydney Dance Company at Pier 4/5 in Walsh Bay…read more The Lounge pivots dramatically when the sun goes down, transitioning from casual cafe to classy restaurant. During the day, Sydney Dance Lounge is a casual 'grab your sandwich and drink from the fridge' cafe, catering to dancers, actors, production teams, kids in workshops and mum's waiting for their triple-threat child prodigies. Come nightfall, the lounge gains an air of elegance as diners come by for pre-theatre dinner and drinks. The lounge is dark, ambient and classy with beautiful furnishings and the food is nice too. Also, it's lovely to be able to dine near the theatre, not having to worry about making it to the doors in time. The Lounge maintains a relaxed and not at all intimidating atmosphere, aided by their great team of staff - friendly and perky, many of them work in the industry of the those they're serving. The coffee is quite good (Toby's Estate) and it appears that great minds think alike, as Sydney Dance Lounge boasts a list of regulars unlike any other cafe in Sydney - within half an hour on my last visit I coffeed with Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Yeah that's right. Great minds think alike.

So, pretty much any creative repurposing of an old wrought-iron, tin-roofed train station is gonna…read moreget 5 stars from me. They're just so damn cool, and anything you put in them - art galleries, farmers markets, banging parties - is cool by association. Went to a mad sick MINI warehouse banger here last night, if you've got the cash to splash the venue can't be beat. And if that repurposing revives tired old Redfern, with its old streets and checkered past? So much the better. Cue hipsters running in and lousing the place up. I can't paint, but if I could, I'd have a show here, and I'd invite everyone and their mums.

I attended the White Ribbon Gala event at Carriageworks…read more Venue was amazing. Still has that rail yard feel but with a modern refurbished look to it. The main event room was very spacious. Felt like a big nightclub with a circular bar in the middle. Drinks were great but the canapés were appalling. Some canapés you would've thought would be hot were served cold. Wtf indeed! For those thinking of booking Carriageworks as a party venue, be careful with the catering or you will end up with a drunken bunch of unhappy guests!