Now this is one awesome pub. In fact when I wandered past it a couple of years ago it was dead and…read moreclosed down, so it was rather fortuitous that I suddenly discovered that it had been resurrected. Basically the Landsdowne is one of those institutions that are famous for their live music scene. In fact it goes beyond the live music scene to be one of those awesome grunge bars. In fact I found myself here multiple times, which goes to show how much I love the place. Oh, and the courtyard out the back is also pretty cool, especially with the dancer's pole.

The Landsdowne is an iconic pub on City Road opposite Victoria Park at Broadway. Clientele range…read morefrom locals, tradies, uni students and people following the live music scene so emo kids, punk rockers and heavily tattooed heavy metal fans along with those dressed entirely in black - (not to be too specific, trying to paint a picture here!) Another great live music venue just check the schedule online so you don't turn up wanting melodic indie tunes and end up with heavy metal. Or vice versa. Upstairs is another bar, bistro and courtyard/deck, with seriously cheap food. Like $7 steaks and whatever the current equivalent may be. The menu is actually organised according to price, with $7 meals, $10 meals, $12.50 meals or wait, step back, $16 meals. With most pubs in the area and their swanky bistros, $16 would be considered cheap. Not at the Landsdowne, serving up pub meals the way they are supposed to be served - with lots of change left for beer.

It's hard not to give this place four stars just because it saw me through many a…read moreuniversity-inspired stress attack and has an awesome happy hour... but for such a great space and location, I feel like Kuletos isn't what it could be. It's a little dirty, a bit tired and service is unpredictable. The terrace upstairs has the potential to be such an amazing place to hang out (and a great space for private functions) and the downstairs area is big, dark and condusive to romance (ahhh... memories....)... but overall Kuletos has lost some of the spark/energy that can be found in similar bars across Sydney. Despite the tiredness, this is a great bar to start your night (or spend your evening, if you're not having a big one). Grab some two-for-one cocktails, unwind with friends and transition into a more tipsy, carefree version of yourself. You'll have a good time, the drinks are great, it's got a nice vibe... but it could be so much more.

I remember being 18 and grabbing a Toblerone before a big night in Newtown. Now in my 30s I grab a…read moreToblerone before a quiet night in Newtown. It is 3 levels separated by street art painted walls. The inside levels have some bar, stool and table seating, the atmosphere is quite closed up and dark. The upstairs level has picnic tables and a far view of the city and has a completely different feel compared to inside. Maybe it is the daylight drinking or my older eyes but it is showing some age, but still if I am in Newtown I will be grabbing a Toblerone.

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...).

Came Thursday night for free jazz, although in my opinion it was more oldies songs being covered…read morethan jazz. The place has a definite retro-dive feel to it. This is the kinda bar where you expect a generous pour and inexpensive drinks, but they definitely measure their shots.

Ryanʻs Bar is on a plaza behind the Australia Square office tower and between George and Pitt…read moreStreets. Much or most of the bar seating is on the plaza which is also shared by the food court in Australia Square. Between noon and the end of the workday, the plaza is relatively quiet, even during the workday lunch rush. However, after the workday the plaza is dominated by office workers enjoying happy hour and it can get pretty raucous, especially when music is provided on Wednesdays through Fridays. We visited Ryanʻs twice, once for beers on a relatively quiet weekday afternoon before the end of workday. The second time was for a quick dinner and a beer at about 7:30 on a weekday. The crowd had thinned out a bit, but the bar seating area in the plaza was still pretty noisy. The Quinoa Salad was flavorful. The Beer Battered Barramundi was crisp, but the fish was a bit bland. The accompanying fries were fairly crisp. The mixed greens salad, while perfectly adequate, was not the wedge salad mentioned on the menu. Over all, we have no complaints. The bar experience was a bit better than the food experience, but we would go back.

This is a pretty awesome outdoor bar. In fact, it is pretty close to being one of my favourites in…read morethe city centre. Well, not quite because there are a few decent ones, but being located in the courtyard of some buildings, and some pretty tall ones at that, certainly gives this place quite a lot of atmosphere. Okay, it is basically a Friday night bar, which means that it does get pretty crowded at times, but I still found a place to sit. Oh, and they have some nice beers on tap as well.

Located right below a huge office building so as expected a lot of professionals around. Low…read morelighting, wooden furnishing everywhere, and very loud as it gets quite busy. Bunch of cocktails you can choose from, it's quite a wide selection. Tommy Hellfire was really, really sour. Spiciness was ok but sourness was too overpowering and everything died in comparison. Most of the food on the menu were like pub eats, chips, roasts etc. Pie was kind of small but it tasted great. Had a complex flavour, different to the usual basic pies you can get from anywhere. Thus it was pretty pricey for a pie, especially given the size, but then again it's somewhat expected from a place like this. The chips were amazing. Cooked in truffle oil with parmesan and sage.

Drink: perfect; Food: bad; Service: okay…read more I had the tommy hellfire to drink which was exactly what it promised, spicy! Almost too much for a drink but just pushing it right. I had the mushroom galette to eat which had no middle ground for temperature. Came out scalding hot (great) but once it was cool enough to eat the cheese tasted odd...no other way to put it, but I was worried I was going to be ill. Service was quick enough, but I was given a card, which I thought was to old in place of my credit card but then she gave me my credit card back. I swear she said to go to the bar to check out, but then was confused when I was up there. Handed the card back and she was confused again. No idea what it was for. Just said Kittyhawk and a number. Really dark inside, almost too much because I could hardly see my food. I'd come back just to drink.

Ah, the Erko. Arguably the winner of the award for 'Worst Food and Service in the Inner West'. This…read morepub has gone downhill for years, and is no longer worth even considering a visit. Pricey and incredibly average food and drink. Constant staff turnover has left the bar with an ever-revolving cast of clueless newbies, and the dregs that have been promoted to management are rude, incompetent and unhelpful. In a neighbourhood with heaps of great pubs, you can -- and should -- do better. Spend your money somewhere that appreciates their customers instead.

This is another one of those Newtown pubs that I really do enjoy. Okay, when I came here on a…read moreFriday night it was pretty packed, but I am sort of coming to expect that these days. However, the place had a really nice charm about it, and was certainly very lively as well. Oh, they also had some pretty decent beers on tap as well, which as you probably know, is something that certainly grabs my attention. Yeah, I liked this place.

Very cool record bar that was recommended by lots of people! Sat at the bar and grabbed a drink -…read morebartenders were AMAZING, could have watched them all night! A few people were still grabbing food when we got there but the evening quickly turned into more of a clubby atmosphere throughout the night. Music got turned up and lots of people standing and dancing. Took it easy since I was with coworkers but would be fun to come back with friends. There was a bit of a line to get in but moved relatively quickly.

Came here for a few nights out while is sydney. The vibe is good and the staff is nice. I love the…read moremusic and look forward to coming back for a live music night. The only complaint is that the line gets ridiculously long.

This was a fun find while in Sydney My hotel was across the…read morestreet so super convenient Lot of seating Great for small or big groups Definitely a place to mingle and a few other bars walking distance away The music was 90s-2000s US R&B..PERFECT VIBES Drinks and shots are solid but service could use some work

I was looking for late night bites and this place popped up…read more They have specials during the week; dollar dogs on Tuesdays, Jukebox Thursday, and I went on Movie Monday; they were playing Sister Act. When you first walk up to the place you think it's just a little pop up soda stand. There's no sign on the outside so it's easy to pass up. I think there's normally a security guard or hostess but no one was there when we walked up. This cute little venue is a speakeasy. Walked in and loved the chill vibes. It was dark, movie playing, people lounging around drinking cocktails, eating ice cream and popcorn. aka a mini heaven. Comfy couches, bean bags, and tables. They have an "American" menu, which made me laugh. Their menu is straight up late night munchies food; mac-n-cheese balls, waffle cone poppers, buffalo wings, waffle fries, dogs, and fried chicken. They have some crafty cocktails with funky names. I went with the Jameson on the rocks with a side of fries and fried chicken sandwich. Like their tagline says "Nice Peeps, Tasty Easts, and Music Treats."