- Sydney’s pubs are smashing it in the food department, with venues all over the city serving up elevated takes on classic pub favourites.
- From fish finger sandwiches and cheeseburgers to oysters and Sunday roasts, there’s something for every kind of pub-goer.
- We’ve rounded up six Sydney pubs worth visiting for the food alone, from The Rocks to Woolloomooloo and Newtown.
Sydney’s pubs have been seriously upping their food game recently, giving us even more reason to head to the pub – not just for a schooner, but for a seriously good feed, too.
Here’s where to find some of the best pub food in Sydney, from Scotch eggs and Sunday roasts to steak frites and freshly shucked oysters.
The Observer Hotel
The Observer Hotel reopened in The Rocks recently, bringing that classic English boozer vibe to Sydney’s favourite precinct. On the menu are classic, jammy scotch eggs, whiskey-drenched steaks and flaky sausage rolls. Start with oysters (natural, Kilpatrick or granita) and finish with a classic pudding, from banoffee pie, Eton mess or rhubarb crumble.
You also can’t go wrong with their fish finger sandwich: think herb-crumbed South Australian whiting fillets smothered in chunky tartare sauce, fluffy white bread and crisp, crunchy lettuce, served with salty potato chips and pickles.
Where: 69 George Street, The Rocks, Sydney.
The Cricketer’s Arms
If you head upstairs at the bustling Cricketer’s Arms Hotel, you’ll find Chez Crix, the très magnifique “penthouse” restaurant serving a “French-ish” approach to pub classics. Chez Crix regularly rotates its menu, though you can always rely on them having a cracking Sunday roast on offer, a juicy, pickle-filled cheeseburger and a velvety duck liver parfait.
Where: 106 Fitzroy St, Surry Hills NSW 2010.
The Carlisle Castle Hotel
The Carlisle Castle Hotel serves up one of the best cheeseburgers in Sydney, and on Thursdays, it only costs $10. Yes, just $10. The 150-year-old iconic Newtown boozer recently reopened under the custodianship of the team behind Redfern’s Bat & Ball Hotel, which is enough confirmation that it’s in great hands.
The menu has a bit of northern European inspiration, with the talk of the (New)town being its old-school chicken Kyiv, hand-rolled with garlic and chive butter for an extra succulent finish. There’s also a trusty schnitty served Vienna-style and a steak and Guinness pie made up of slow-braised beef, vintage cheddar, puff pastry, mash and greens.
Where: 17-19 Albermarle St, Newtown NSW 2042.
The Waratah
This double-decker neighbourhood bar slash pub slash restaurant is known to serve some of Sydney’s best, elevated pub fare, plus provide some stellar weekly specials.
They’ve got classic dishes from chicken parmis with fried parsley and slaw to a loaded burger with Guinness ketchup, beetroot, onion, bacon, egg and cheese. Their share plates range from potato scallop with raw scallop and pork skewer with tamarind glaze to fluffy focaccia and prawn rolls.
Grab a schnitty on Wednesday for just $22, or go for their lauded Thursday steak night for $28 and the Sunday roast for $38. Friday is three-buck shuck time, so load up on oysters and order a glass of bubbles to celebrate the weekend.
Where: 308-310 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.
The Old Fitzroy Hotel
Woolloomooloo’s Old Fitz has both a traditional pub menu and a more refined offering in its upstairs bistro. That said, the pub dishes are elevated, with duck croquettes, roasted grape salad and mushroom ragu sharing the menu with rump steak, Wagyu cheeseburgers, roasted Brussels sprouts and Sydney rock oysters.
We’re excitedly awaiting the reopening of their upstairs offering, which will be named Fitzroy Dining Room. Welcoming guests from October 15th onwards, the dining room will feature a British-French menu led by incoming Head Chef Ben Richards.
Debut dishes will include zucchini flowers filled with sweet prawn, tarragon, and a classic salsa rosa; bluefin tuna with seasonal citrus, fragrant basil and Aleppo pepper; and a Country Pork Terrine with pear mostarda, frisée salad and sharp English mustard. Time to book that table.
Where: 129 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011.
The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
Not only does the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel serve up phenomenal pours, but it also has an upstairs dining area, renowned for its innovative and classic British cuisine and expansive, award-winning wine list.
At Upstairs at the Lord, start with Sonoma sourdough with bone marrow butter, then make your way through their drool-worthy bites and entrees, from half-shell scallops to beetroot carpaccios and beef tartare.
You also can’t go wrong with the Lord’s signature dishes, which include a classic British fish pie, the 350g free-range pork cutlet and a zingy, cheesy crab linguine.
Where: 19 Kent St, The Rocks NSW 2000.
