- The Observer Hotel has reopened in The Rocks after a three-and-a-half-year transformation.
- Expect British pub classics, from exceptional Scotch eggs and sausage rolls to fish finger sandwiches and pints of Guinness.
- The food is delicious, but London’s standards come with London’s prices.
Scotch eggs, pints of Guinness, sausage rolls and Eton mess – it feels like we’ve hopped on a plane and landed in the middle of England. But no, we’re still in sunny Sydney, sat on antique furniture and scouring a very British menu.
The heritage-listed Observer Hotel has reopened in The Rocks following a three-and-a-half-year renovation, breathing new life into one of Sydney’s most storied English boozers.
The team has decked out the pub with snooker tables, dartboards and traditional beer taps, and guests have the option to sit in the sun-drenched conservatory, the sandstone courtyard, streetside benches or the cosy interiors.
Head Chef Sam Bull (ex-Icebergs) is behind the menu, and he has one aim: “to execute British food better than the British”.
Naturally, we had to put this to the test.
It’s been far too long since I’ve had a proper taste of British pub grub, and with the reopening coinciding with a friend visiting from London, there was no better excuse to head to The Observer and put its English pub credentials to the test.
This is the best Scotch egg I’ve ever had
A good Scotch egg is great, but a bad Scotch egg (soggy, overboiled) is horrendous. I’ve been burned too many times by the latter, to the point where I wouldn’t usually order one off the menu; however, I’d heard great things about The Observer’s version, so it was a non-negotiable to try.
One word: wow. A jammy egg in the middle of a golden, crispy crumb, topped with a bit of green and seasoning for extra flavour and texture. My friend remarks that lots of Scotch eggs she’s tried are pre-cooked and batched, but this one ($16) tastes freshly boiled.
My advice: go ham on the starters. The natural oysters ($5.50) are the perfect Aussie starter to precede your English pub feed, thanks to their creamy freshness. Other highlights include the baked scallop with parsnip puree and house-smoked spiced bacon ($14 each). I’ve never had anything so soft and buttery, with the bacon’s saltiness and smokiness cutting through the sweetness. I could’ve eaten five of these.
The prawn cocktail ($32) was a great nod to a seventies classic, featuring fresh Clarence River prawns with a punchy Marie Rose sauce, crisp lettuce and spiced prawn crackers, which gave the dish a bit of an edge.
The Observer’s chicken schnitzel and fish finger sandwich. (Images our own).
English and Aussie classics meet
The mains at The Observer include British classics like fish and chips ($32), gammon steak ($34), and steak and onion pie ($30), but you can also order a trusty old chicken schnitty ($30) if you want to play it safe.
My must-order of the mains is the fish finger sandwich ($26), served with potato crisps and briny pickles. Inside the thick white bread are herb-crumbed South Australian whiting fillets and tangy lashings of tartare sauce. A fish finger sandwich runs the risk of being dry, but this one was saved by the generous amount of sauce and soft, flaky white fish.
Even though we’re in an English-style pub, the chicken schnitzel is up to strict Aussie standards. It comes with crispy rustic chips, crunchy slaw and a literal jug of chunky mushroom sauce that gives it a bit of British edge.
A very British and Irish drinks menu
The Observer obviously has Guinness on the menu, but it’s put its own spin on it, with the Irish stout served in custom-designed Observer Hotel pints. You won’t be splitting the G, you’ll be splitting the O.
Look, Guinness in Sydney is never as good as it is in England, let alone Ireland, but this one was one of the creamier ones I’ve had here. Don’t expect Dublin-level quality, though.
Also on the tap are two cask ales brewed exclusively for The Observer Hotel, hand-pumped from traditional beer taps that have been imported from the UK. There’s also Irish coffee on the menu (which is notoriously hard to master) plus Great British whisky and lots of Scottish whisky options.
London standards (but also London prices)
The Observer is easily one of the best English-style pubs I’ve visited in Sydney. It holds its own against Woollahra’s Lord Dudley and Paddington’s Village Inn, although the food here is arguably even better.
That said, its London-level standards come with London-level prices. The cheapest schooner will set you back $12, which is actually fairly reasonable for The Rocks, but some of the starters are harder to swallow.
The scallops were incredible, but $14 for a single one feels pretty steep. The same goes for the $12 sausage roll and $16 Scotch egg. These are undoubtedly elevated takes on British pub classics, but they’re still humble bites, and the prices feel a little ambitious.
For a post-work drink or a refreshing pint after exploring The Rocks and Circular Quay, The Observer won’t leave your wallet any lighter than its neighbouring pubs. But if you’re coming for dinner, I’d save it for a special occasion rather than a cheap pub feed. The food is genuinely delicious, but this is certainly not the place to go if you’re looking for a bargain.
To find out more about The Observer, or to book your table, click here.
