Heading to or from the game? Here are some of the best spots to stop off for a drink nearby
Whether you're a local or a visitor from out of town, nothing beats popping in for a frothy and a feed to get you fuelled up for the footy or cricket. For those heading to the game at either the SCG or Allianz from Central or Surry Hills, we've rounded up the best pubs along the route to get your pre-game on. So check out these pubs and do your team a solid by mustering up all the energy you can to cheer them on until that final siren sounds.
The Bat & Ball Hotel is named for its proximity to the Sydney Cricket Ground so, since 1929, it’s been an obvious stop on the way to a game there or at Allianz Stadium. The pub has been taken into the loving hands of five passionate friends – friends who know what they’re doing when it comes to running a boozer. It's had a refurb, but they’ve leaned into vintage pub vibes. The food is excellent, and there's a pool room and darts. What more could you ask for?
Once a wizened watering hole for elderly gents and gig-goers spilling over from the nearby Gaelic Club, this Surry Hills favourite has been rebirthed as a hipster hideaway following a snazzy refurbishment. The drinks are cheap and the food is genuine in its attempt to recreate old-fashioned pub classics like smoky pork ribs and duck confit. Take it from us, Strawberry Hills will make sure you get to that game with a full belly.
It may not look like much from the outside but this old pub right on Central is the perfect stop for pre-match bevvies on your way to the stadium. This pub has a rooftop bar open on Thursdays and Fridays from noon, ten-dollar weekday lunches and a two-hour happy hour, Monday to Thursday from 5-7pm. And if you're feeling peckish, grab a serve of Aurora's much loved flour dusted halloumi chips, or two.
Captain Cook Hotel is just a short walk to the SCG, and it’s no ordinary pub. They’ve put the finishing touches on recent renovations and suddenly there’s craft beer on tap, gigs in the band room and an outdoor courtyard under the shade of two fig trees – complete with white picket fence, so head on over and pre-game in style.
The Trinity is the local watering hole in Surry Hills, where you can round up the troops, settle in at the beer garden, and get a pint of stout and a beef and Guinness pot pie before the big game.
The Clock aims to be most of the things to most of the people and it does this so commendably. This regal two-storey hotel occupies a commanding position on Surry Hills’ Crown Street and a well-earned place in our list. You’ll find an extensive collection of clocks in the downstairs front bar, most of which don’t keep good time, as well as big crowds hoeing into pizzas and other pub staples like fish and chips and steak. It’s a beer scene down here, so gather the gang and let the good times roll.
The Carrington rocks a $12 lunch menu Monday through Friday, so after spending big on those golden game tickets, you’ll save big here. With locals happy hour and an easy refreshment line-up of brews like James Squire One Fifty Lashes pale ale, Super Dry and Rocks Brewing Co’s lager, what more do you need?
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