From the outside the Royal Oak in Double Bay looks much like any other well-preserved, green tiled pub. The street-side tables are packed with the after-work crowd, Peroni, Coopers Green and Coopers Dark provide a sliding scale of clarity and colour to your beer selection and the bistro is dishing up all the salty, savoury standards that go well with ale. But it’s the upstairs bar called Phil’s that catches our attention. It’s a modern take on a pub offering, with a subtle American influence. There’s hanging plants, vintage light fixtures, an outdoor deck with all weather TV screens and festoon lighting. They have the unpasteurised Carlton Draught tanks up here, plus beers from Young Henrys, Brooklyn Brewery, Stone and Wood, Little Creatures and Great Northern Brewing Co, and if you pop in on a Sunday there’s a Bloody Mary menu, too.
