Time Out Sydney Pub Awards: Past Winners

If the world were about to end, we’d probably do what Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect do right before the Earth’s destruction in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and go to the pub. And we’re not talking just any pub – we’d make tracks to the Courthouse Hotel. The beautiful thing about this old boozer is that it’s a pub designed to facilitate a good time on your terms. Want to sit up at the bar with a huge plate of fish and chips and watch back-to-back AFL games? This is the best place for it. Prefer to sink your tip money in pinball machines while you annihilate jugs of Stone and Wood Pacific Ale and Young Henrys Newtowner? Right this way. They’ve even got two separate outdoor areas so that smokers and diners can both enjoy the sunshine, and they let you bring your dog (on a lead) or kid (no lead required, probably).

Pubs in Sydney seem to come in two speeds: old timers serving lager and crinkle-cut chips, or extreme makeover contestants with more bells and whistles than the Hogwarts Express. And then there’s the Unicorn Hotel, which is both a newcomer to Sydney’s storied pubs scene and still one of the most #strayan watering holes in the city.

There was a time when a pub serving anything more exciting than a pilsner was unheard of in this city, but what a difference half a decade makes. Suddenly even your backstreet local is making sure they’ve got a Young Henrys or Stone and Wood on tap, and maybe a Lord Nelson and something from 4 Pines in the fridge. When it comes to full-throated support of craft beers, few do it better than the Union Hotel in Newtown.

Sydney might be struggling to keep the late-night vibes pumping, but there’s a rebel force of party people and most weekends they are congregating at the Lord Gladstone. The ability to squash so many Sydney scenes inside a modest space is one of this pub’s most impressive attributes. On an unremarkable Saturday night you’ve got Bondi babes, queer indie kids, footy fans, sneaker freakers, hip-hop heads and what appears to be a crew of nonchalant models all cramming into the concrete courtyard for a good time. 

We always knew that the grand reopening of the Newport Arms under the Merivale banner was going to be a very big deal. They had already flexed some serious renovator’s muscle when they took over an old coastal pub in Coogee and turned it into a legitimate scene, but that was nothing compared to the makeover that has occurred at the vast watering hole up on Sydney’s northernmost peninsula. 

Look, who among us hasn’t had a dig at the Far East, what with their beautiful homes, jaw-dropping views and the ability to wear white linen without looking like they’ve slept in their clothes? And sure, the drive to South Head is no picnic, but once you’re sitting on the terrace of the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel with a glass of dry rosé, you have to admit that this is a bloody nice place to cash in some down time.

You might be surprised to discover that there is not the pack of twinkly-eyed dock workers inside Harts Pub. Of course, a set of coal-dusted wharfies would look right at home inside the historic terrace hotel in the Rocks, but instead what you’re likely to find is a specific subset of Sydney’s corporate crowd who prefer that ye olde pub feel to the glint of Heineken bottles found in many a CBD bar.

We’re not saying that the old ways are always better, mostly because we’re not octogenarians yelling at the kids on our lawn, but there’s no denying that many of the best elements of a local pub were perfected long ago. The non-negotiables are fresh beers in cold clean glasses, tunes, trivia and a solid counter meal. Bonus points are awarded for a little open-air terrace for alfresco bevvies, a beer list that embraces the old ways but doesn’t fear the new wave of craft breweries, and a super-chill attitude. That’s a top score for the Botany View then.