With rapid-fire gentrification hammering out all over Surry Hills, some might find it refreshing to find a bar that still values drinkers for their regularity rather than their stylish clothes, their bulging wallets or their appetite for wagyu beef mini-burgers served in a betel leaf under a trail of mustard foam. Triple Ace is about as old school as it gets. The venue sits directly under the Sydney institution that is Harry's Chilli Singapore Crab restaurant. But don't be tempted to go upstairs for some pub grub unless you're feeling cashed up. Those crabs might be drowned in delicious, spicy red broth, but they can still bite you at around $130 a pop. A more affordable bet is the Thai street-food diner next door, House. Or pull up a red vinyl stool under a bank of poker machines, stretch out with your schooner and enjoy Sydney's finest view of the rail line. Never mind the jangle of constant gambling happening around you: you're in the door, and the beer is cold and cheap.
