Pyrmont Bridge Hotel, Pyrmont

96 Union St, Pyrmont
Reviewers present: Robot Simone, Joe Blogs
Time of review: Boxing Day Lunch
Contributions: Burger Bot, Miller, Southy

"Burger Knockout on Boxing Day"

The Pyrmont Bridge Hotel (PBH) stands just on the fringe of the Sydney CBD, funnily enough right up next to the Pyrmont Bridge. It's a multi-level surprise packet with pleasant views over the bridge and the western front of the city skyline.

On a fine Sydney Summer day, Boxing Day in fact, Simone and I decided get out of the house and take in some of the pleasantries of Darling Harbour, Pyrmont and Pirrima Park. With food sustanance being required for the journey-by-foot, the first place that sprung to my mind was the slightly gritty-looking PBH.

Couches on Level 1

Walking into the grungey-feeling (sans-grunge music) PBH front bar, you'll find an island bar in the middle with stools and locals dotted around. On a previous visit (late 2011 with Burger Bot), we pulled up here and sipped a couple of Kosciuszko Pale Ales in the afternoon, enjoying the laid-back atmosphere. There's a number of options on tap here. Although nothing overly fancy, a range you can be content with.

Burger Bot's thoughts some of his experiences: "Open 24 hours isn't really an attraction for me, personally. Also, what ever you do, don't look like you're falling asleep, because you'll be told to leave immediately. I was tired OK?!"

Level 1 glass box

I also recall (just) a previous occasion when Miller brought me here while I was visiting Sydney from interstate early 2006. We dropped in as part of a drunken rampage accross a number of city bars and pubs although I don't really remember much about it, except a particular PBH patron we took a disliking to. 

A word from Miller: "Bitch Face [referring to our 2006 visit]. I've Been there many times going back to year 2000, but never had food, just lots of beer. I don't like to mix food and drinking."

Sydney Pub List member, Southy, also had a quick word on the Pyrmont Bridge: "I was there years ago when I was 19. Some bird was having her Dirty 30. The end. Oh, I forgot, it was cold. So June or July."

Games room - pool, buck hunter and tvs

Fast forward back to Boxing Day 2012, Simone and I bypassed the ground floor bar on this occasion and headed for the stairs to the Flying Bridge Bar. Much to our surprise we found quite a sizey area with couches, tables and chairs, pool table and Buck Hunter, and some cozy balcony spots overlooking the intersection below and Pyrmont Bridge beyond. Also on Level 1, a glass box dining/function area.


Further up to Level 2, the Rooftop Bar, we discovered a dining room and open air space, which is where we decided to plonk our butts for the duration of the stay. Tap beers here about the same as Level 1, a dimished range than found at the ground floor bar but does the job, with 5 or 6 beers on tap on these levels. Want more variety? Cart your beer up two flights of stairs. Boags Draught clocks in at $4.90, Kosciuszko $6.00. Lemon Squash, for pregnant ladies, $3.00.

Level 2 roof top bar

It was nice to be able to scan the various items on the menu and not feel scared about what we might receive. Simone 'ummed & ahhed' about ordering the Beef and Guiness Pie but in the end, went for the Chicken Burger, sloley based on the fact the menu stated of the pie, "allow 15minutes", due to it being "cooked to order". Not a bad thing, and we weren't in a hurry to leave, we were just darn tooten hungry. I opted for the PBH Burger, noting that for an extra three bucks, I could have upsized it to "the lot". Not on this occasion though.

After a little wait, we began to wonder when our food was to arrive. The barmaid nearby recognised our gobs still to be empty so she quickly corrected with a blunt phone call down the kitchen, and with a honest apology that our order went astray, some free drinks were provided to ease the pain. While it was unfortunate that there was a bit of an order-mishap, it was nice that the correction wasn't prompted by us, and to be honest, we weren't overly fussed about wait due to feeling relaxed and enjoying the view.
 

PBH Burger & Chicken Burger

Food. Good price for a start. 11 bucks a burger. Simone on the Chicken burger: "I like how they didn't try to overload the burger with uneccesary stuff that inevitably falls out. Although the rogue chips that fell out were a nice bonus surprise. Filling. Chicken not over cooked to "dry cardboard " status and could taste the rosemary and garlic in the marinade."

The beef pattie (in the PBH Burger) was nice, like a friendly home-cooked pattie from mum's kitchen. Bread roll good. Not a sweet maccas/Tip-Top boring bun yet also not a fussy over the top toasted sharp bread junk wedge of bread . It was there to hold the burger together without being offensive.

Level 2 dining area

Other items on the menu (on this visit) included dips and share plates, wraps, salads, calamari, wedges, grilled salmon fillet, a roast pumpkin, rocket & haloumi salad, chicken thai red curry, beer battered barramundi fillet, chicken schnitzel, plain or parmigiana, field mushroom burger, surf & turf, and steaks in varying sizes - 280g, 300g, 500g and even a 1 kilo rump with the note "we suggest you share". PBH also has a separate breakfast menu too.

On the topic of large meals (could throw another reference back to The White Cockatoo), the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel do a "Man or Mouse 1kg Steak Challenge" every Thursday. Judging by their Facebook page, this seems to pull in a number of hungry customers willing to hand over $20 for the challenge. Clearing the plate makes your meal free. There's also a "Man or Mouse" Monday challenge which consists of a chicken schnitzel, chips and coleslaw, again for $20 and free if you finish the job. Other special nights to note: trivia on Wednesday, Tight Ass Tuesday, and a bunch of special nights for sporting events, public holidays and so on.

Take in the view

Summing up the facilities available at the PBH (no, we don't mean the toilets of which there are a couple to choose from), there's the main bar on the ground floor along with "wagering lounge" and seating out the front, an ATM, bars on Level 1 & 2, cocktail lounge, heaps of seating throughout the venue, games, views, food, music overhead, a few televisions and a bottle shop for take aways. And a note on the toilet? "Toilets fine, nothing special. Clean. Does the job your body requires."

The Pyrmont Bridge Hotel is a good pub to go for a quick value-for-money meal and drink. Especially considering it's situated right near the notoriously over-priced Darling Harbour. On the day, the service was good and friendly and given all of these things, we would be happy to revisit.

Beers by the road

PBH website: www.pyrmontbridgehotel.com