Reviewers present: Burger Bot, Joe Blogs, Hulk Smash
Time of review: Lunch
(Old rating: 2.5 rubber chickies, for the front bar and beers only.)
Come for the front bar, stay for the front bar
Out of a bunch of pub options along George Street in The Rocks, this was the only one that had room for us. Perhaps that was saying something about the place already?
Let's get straight down to business.
The front bar. This is about the only thing we liked about the place. The cozy old bar, typical of a Rocks pub, greets you as you walk in with a great selection of beers on tap and a few extra in the fridge. There's also a larger area beyond the bar and some spots outside to sip your brew or eat a meal but we'll get to that shortly.
The Beer
For the purpose of price comparison, a Carlton Draught will set you back $5.50 - a trend we are starting to see through our reviews. We quite enjoyed the Monteith's Winter Ale. Also pouring from the taps are Guiness, Pure Blonde, VB, Coopers Sparkling Ale, Carlton Mid, Kilkenny, Tiger, Peroni, IGP, Dogbolter, Dirty Granny Cider, Fat Yak and Monteiths Apple Cider. That's a pretty broad selection.
The Food
Past the bar you'll find a dining area broken up into a couple of sections. There's a few TVs and an ATM hidden around a corner with the toilets - note, we haven't yet seen a pub without toilets. That would be weird. Up the back is Claude's Kitchen serving up a fairly limited menu, at least in our view, although the food on offer and its price is pretty standard for the area.
Slim pickings for vegetarians, who will only find salad and chips on the menu, maybe a soup of the day if you're lucky. Pretty standard options for everyone else.
The front bar. This is about the only thing we liked about the place. The cozy old bar, typical of a Rocks pub, greets you as you walk in with a great selection of beers on tap and a few extra in the fridge. There's also a larger area beyond the bar and some spots outside to sip your brew or eat a meal but we'll get to that shortly.
The Beer
For the purpose of price comparison, a Carlton Draught will set you back $5.50 - a trend we are starting to see through our reviews. We quite enjoyed the Monteith's Winter Ale. Also pouring from the taps are Guiness, Pure Blonde, VB, Coopers Sparkling Ale, Carlton Mid, Kilkenny, Tiger, Peroni, IGP, Dogbolter, Dirty Granny Cider, Fat Yak and Monteiths Apple Cider. That's a pretty broad selection.
The Food
Past the bar you'll find a dining area broken up into a couple of sections. There's a few TVs and an ATM hidden around a corner with the toilets - note, we haven't yet seen a pub without toilets. That would be weird. Up the back is Claude's Kitchen serving up a fairly limited menu, at least in our view, although the food on offer and its price is pretty standard for the area.
Slim pickings for vegetarians, who will only find salad and chips on the menu, maybe a soup of the day if you're lucky. Pretty standard options for everyone else.
Hulk Smash tucked in on a fairly average schnitzel/old leather shoe (the guys at schnitzelsafari.blogspot.com.au take note) for $19 while Burger Bot and I sampled the burger on offer, which cost us $16 each.
Burger bot to review burger, and review he will:
Burger-wise, there's one on the menu and it consists of beef, bacon, egg, cheese, onions, a side cup 'o "salad" and chips. Sounds alright, price makes sense being the tourist end of town, but if you're going to have one burger, make it one that I'd come back for. Taste, well it has bags, unfortunately that flavour is only cinder beef... In hindsight I should have used the token salad on the burger as a buffer. Not writing home about the chippies either. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME.
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| (in)Famous Observer Burger (and old leather shoe seen behind) |
In summary, not an overall winner for us. I don't know, maybe we just picked the wrong things from the menu. Nevertheless, the only reason we would be coming back to The Observer is for the front bar. We can see ourselves pulling up a stool here and there is some nice little areas outside for the warmer months too. You'll even find a courtyard hidden away out back, a few steps from the kitchen.
We give a 2.5/5 rating for The Observer, based solely on the front bar and beer selection. Sip-sip.
We give a 2.5/5 rating for The Observer, based solely on the front bar and beer selection. Sip-sip.
You have been extremely generous - I would avoid at all costs.
ReplyDeleteIf only the beautiful talent that was present this Thursday with the solo entertainment permeated through the nous of the pub, this place would be divine. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Surely wait staff, grumpy security, overpriced and confused wine list. Would recommend you BYO or stand outside the door to hear the beautiful sounds, but would not recommend laying out your hard earned dosh for this tourist trap.