3 Wise Monkeys, Sydney

555 GEORGE ST, SYDNEY

Reviewed by: JB
Time of this visit: Wednesday lunchtime

Bananas?

In 1879 some people built a bank; The Bank of Australasia. The heritage building still stands but instead of dealing in the financial side of life, the venue deals in food and beverage, and monkeys. Three crazy pub-loving monkeys. It's bananas. The 3 Wise Monkeys is a main-stayer of Sydney "entertainment", keeping this section of George Street going through day and night. Does it speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil?

I don't know is the answer to that last question. In fact, I was just looking for an excuse to use that phrase so whatever, moving on.

It's a hot Friday lunch time in the city, first Friday working this end of town. Plenty of pubs around the area (Town Hall Station vicinity) but having already tried a bunch of them and saving others for when I'm not on a lone tour of duty, I find myself hanging out with those three damn pesky monkeys. The multi-level public house is pretty quiet at lunch time, and as far as my memory serves me, doesn't really get moving until later on in the evening, line-ups and all.

Monkeying around

The Monkeys
Given the location, 3WM draws in a bit of a mixed bunch throughout the day, including tradies, the odd office worker, touristy folk and later on, party goers from all over the shop. The quieter lunch time patrons I'm seeing today are not the best indication of who may appear as it enters the night hours. It's a different story and quite frankly these days I'm not interested in sticking around to confirm if this is still the case. Old man. I've been here only once or twice before, many years ago, and I'll come back to that down the page a bit, but it's not really my cup of tea anymore. Backpacker central. Backpackers, go bananas!

Stuff It
Perching by a window overlooking the bustle of George Street, I dive into my $16 Angus Beef Burger ("Juicy Kiwi Beef with Aioli, Spanish onions, fresh tomato & Iceberg lettuce served with fries"). 'Maccas' is one of the first things that springs to mind. Overall the meal is fine, maybe a tad overpriced for the quality when I think about some of the other tasty pub burgers I've got (a) fat on. Chips fine, salad fine, burger a tad less than fine but given my expectations, I'll just say that it was fine too. I stuff it in quickly so I can turn my attention to more important things - my beer. Kosciuszko Pale Ale at $7.10 for the record. Other items on the menu include fries, wedges, nachos (to share), a "Giant Chicken Burger", fish & chips, schnitzels and pizza.

Looks shinier than it tasted.

Beers on Offer
At the front bar I spot One Fifty Lashes, Hop Thief, Chancer, Kirin, Little Creatures Pale, XXXX Gold, Tooheys New, SuperDry, White Rabbit Dark, Kosciuszko Pale Ale as well as Orchid Crush and Magnets for the cider drinkers.

George Street Bar, ground level

Monkey in a Cage

Taking a spot at the window ledge seemed like a good idea at the time but I soon felt like the monkey in the cage with iron bars between myself and the humans walking by on the George street footpath. I soon move to a high table closer to the bar.

In The Past
As far as memory goes I can only recall being here one or two other times, way back in 2005, so I would hardly be the expert on the place these days. What I do remember though is being shown the digs by then-Sydney-sider Cody Kinobi and I can definitely say that were fairly drunk that weekend. I recall spending a substantial amount of time in the evening in one of the upper floors playing pool, which was I think later overrun by young partying out-of-towners. We were wildly mixing drinks, laying on the stairs in people's way, laying on pool tables, face-planting bar stools and I guess just having a good time, yeah! "Just really doing it", as Cody would say. We were young idiots, fitting right in more or less. Our Friday night ended at 3WM when we were being drunk dicks (aka 'having fun') outside the venue, laying on someone's car roof nearby and being refused entry by security on the way back in.

File photo, 2005.

File photo, 2005.

On Offer
All I can and should really tell you is what I've seen and experienced this time around. Feel free to fill me in on anything I missed. Somewhere to sit, check, drinks and food, check, gambling facilities, check, and toilets (to be expected but I can totally confirm this because I remember having a little spew in them back in '05). There's three bars at the 3 Wise Monkeys. Get plastered at any one of them (cough, drink responsibly, I mean). The George Street Bar on the ground floor features a traditional English-ish style with raised stool seating and timber bar and tables.  The Mezzanine Bar is more for your loungin', yo. Finally the "Entertainment Level", first floor, is for all your party time needs. Music, booze and "good times". Plenty of "good times" can be had between the hours of 10am and 4am/5am (depending on the night of the week). You can find event nights throughout the week and plenty of sport on the tele. Also, on the same intersection you'll find Hungry Jacks, Bar Century (above the Hungries) and Sir John Young Hotel.

3WM ablaze with partying

Not a bad pub in general, although not everyone's glass of beer. I would have perhaps rated it higher years ago but my taste in pubs has changed since then so it's 1.5, but a fairly nice 1.5.

Find them on the web: www.3wisemonkeys.com.au


Endnotes: I left out the parts about "Buzzcock" and the drunken singing of Under The Bridge in Cody's loungeroom, photos in the toilets and BurgerBot thinking drinking Corona's at 3 Wise Monkeys when he was 18 was cool! Don't worry, BurgerBot, it probably was!!!