P.J. O'Briens, Sydney

57 KING STREET, SYDNEY

Reviewers: BB O'Donoghue & JB O'Neill
Review time: Friday o'lunch

Finally made it to PJ's for lunch. As it's one of the city Irish pub mainstays it was well overdue for a review.

How was it? Well, any place that pours both Guinness and Kilkenny is off to a good start in our book, but we believe you've got to pick the right time. For us, it's a perfect 'shitty weather, comfy afternoon' pub if you're looking for somewhere like this in this area of the city. Not our choice for a lunch session though.

KB Hotel, Surry Hills

26 FOVEAUX ST, SURRY HILLS

Reviewers: Bot & Blogs
Review time: Friday Lunchtime

KB, it's still a pub! Yeah! Take that pubs that aren't pubs! In your pub face!

Yes the KB is "still a pub" according to their signage, and we think that's great. However, it's a pub that we all spend more time walking past than actually stopping in and grabbing a beer. Why is this? Too much competition in the area? Yesteryear charm not cutting it any more?

St James Hotel, Sydney

114 CASTLEREAGH ST, SYDNEY

Reviewers: Bot & Blogs
Review time: Tuesday lunchtime

St Shames?

We really have to start only going to places that are actually good. Ticking these ordinary establishments off our list is reducing us to whinging reviewers who appear to not like any pub in existence! On the plus side, it certainly makes the better places stand out!

Parlour Bar, The Morrison, Sydney

225 GEORGE STREET, SYDNEY

Reviewers: JB, Bot
Review time:  Wednesday lunchtime

"xxxxxxxxx xxxxxx Bar"

Generally if you have nothing good to say about something, don't say anything at all. We're keeping this fairly short. Parlour Bar is not really a pub anyway, in fact neither is The Morrison (The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room) that Parlour is a part of so not sure why we bothered. It sold beer and we were thirsty.

Hollywood Hotel, Surry Hills

2 FOSTER STREET, SURRY HILLS

Reviewers: Burger Bot, Joe Blogs
Time of Review: Friday lunch time, 1pm

 

"Golden Olden"

 
Tucked away in the backstreets between Museum and Central train stations stands the golden-trimmed Hollywood Hotel. While just a hop, skip and stumble away from The Macquarie Hotel, the two neighbour pubs are worlds apart.

CBD Hotel, Sydney

52 King Street, Sydney
Reviewers: Burger Bot, Joe Blogs
Review time: Friday lunch

"CBD Hotel. City Burger Diner?"

Big arse 5-floor building in the CBD presents Merivale-run pub, CBD Hotel. It's located, you guessed it, in the CBD, and caters for all your corporate bar, bistro and function needs.

Newtown Social Club, Newtown

387 King Street, Netown
Reviewers, Burger Bot, Joe Blogs, Southy, Macca, FOIL LOG!
Time of review: Arvo beers, evening beers

"Stay tuned"

The Newtown Social Club is a new kid in town and takes form in the site which was once the 'Sando' (Sandringham Hotel) on King Street. The sunbaked, cracked and flakey terracotta-salmony coloured exterior is much the same but the inside is completely different. We have a look at the Newtown pub that comes from the team behind Melbourne's Northcote Social Club.

Town Hall Hotel, Balmain

366 Darling Street, Balmain
cnr Darling and Montague st
Reviewers: Miller & Blogs
Time: Friday night

"Frown Hall"

The final stop of this evening's little Balmain pub crawl, The Town Hall Hotel, is a bit of a fizza. The 1879-established pub may have been "favoured by the locals for some 130 years", according to their website, maybe even a happening place 5-10 years ago, but the impression we got was that right now this place is a dried up soul-sucking dead waste land. Too harsh? Read on.