Duck on and off King St to discover Newtown's vast collection of places to sink some beers and shoot the breeze
Do you like to kick back on a balcony and watch the worl go buy with a glass of riesling in hand? Or are you more of a beer garden and chill kind of booze hound? Whatever your personal preference is, there's a pub in Newtown that'll tick all the boxes, and finding it will be half the fun.
The Bank has always been a late night stalwart, but recent additions of a craft beer bar in the heart of the hotel, a fun refurb of the lower courtyard and a small bar upstairs means you can choose to linger in the area that suits your drinking mood best. Newtown.
The Carlisle Castle is the very definition of an old faithful pub. Nothing much changes here and nothing needs to. They have 18 beer taps with a handful of double-ups and a single, alternating tap for special brews, one-offs and limited edition beers. Newtown.
The Coopers is right smack in the heart of the King Street bustle, with a locals bar downstairs with pool tables, though most people prefer to head up the stairs and find a spot in the open air courtyard with the restractable roof. Newtown.
They’re a pretty relaxed bunch in Newtown, but if anyone ever tried to refurbish the Courthouse Hotel we suspect there’d be rioting in the streets. This old pub is like a well worn jumper – warm, comfortable, and big enough to fit anyone and everyone. And like any cherished piece of outerwear, it may be a little scuffed and faded, but that’s what happens when you love something with force. Newtown.
If your idea of a night out includes live karaoke, a video jukebox, a couple of games of pool and some chats on the little terrace, you are well catered for at Newtown's resident Irish(ish) pub. Newtown.
The Marly is a sprawling Newtown landmark with the distinction of being the first pub on King Street. The ground floor consists of a main bar, a small bistro area and a courtyard decked out like a garden party. Downstairs is the late night club. Tokyo Sing Song, and the bottle shop has Newtown's only growler refilling machine for takeaway craft beers. Newtown.
In the centre of King Street stands a schmick and sizable establishment with a tiki-tinged courtyard, a public bar complete with leopard-print pool table, Greek restaurant the Animal upstairs and a very inviting balcony for Newtown people watching. Newtown.
Newtown's slightly grungy, rock loving boozer is where night owls and kickers on head for late night vibes. Being conveniently situated but a hop, step and a woozy stagger from both Newtown train station and Saray kebabs is also an excellent selling point.
If it’s been a while between beers at the Union for you, now might be the time to rekindle the love. The beautiful Art Deco exterior suggests a classic style pub, and in many ways it still is. The sport’s on the telly. The pool tables are getting a very decent work out, the bistro out the back does a great line in straight-up counter meals, but it's the 20 plus craft brews on tap that have us coming back for more.
Sometimes you can turn an average drinking session into something special just by adding a flight of stairs. The rooftop Cloud 9 bar at Zanzibar may require a bit of a climb but trust us, it’s worth it. It's decked out with wrought-iron furniture, spiky potted plants and terracotta tiles; squint, and you could almost be drinking in Marrakech.
Charge your glasses, friends, and join us in a toast to Sydney’s pubs. To the fusty watering holes that champion the old ways: they’ve still got a pie warmer behind the counter, the footy is on the TV and their Reschs is cold and clean. And to the young guns swinging open the saloon doors to local breweries fermenting up a flavour storm in all corners of the city. This guide is where we get to sing the praises of the best in the business.
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