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Golf clubs can feel a bit uptight and unwelcoming. Not Marrickville Golf Club. It's a welcoming, accessible, family-friendly, beginner-friendly club that's well-loved by the community. The course itself is a little scruffy (it’s no Royal Sydney), so most players you see out having a hit are there for a good time – not necessarily to lower their handicap. And then there are the people who’ve just come for a great meal. The folks looking after the bistro, Wharf St Kitchen, make sure you’ll get that.
The vibe
Wharf St Kitchen is named for the fact that Marrickville Golf Club is on the banks of the Cooks River. Marrickville is known for being a gritty, urban playground packed with restaurants, bars, stores and homes, so it’s nice to be in this green oasis by the water, with plenty of trees and wildlife.
In recent years, after Wharf St Kitchen took over the bistro (these guys used to run popular cafe The General on Marrickville Rd, Dulwich Hill), they turned the putting green outside the clubhouse into a beer garden. There are loads of bench tables with big, green umbrellas, and today – a Sunday – the area is packed with families, mates catching up, and people trying to cure their hangovers with some sunshine and a hair of the dog.
There are plenty of tables inside, too – but it’s a bit less of a vibe in there, with fairly traditional club interiors and bright lighting. If you do want to be inside, at least try to nab a seat at the window so you have a view of the greenery and the river.
The food
Wharf St Kitchen serves up excellent bistro classics – I’d even go so far as to say the best of any pub or club in the Inner West, which is why I keep coming back.
The ‘peri chicken burger’ ($26 with chips) is a fan favourite – it is grilled fillets of chicken with salad, a peri peri sauce that’s more smoky than it is spicy, and a thick slice of good-quality melted tasty cheese that doesn't taste like the pre-sliced stuff.
All the burgers are good. I’m not usually a big lover of fried chicken burgers, but their one ($26 with chips) with American cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion and a generous spread of ranch dressing is so moreish that I’ve ordered it at least a couple of times.
Speaking of fried chicken, their Buffalo wings ($17 for half a kilo) are elite – the ranch dressing is spot on. It’s also a starter that’s so generously sized, it works as a main.
The chicken schnitty ($28) is also popular for good reason – it's generously sized, with a great golden crumb dotted with herbs, then served with a rich gravy, chips and an actually good salad that’s not just an afterthought.
Then there are the pastas. They have an excellent rigatoni bolognese ($28) made with brisket, but my go-to is the lasagne ($30). It’s also made with a rich, slow-cooked beef brisket, layered between sheets of fresh pasta. And, instead of bechamel, the creaminess comes from ricotta, which feels lighter and fresher.
They’re known for their great kids’ meals ($15) – parents like them just as much as the kids, because the meal selections (nuggets and chips; a cheeseburger and chips; fish and chips; spag bol) all come with a side of fresh cucumber and berries (and also ice-cream for dessert).
I have dined here countless times, with my own family as well as bigger groups, and I can honestly say I’ve never been with someone who hasn’t thoroughly enjoyed what they’ve ordered. You can’t really go wrong.
The drinks
The drinks menu is a fairly standard offering for a club. Today I order a Bloody Mary – just because it’s Sunday (bloody Sunday) and they’re on special for $15. It’s a particularly spicy and flavour-packed version of the tomato and vodka cocktail, and it hits the spot.
If you look around, you’ll also spot a fair few Sunday lunchers sitting on Aperol Spritzes – in among the beer drinkers. Marrickville Golf Club serves local Marrickville brews from Grifter and Philter. They have a happy hour Thursday to Friday from 3-5pm when you can get a $20 jug of beer, plus there are other drink specials like $15 Margs on Fridays.
Time Out tip
Probably the only downside of Wharf St Kitchen at Marrickville Golf Club – it isn’t super easily accessible by public transport. It’s not too far from Dulwich Hill Station (a 16-minute walk), so once that reopens with a working Metro, that’ll be an option. Otherwise, you could catch an 8-minute Uber from Sydenham Station, or you could get the 423 bus down Illawarra Rd then walk from there. The carpark is big but gets pretty packed on sunny days – at least you’re always able to find a park out on the street.
And note that the bistro is only open from Thursdays to Sundays.
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