Newtown Bar Crawl | Afternoon to Dinner
Whether you like beards, skin-tight jeans, tattoos and wearing beanies in the summer or not, Newtown has long been one of Sydney’s suburbs representing the cutting edge in alternative culture. The ever-increasing number of small bars and craft-breweries opening in the area, as well as the equally-valued conservation and renewal of the restaurant and pub scene, are all positive and welcoming signs for those wanting to explore Newtown.
OutInSydney got a chance to bar hop around the suburb this past week and got a local’s look at how it’s done in Newtown.
Afternoon Beers...
Given the enormity of The Courty’s wrap-around beer garden, there are very few places in Newtown better suited for a couple of ‘afternooners’. Be warned though, long picnic tables in the tree-lined and sail-shaded back area tend to fill up early with larger groups. So if you and a mate can’t find an empty table, don’t be afraid to ask if you can tack onto one that is partially vacant. The locals are used to it and, on the whole, don’t mind a chat.
Local Brewery Young Henry’s ‘Newtowner’ is on tap. Best served in jug format it goes well with the afternoon and is a great way to start a Newtown bar crawl!
If you’re less concerned with the décor and much more concerned with the quality of the beer, The Union on King Street (south of the station) is definitely your type of place. $18 tasting paddles are really the only way to navigate The Union’s twenty-two tap Australian craft beer menu and act as a great conversation starter with the other beer enthusiasts that haunt this pub.
Rounds of tasting paddles make it is very easy to settle in but don’t get too comfortable if you want to explore the rest of Newtown’s bar scene.
Dinner...
Newtown has a never-ending supply of amazing restaurants from cuisines all over the world but if you’re looking for a place that has aced the art of pub-grub, The Carlisle Castle is your food stop.
Having won ‘Schooners’ in both the 2012 and 2013 Sydney Morning Herald Good Pub Food Guide, it’s clear the staff in the Carlisle’s kitchen are churning out some fantastic meals.
This pub is unassuming, honest and a number of blocks back from King Street so it offers a brief moment of peace to enjoy a great meal before kicking on with the evening.
If you’re looking for something a little less likely to come with a side salad (and much more likely to dribble down your chin) Mary’s houses arguably the best burger in Sydney. New to the scene but making a lot of noise, this two-story industrial style bar is serving up amazing cocktails, craft beer, fried chicken, mash spuds and in-house smoked bacon in an alleyway off King Street.
The internal argument regarding what to order can be tough but the familiar face of Young Henry’s on tap and the smell of the name-sake Mary’s Burger as it is walked past by the staff almost makes the decision for you.
Definitely stick around for a cocktail. It’s always a good sign when the bar staff admit their gin and whiskey obsession and the back bar is taller than you are.
Well, that’s the afternoon and dinner done! Stay tuned for the next instalment where we wander the late-night streets of Newtown in search of classic cocktails and late-night lamb sandwiches.
By Jackson Davey
Twitter - @JDavey91
