| Pubs and Bars in Glebe
Check out the info and reviews on all your favourite Glebe pubs and bars
to find out about live music gigs, participate in an open-mic stand-up comedy night,
organise the itinerary for your Glebe pub crawl, or discover a new place to chill out.
Most pubs are open until midnight Monday to Saturday, and until around 10pm on Sunday.
AB Hotel (formerly the Ancient Briton Hotel)
225 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9660 1417
Website: http://www.abhotel.com.au
What's on - highlights:
Sunday Live - weekly Sunday Live sessions featuring some of Australia's finest World, Roots, Jazz & Soul artists
House of Poker - Thursday night, Sunday afternoon
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 May 2006 (read full review):
"... The AB looks fabulous from street level. Downstairs, drinkers resemble patrons of an upmarket English pub surrounded by bright, modern furniture, crisp lighting and - suspended from the ceiling - the slenderest of flatscreens broadcasting football. Upstairs, the windows frame curtains lit in rainbow hues. Between the two is a sweeping staircase Joan Collins would be proud to descend and two stairlifts for less mobile patrons. There is also a crowded gaming room with a lily pond-inspired ceiling sculpture and fibre optic fireworks that ignite when someone wins money. ..."
Review from Lonely Planet:
"Another old favourite to have a multi-million dollar facelift, the former Ancient Briton is looking mighty fine these days - particularly the Pacific Penthouse with live fish swimming around inside the bar. Large portraits of Lenin adorn the wall and on Thursday nights you can catch a fabulous Bette Midler lookalike performing cabaret. That's Glebe for you."
Australian Youth Hotel
Cnr Bay & Glebe Sts, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9692 0414
Website: http://www.australianyouthhotel.com.au
What's on - highlights:
Wednesday Night Trivia - each Wednesday
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: Don't be mislead by the name - it's not a hostel bar as many people may think, it's a laid back drinking establishment where the emphasis is on enjoyment. The bare wooden floorboards, wooden surrounds, plentiful seating and mellow music make this a perfect place to catch up with friends. The walls are adorned with historic Sydney pictures and old beer ads, but the highlight has to be the tropical fish tank behind the bar. It seems such an appropriate addition to complement the general relaxed feel of the place. Upstairs the punters are younger and the music louder, with 3 pool tables provided for those fond of shooting stick. There's a (very) small outside balcony area and part of the upstairs section can be booked for private functions. Definitely a good place for a drink any night of the week, if relaxing in cosy, friendly surroundings is your idea of a good night out."
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com
Nude at the Australian Youth Hotel
63 Bay St, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9692 0414
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 October 2006 (read full review):
"...Nude is on the first floor of the classily refurbished Australian Youth Hotel. Downstairs the mood is restive and wood-lined with plenty of seating on leather couches, stools, and tables and chairs. Medium-lit lamps highlight framed photographs of Tasmanian tigers and front pages reporting the disappearance of former prime minister Harold Holt.
Upstairs, at Nude, the atmosphere is younger. Velvet curtains, elaborate chandeliers and velvet and leather couches surround a DJ mixing interesting samples of indie pop, anonymous dialogue and electroclash beats. The small bar area displays its bottles in funky, back-lit, '80s-style tinted boxes fixed to the wall. And, throughout the room, the walls are covered with ornately framed prints and paintings of nude and semi-nude women, a nod to the hotel's former life as a brothel. ..."
Different Drummer
185 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9552 3406
Review by Andrew Taylor, Sydney Morning Herald, 8 May 2007 (read full review):
"Any bar within walking distance of a university is bound to offer a few bargains. But it's hard to beat the Different Drummer's two-for-one daily cocktail hour that's actually 90-minutes (6pm to 7.30pm) and $28 buckets of sangria (eight glasses). The jaunty trumpets of Tijuana Taxi herald our approach to the neon-lit bar. It's probably been on high rotation since the bar opened in 1971. The prices too are reminiscent of the '70s, with cocktails from $11 and all tapas dishes costing $9 for very generous servings. We order enough food to sink the Spanish Armada and return to our table with a Toblerone, red corvette, and apple and raspberry daiquiri. The Toblerone ($13) is a creamy concoction of alcohols, honey and cream and is heaven in a martini glass. The red corvette ($15) is similarly sweet with Midori, Frangelico, grenadine and what looks like a punnet of strawberries, yet doesn't leave a lingering taste of future dental bills. Like the barmen, the kitchen staff do a good impersonation of Speedy Gonzales. They quickly fill our table with deep-fried camembert, meatballs, breads and dips, chipolatas and char-grilled lamb brochettes - a tasty collection.
Despite its popularity with bargain-hunting uni students, tonight the bar is filled with inner-west hipsters in vintage dresses, skinny jeans, Converse sneakers and Jarvis Cocker glasses. Red neon lighting, wooden floorboards and exposed brick walls beat a Tex-Mex decor drum. But it avoids the cringe-worthy excesses of many Mexican bars and restaurants. The place has some quirky design touches and, out the back, a cast-iron spiral staircase - only to be climbed before you start on the cocktails - leads to a secluded space ideal for couples and spies exchanging state secrets. We stay close to the barmen, who quickly send another round of cocktails to our table. A breath-freshening mojito ($15) is a winner, but so too is the raspberry beret ($13), made with Chambord, organic vodka, lime and raspberry juice. Our designated driver's mouth-freezing mango daiquiri cocktail is like a cold shower - invigorating if your heart can handle the shock."
Review by Melanie Hansche, Fairfax f2, July 2004 on CitySearch:
"Welcome to Glebe's only after hours boozer-cum-singles bar grope fest. Lonely-hearts aside, those who remember bars before they were fitted out with stainless steel and ottomans will appreciate this cosy (as in "dingy"), character-laden (as in "crusty") watering hole. Established back in the 1970s - where it seems to have languished for a long time - the Drummer was the last chance saloon for the Glebe's bohos, drinkers, gay divorcees and backpackers. But now the Drummer finally appears to be producing a different beat and attracting a younger, more discerning crowd. The bar has undergone a revamp of sorts: anything gathering dust has gone. The collection of junk shop knick-knacks and movie tat that previously had pride of place on the walls have been replaced by comfy, brown leather padding. Essentially, it's a long and skinny space, all exposed brick, red "mood" lighting and dark wood furniture. While the renovations have given the joint a more pleasant air, there's still plenty of character, which is good news for the old timers propping up the bar.
A decent selection of local and international ales are on offer, and the cocktail list gets all the standards right. For our money, steer away from cream and stick with the citrus and fruit concoctions. Better still, if you're partial to the green fairy, opt for absinthe, which they'll pour any style you like: Czech, French or just plain straight up. Remember, proceed with caution. For those looking to line their stomachs, the word is tapas. It's fairly decent too. A shorter bar food menu is ideal for sharing and includes tender marinated lamb, fried calamari, garlic prawns, mussels and the like. An a la carte menu features much of the same Spanish fare with a dash of Mod Oz thrown in for good measure. There's a back room and courtyard (with linen-topped tables) for those that are looking to linger."
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: The Different Drummer really comes into it's own late at night when all the other pubs in Glebe have closed - it's the only one that to date has a late license and can get pretty busy at times because of this. This is by no means it's only appeal however - earlier on the evening, it's a good place to sit and have a relaxing drink whilst being able to hear yourself (or the people you are with) talk. It attracts a mixed crowd but the price of drinks (and their bottles only policy) ensures that only those with more than a few spare dollars in their pocket can frequent the place. There's a really cool courtyard at the back with water features and exotic plants which is always a pleasure to sit in but it's best enjoyed early on before the hoards of merry revellers descend on the place."
Read review by blogger Simon Food Favourites
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com, myTaste
The Excelsior
101-103 Bridge St, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9660 7479
Website: http://www.excelsiorhotelglebe.com.au
What's on - highlights
- Live Original Music - 5 nights a week - Wednesday to Sunday nights
Review by Sarah Prince, Sydney Morning Herald, 6 February 2006 (read full review):
"The Excelsior is a great, friendly local just minutes from the heart of the city. A mixed clientele frequents the place, which has high, pressed metal ceilings. Friendly, helpful bar staff create a warm atmosphere and patrons are not restricted to any particular day or time to enjoy the cheap jugs of Coopers beer, with the special running throughout opening hours. Expect hip inner-city types and regulars, mixed with mates catching up over a beer."
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: The Excelsior is a traditional wooden interiored pub that is popular with it's regulars. Live and laid back music seems to feature heavily in an average night there, often with that 'sing-a-long' feel to it. The atmosphere is warm in the winter with the open fire, the natives friendly, and the prices reasonable. An eclectic mix of characters frequent this visit worthy drinking hole. Live bands and DJs are a fairly regular occurence"
Forest Lodge Hotel
117 Arundel Street, Forest Lodge NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9660 1872
Website: http://www.forestlodgehotel.com.au
What's on - highlights:
Monday Night Pool Comp - each Monday
Trivia Night - each Tuesday
Sunday - free pool all day
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com
Friend in Hand Hotel
58 Cowper St, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9660 2326
Website: http://www.friendinhand.com.au
What's on - highlights
- Life Drawing - every Monday night
- Word in Hand - poetry reading, first Tues of every month
- Crab Racing - every Wednesday night
- A Mic in Hand - comedy every Thursday night
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 15 May 2007 (read full review):
"A false leg is perched in the air above me. So are a model helicopter, stuffed goat and kangaroo heads, an accordion, a bear trap and a blow-up doll in a fireman's uniform. Behind, a cockatoo sways gently in a big wire cage while, around the corner, black-and-white photographs of Linda Evans, Tony Curtis and Robert Wagner, circa 1985, survey anyone using the cash machine. The Friend In Hand is the antithesis of a fashionably minimalist drinking establishment. Since 1983, when owner Peter Byrne bought this backstreet pub, the Friend In Hand has evolved into a watering hole akin to the home of an eccentric relative with a colossal collecting habit. Outside it's an attractive art deco pub with potted palms framing the entrances, original mustard-hued tiling and a flutter of Australian ensigns flying above the footpath. Inside, the Friend is crammed to its ornate salmon and green-hued cornicing with oddball paraphernalia. The elegant drinking companion and my beloved devour their basic but enormous serves of chicken schnitzel ($16.50), fettucini napoletana ($9.50), large salad ($5.50) and bread (free) in No Names, the pub's Italian restaurant, while I am at the bar ordering a bottle of white wine and a schooner of black.
Friends have warned me about Joe the Cockatoo. He is notoriously potty-mouthed but tonight I am given only a fleeting glance before he quietly shuffles around in his cage. I feel like a bit of a cheat. We've only come for an inexpensive dinner, several beverages and a chinwag but almost any other day of the week evening activities are rife. On Wednesdays the hotel hosts a popular crab-racing night (with copious water-spraying) followed by Mic In Hand, the Thursday night comedy gig. Professional artists lead life-drawing classes on Monday nights ($10) and on the first Tuesday of every month, Bardflys, a spoken poetry night, entices wordsmiths to share their scribblings. There's more. On Sunday mornings you can start the day with breakfast for $3, hang around for a free sausage at the afternoon sausage sizzle and maybe win a meat tray at the raffle at 5pm. Tonight, the Friend hosts a congregation of drinkers and eaters, locals and tourists gabbing away into the night. No one gives us the evil eye for not being regulars, the staff live up to the pub's title and as we leave Joe lifts his tail to show me his bottom. That's got to mean friendship."
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: Tucked away in one of Glebe's back streets, the Friend in Hand is a treasure that has to be discovered. It's a really friendly place with a 'local' feel downstairs and more of a lounge bar atmosphere upstairs. There always seems to be plenty of space for everyone although on one of their special nights, you'd be best advised to get there early. The clientele varies between backpackers, family groups and locals depending on which night of the week you choose to venture in there. What's On: Wednesday night is Crab racing night and it has to be seen to be believed. Every week, it seems to attract a larger crowd and often descends into the realms you would associate with something from 'Ibeza Uncovered'. It really is a hit though and you won't be disappointed if you brave it - best to get there early though to reserve your prime time seats - after all, who would want to miss out on actually seeing all the action as the crabs jostle with each other for that sought after first place! Other nights there's poetry reading, happy hours etc."
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com
Harold Park Hotel
70A Ross Street, Forest Lodge NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9660 4745
Website: http://www.haroldparkhotel.com.au
What's on - highlights:
Harold's Shorts - Short Film Festival every Tuesday night:
Six Short Films each night, including Q & As with the “auteurs”. $100 awarded each week to a “deserving” film plus The People’s Choice Award. Industry Judging Panel chaired by Aussie screen legend Gary Waddell
Tod's Gusto Trivia - each Wednesday night
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 July 2007 (read full review):
"It is doubtful the elegant drinking companion would have approved of the Harold Park Hotel last century. Before it was sold and closed in 1999, the corner pub was a busy, old-fashioned drinking hole hosting grungy students, grubby comedians, grimy rock musicians and line-dancing desperados, among other regulars. ... Now refurbished, the Harold Park is almost unrecognisable. It is stylish and decidedly smart. It has various large lounge areas (one with an open-air roof) furnished with chic fabric and leather armchairs, ottomans and pouffes. On one interior wall, taut wires carry cascading water droplets. There are up-lights and down-lights and striking contemporary paintings of topless females apparently created from melted, multi-coloured lollies. The restaurant upstairs has padded dining chairs, elegant light shades, swift, individual table service and large bifold windows opening to small balconies. The lunch, dinner and all-day "food to drink with" menu is gourmet pub and there is an impressive wine list. The 12 house cocktails features names such as hot to trot and titian queen, a nod to the harness racing across the road. ... It's only the paceway that confirms you're actually inside the celebrated Harold Park Hotel. Actually, that's not true. Comedy has returned, with Ha Ha Ha @ HPH, the pub's Tuesday night stand-up gig in the front bar. On this chilly night, comic Sally Kimpton is doing her best on the corner stage but the few, scarf-swathed punters appear to be conserving their energy.
To warm up the mood I down a honey ginger hot spell (bourbon, honey liqueur, ginger beer, lime, mint). It's OK, but beaten by a refreshing chamomile collins (gin, chilled chamomile tea, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, soda water) and a hearty serve of tasty chilli garlic prawn linguine ($25). As another comic declares he will rate the audience's interest in his jokes by "your clearly different levels of silence", my thoughts turn to what they've done to the toilets. ... The loos are fancy. Mirrors with elaborate, gold-coloured frames hang above chunky basins with sensor taps. The small lobby inside the male and female toilet entrances is divided by a large piece of moodily lit shattered glass. What past patrons of the Harold Park would make of this is unknown. But the elegant drinking companion will feel right at home."
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com
Illuminati Bar and Grill
Corner Parramatta Road and Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037 .............Ph: (02) 9692 9063
Website: http://www.illuminatibarandgrill.com.au/
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 February 2007 (read full review):
"What a great spot Illuminati has nabbed. The new bar and grill lives in the bottom of the beautiful, old, curved University Hall building and sprawls out on to a small but lively courtyard on the corner of Glebe Point and Parramatta roads. ... Illuminati looks sophisticated from the outside. Upbeat lounge music plays in the outdoor seating area, which is marked off from the street by glass panels. Inside resembles a hotel bar and dining room, a little bland and a little too empty, so we take a seat outside. It's a good place to be on a balmy night. The menu is extensive but it's mostly food rather than drink. The bar offers standard spirits such as rum, vodka, scotch, gin and liquors and a short list of seven cocktails. There's nothing too exotic to get excited about. We have a Fire Engine (Jagermeister, blood orange juice, agrum, $10) and a Velvet Slipper (brandy, Bombay gin, tequila, blue curacao, black sambuca, fresh mint and cranberry juice, $14), which are both tasty, and two-for-one cocktail hour between 7pm and 8pm keeps the price nice. The dinner menu offers bistro-like dishes that are really just pub food with some fancy sides and a fancy price tag. My companion and I share the entree of zucchini flowers filled with ricotta, goat's cheese and oregano in parmesan butter ($16). Then we have the grass-fed rib-eye steak with mushrooms and bearnaise ($28) and a pepperoni pizza from the "make your own pizza" menu ($18). The servings are incredibly generous and satisfying. The zucchini flowers are heavy on the batter but flavoursome. The steak is well-cooked and the pizza dough is thick and fresh."
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com
Kauri Hotel
2 Bridge Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 .............Ph: (02) 9660 2350
Nag's Head Hotel
162 St John's Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 .............Ph: (02) 9660 1591
Website: http://www.nagshead.com.au
What's on - highlights:
Wednesday Night Trivia - each Wednesday
Live Music - each Thursday & Friday nights
Free pool each Sunday, all day
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 February 2007 (read full review):
"... The Nag's Head, which used to be known as the Town Hall Hotel, opened in 1868 and has a vibe a bit like a multi-levelled share-house living room. It's cleaner, resembles a traditional English pub and has efficient bar staff but, apart from that, the atmosphere is laid-back, unthreatening and agreeably unflashy. It is a fine place to ruminate expansively on any nonsense that pops into your head. A proper old-fashioned pub. As soon as we stand near the street-level bar area, which is filling up by the minute, a staff member asks for our order. Surrounded by traditional pub fittings, glass-fronted cases displaying beer, spirit and wine bottles, leadlight doors, cosy lighting, beer barrel tables and framed displays of rare beer labels, my devout cocktail-drinking leanings are swayed. This is the place to drink beer. There shall be no dilly-dallying with frothy concoctions laden with scarce ingredients and impossible names. There is an impressive range of draught and bottled beers, an acceptable wine list and a fine malts and blends whisky menu. We order our first round of James Squire Amber and Kilkenny ales and retire to the chesterfield amid signed and framed memorabilia for cricket, football and Olympic stars in the lounge bar upstairs.
This is not a place to spy on a city's professionally rich, vain and jet set types. You don't need to dress up, although, tonight, one woman has worn a sparkly boob tube and she is the life of the party on the hotel's tiny outdoor balcony. It is not a drinking establishment so achingly hip that the lighting is set to darkened cave, with drinks prices at bank loan level and bar staff as standoffish as celebrities spotted in a plastic surgeon's reception. Far from it. It may be slightly daggy round the edges, smoky downstairs and feature a strange mishmash of decor styles between three bar areas, but that's part of the charm. Slouched on the couch we realise we're too late, and too lazy, to order food from the plant-filled, brick-floored Stables Brasserie downstairs. ..."
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: The Nags as it is affectionately known, is one of Glebe's best kept secrets. As you walk in, it feels like you've traversed land and sea to find yourself smack bang in the middle of little England...but without so many Pommies! It has a real cosy pub feel and the clientele are an eclectic mixture of locals, after work drinkers, students, and travellers of all ages. It's a perfect place for a few quiet drinks on a week night and transforms into a heaving, happening venue on a weekend. There's never a dull moment in this pub!
Review from Sydney Sidewalk:
"In the late 1980s a veritable orgy of pub renovation transformed the Sydney drinking scene. The results were mixed, but the Nag's Head is one of the period's success stories. The Tardis-like design uses every landing, staircase and hallway of this formerly pokey building to maximum advantage. And while the neighbourhood pub feel has been retained, a little more effort goes into everything from bar service to maintenance, distinguishing the Nag's Head from your average local. The beer garden fodder is very good and attractively priced — think ploughman's lunch and soup of the day. There are large braziers too, to keep hungry punters warm in winter. Tres thoughtful."
Read reviews by recent patrons on Eatability.com, myTaste
Nude at the Australian Youth Hotel
63 Bay St, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9692 0414
Review by Lenny Ann Low, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 October 2006 (read full review):
"...Nude is on the first floor of the classily refurbished Australian Youth Hotel. Downstairs the mood is restive and wood-lined with plenty of seating on leather couches, stools, and tables and chairs. Medium-lit lamps highlight framed photographs of Tasmanian tigers and front pages reporting the disappearance of former prime minister Harold Holt.
Upstairs, at Nude, the atmosphere is younger. Velvet curtains, elaborate chandeliers and velvet and leather couches surround a DJ mixing interesting samples of indie pop, anonymous dialogue and electroclash beats. The small bar area displays its bottles in funky, back-lit, '80s-style tinted boxes fixed to the wall. And, throughout the room, the walls are covered with ornately framed prints and paintings of nude and semi-nude women, a nod to the hotel's former life as a brothel. ..."
Roxbury Bar
182 St John's Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 .............Ph: (02) 9692 0822
Website: http://www.roxbury.com.au
What's on:
- Full Body Contact No Tennis, 1st & 3rd Tuesday of every month
- Comedy on the Rox - every Wednesday night
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: Recently given a radical face lift when it was converted from the British Lion, the Roxbury is Glebe's newest addition to the pub scene. It's clean, crisp, stylish decor has changed the pub's appeal and it is now one of, if not the entertainment venue in Glebe. Gone are the singlets and elbow propped punters of old, the Roxbury is now attracting a very varied and relaxed clientele. The atmosphere is friendly and every detail seems to be have been thought of to make your night at the Roxbury an enjoyable one. Whether you want to sit and relax in the home from home 'lounge' area (complete with comfy sofas) or shoot some stick on one of the pool tables, it's definitely a place that's worth a visit."
Read reviews by recent diners on Eatability.com
Toxteth Hotel
345 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037 ............. Ph: (02) 9660 2370
Review from Sydney Pub Guide:
"Review: The Toxteth is almost an institution in Glebe. Not only is it popular with the locals but it gets it's fair share of backpackers there too. It's large, it's airy and the atmosphere on any night of the week can be either loud and happening in the pool room or relaxed and friendly in the rest of the bar. Definitely one of the Glebe favourites! What's On: Large screens in the pub show any major sporting events as well as a few choice films from time to time. The Toxteth also participates in the NTN Quiz Network so you can gently stimulate your brain as you sip your favourite tipple. Three pool tables provide one of the main attractions for your backpacker in need of some amusement."
Read reviews by recent diners on Eatability.com, myTaste
Index to Food Pages on GlebeNet:
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