There’s a place you can go where there’s no bouncer rope.
asserted
you → ’ → ?
I like to think of this stalwart, established in 1876 on sleepy Albermarle Street, as one third of the holy trinity of Newtown pubs, along with the Courthouse and the Town Hall.
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I → like → Courthouse
I’ve loved it on a gloomy Sunday afternoon when it’s been empty except for the local soaks keeping the bar warm out the front.
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it → love → front
I’ve loved it as a refuge from the busier pubs, as a quiet place to drink a beer and eat a burger.
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I → love → burger
I’ve loved it even when it’s felt less than entirely loved by the people running it.
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it → love → it
The pub, which had been family-owned-and-run for the past 60 years, was recently sold to Universal Hotels, the same company behind Redfern’s tastefully renovated Bat & Ball Hotel.
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which → own → Hotel
They’ve applied a similarly gentle touch here, meaning the pressed metal ceilings have stayed, as has the dining room that opens up into the outdoor courtyard.
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that → apply → courtyard
They’ve also made the side rooms, including the bottle shop and pool room, a little more welcoming.
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rooms → make → shop
Now, it’s a serious tavern.
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it → ’ → ?
While everything I want to eat is sold out on my first visit (no Guinness pie, no seasonal special chicken Kyiv), there is an excellent black pudding and chorizo scotch egg, laid in the middle of a slick of sweet date ketchup.
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I → want → ketchup
A massive chicken parmigiana covered in ham, melted cheese and Napoletana sauce served with a side of skin-on fries and mixed leaves definitely hits the mark.
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parmigiana → cover → mark
The rotating “Castle Cut” steak (on my visit, a chateaubriand) probably needs to come with a steak knife for the $50 price tag, but it has great depth of flavour and excellent pub-style pepper sauce.
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it → rotate → flavour
your favourite beers are on tap, including Young Henrys, Grifter and Philter.
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beers → include → Henrys
I’ve been back a couple of times since the renovation and each time I’m in fresh awe of how busy the place is.
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place → ’m → awe
Once upon a time, the skinny front bar would be occupied by locals and their dogs, reading the form guide and watching the footy, but it’s now elbow to elbow with people eating counter meals.
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it → occupy → meals
At 7.30pm on a Wednesday, the pub is so full, we have to circle it several times to find a seat.
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we → have → seat
Even at capacity, staff remain friendly and relaxed and happy to help.
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staff → remain → capacity
And actually, it feels to me to be a return to what a pub can be if people get behind it: a real pokie-free community hub.
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people → feel → it
A lot has been said about the changing habits of people going out these days.
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lot → say → people
It’s been a deep cultural shift, and it’s definitely an interesting new chapter for this old boozer.
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it → ’ → boozer
The median age has probably dropped a decade, and there’s a lot of energy in the room.
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age → drop → room
I’m not surprised.
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I → ’m → ?
Daily specials mean you could have a Wednesday-night martini and cheeseburger with fries for $35 (the ultimate grown-ups’ happy meal) or chuck a solo session on a Monday with a $20 schnitzel.
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you → mean → schnitzel
This is a triumphant return to everything we know and love about the pub, executed with warmth, sympathy and a light touch.
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we → know → warmth
It’s all about nabbing a spot in the fairy-lit garden out the back.
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It → ’ → back
Famous for their weekly Tuesday trivia, it’s also a choice spot for a Sunday roast and cheap jugs.
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it → ’ → roast
The bistro menu and its legendary schnitzel get most of the attention, but there’s also the beautiful courtyard and free-entry raffle on a Friday.
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menu → get → Friday
30 Terminus Street, Petersham, whitecockatoohotel.com.au
Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently.
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reviews → book → ?
A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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restaurant → pay → Guide
The Aporia
