It's been described as many things. Meat Market is one of them. While it's true the place is packed to the rafters with young, hormonally charged lads and lasses, it's not the all-out prowl-fest you may have expected.
Downstairs has a slightly RSl-esque feel to it, which took me a little while to get used to. It's a big, open room full of tables and packed with a cross-section of Bondi society from the young to the old. On our visit the bar was a little understaffed for the number of people waiting, but the selection of drinks is good. Strangely, while the bar was understaffed, the floor staff seemed to be overstaffed - we had ou ashtray emptied three times in under three minutes (we started timing after the second one).
Upstairs is split into two bars, the back has a cruisy chill-out feeling to it, the Front is larger, louder and more packed with kids, so we retired into the darkness of the back and chatted with the friendly barman about pubs. Turns out he knew something about the renovations currenly going on at The Tilbury in Woolloomoolloo, but not enough for us to run a story, unfortunately. From what I can gather, the Beach Road is owned by the same company, but I was getting a little alcohol-fuelled by this time, so we rocked on. If you're a local, it's a great spot. If you're on the prowl, it's also a great spot. If you want a quiet beer and a game of pool, maybe you shouldn't go at weekends!
review by: pubguide staff