The Kegroom tavern could be described as well-worn. Situated on Broadway, not far from UTS, it sees, as you can imagine, a fair amount of student traffic, and few are the office types hanging out here. It’s 6.20 on a Friday night; I’ve just knocked off from a day’s consultancy, and in jeans, sneakers, shirt and suit jacket, I’m the smartest one here. Right now somewhere like the Stock Exchange or Bar Luca would be packed with suits talking about the day’s deals, but here, just across town, it’s a different, very comfortable world.

It reminds me of the places I used to go back in my days as a reckless late-teenager. Two pool tables have center-stage in the pub, as soon as you walk in they’re there. There’s also food, of the rough-and-ready variety, though tonight the kitchen is firmly closed.

Friendly is not the word – the barman, Ian, is in the market for a digital camera, so he wanders over to chat about the Sydneypubguide Olympus, and takes a look at the site on the guide’s laptop as we talk over Microsoft’s new version of Windows – another reader gained, we think. There’s banter and light conversation everywhere.

Another pub guide, this one in print, mentions the barber’s chair in the gaming room, well, we didn’t find it, but there’s an old weighing scale in the corner, so you can see how big your beer belly is getting! There’s also a great shot of he pub back in the day when it was the Clare Hotel, taken in 1930. Apparently, the building was consecrated with blessed soil when it was taken over by two irish sisters in 1930, so mind your language ;-)

Not bad

The food’s very cheap – steak sandwich $4, breakfast $6, or a rump steak for $8.50 – can’t be bad if you’re hungry and counting the coins for your next beer.

review by: pubguide staff