We’ve heard great things about the roof garden, but tonight there’s a private function on, so we can’t cover it. Bit of a shame, because the rest of it isn’t really up to that much. The crowd is definitely mixed – we’ve got a few pissed up hardened drinkers interspersed with tourists and passers by. We passed by the Australian and it was WEDGED, so really you can gauge the quality by those who’ve voted with their feet.

A bank of ten pokies takes up much of the Bar’s southern corner, while the northern, well, it’s a TAB, essentially. A few tables outside can give respite, but we’ve been beaten to them.

A round of 2 coopers and a diet coke costs $11.50, which isn’t bad, since we just came back over the bridge from the commodore where is cost $15.00

It sees a lot of tourists, as you can see from the mish-mash of foreign currency tacked to the bar – it probably also gets quite a few people coming down from the BridgeClimb – the office is just down the road.

All said, we’re not so into it. If we could have checked out the roof garden, we may well have liked it more. Luckily it hasn’t actually deterred us from coming back when the roof is open, so all is not lost!

Addendum, January 2002

Yes, we finally made it to the roof garden, and let me tell you it's worth climbing the stairs for. If anything can elevate this pub from the mediocre to the spectacular, it's the roof garden. Groups of happy people sit around the denseley packed tables, enjoying the sun and the breeze. It's Friday just after 6.00pm and it's full, so we have to wait around for a seat, but we take the opportunity to savour the view. It's a great spot. You can also get lunch up here, which has to be a great spot for it. If you can get to the roof, we unequivocally recommend it. If not, perhaps give it a miss and come back when the roof is open.

review by: pubguide staff