Wake Up! is one of Sydney's newest 'boutique' backpackers - it's smart, it's nicely situated near Central, and better still, it's got a bar open to the public. It's called 'upside' (being in the basement, you see. 'upside down'). As you'd expect, much of the clientele consists of backpackers staying upstairs, though you get the occasional suit, a few blow-ins and drama students from the nearby performing arts college. Being new, it's kitted out in the modern style, which is a little sterile at the moment. but the large island bar and plentiful space means it's a pretty good little bar. We've yet to sample the food, but it's cheap and plentiful, and it opens early too. Backpacker bars aren't everyone's thing, but this one's pretty friendly and while it's not going to overtake scubar in the mindshare stakes for a while, it's certainly competing. There are regular events such as wine and cheese nights, competitions, a barbie and trivia on wednesdays with travel prizes up for grabs. check it out.
review by: Jason