Sydney Park Hotel, Newtown

The south end of King Street might not be as glamorous as other parts of what is one of Sydney’s main inner arteries. It is, however, home to a number of good beer venues. Sydney Park Hotel is one of them.

Sydney Park Hotel sits just metres from the Botany View Hotel, which has a longstanding relationship with Young Henrys. It’s also within walking distance of the Union Hotel and Willie The Boatman.

Rejuvenated Inner West Pub

The pub is one of those great inner west pubs that have been rejuvenated over the last few years, in parallel with the growth of an affluent nearby population and the explosion of local craft beer. It’s the sister pub of The Henson in Marrickville, which is well-loved for its community focus, as well as its commitment to great beer and high quality food.

Sydney Park Hotel looks to be evolving in the same way. How it does this is by doing everything a pub should do well. There’s a simple but cracking menu. It doesn’t stray too far from chicken parmas, burgers and steaks (not quite as adventurous as The Henson, nor quite as greasy as the nearby Union) but it executes them just as a punter would hope.

There’s sports on TV, even a TAB for those who are that way inclined but these don’t dominate. Instead, there’s a wonderful open dining space, as you enter from King Street, which plays host to events such as pub trivia.

A beautiful feature of the pub is that the bar is big, it has a presence and it sits smack bang in the middle of the venue. You can’t miss it and there’s plenty of space whether you’re nursing a beer or waiting to be served.

Beer & Atmosphere

Aside from the quirky features of the pub, which include odd portraits and vintage photos of the local area, it’s the beer that will attract most readers of this website. Local options feature heavily with favourites such as Serpents Kiss from The Grifter, as well as beers from Modus Operandi, Akasha and more.

Sydney Park Hotel is one of those pubs that just feels like a really good place to be. It’s a pub you want to spend time in, whether it’s an afternoon session watching the football, or Saturday night drinks with friends. It makes you feel comfortable. Excellent local beer helps ease you into a happy place too.

Have you visited the Sydney Park Hotel? Leave a comment and share your experience.