The Wild Rover may go down in the history of the Sydney small bar scene as taking the longest time to open, but after nine months, the baby is delivered… and how.
Enter through the inconspicuous green door and you’ll find a vibrant drinking den with exposed bricks, jungle animals on green wallpaper peering from behind the bar and Irish folk songs that give the new bar an inviting and classy Irish pub vibe.
The Wild Rover, Surry Hills
The two-level venue has a capacity for 120 persons. Downstairs, cosy booths sit alongside small tables and chairs. The best seats in the house are along the copper top bar with handbag hooks and easy to hop on/off bar stools. Upstairs, you’ll find another bar with banquette seating and a space with its own vibe.
Downstairs
Owners Warren Burns and James Bradey (also of Grandma’s Bar) with manager Kim McDiarmid have attracted a team of experienced bartenders to their latest venue with a focus on accessibility and good times.
The drinks menu is designed to take the guess work out of choosing a beverage. Feel like something light, medium or heavy? You’ll find them grouped under these headings.
The Bar
The range of whisk(e)y leans towards Irish whiskey with some top shelf brands and expressions such as Bushmills 21 yo Madeira Finish and Connemara 12 yo. There’s also a sizeable collection of whiskies from Scotland, Australia, Japan and the USA.
Almost 40 wines feature on the list with craft beers on the old train destination board menus. On tap you’ll find Guinness, Vale Ale and cider served in silver tankards.
THE WILD ROVER RELEASES ITS OWN ROVER RPA WITH BATCH BREWING CO
Cocktails also follow the three strength listings, with some very tempting Bloody Mary’s made with housemade tomato consommé with garlic and horseradish, each increasing in intensity.
L-R: Weeski, Hell’s Kitchen Martini
Hell’s Kitchen Martini ($16) gives a nod to the former working class Manhattan neighbourhood that was once home to Irish mobsters. Made of Bushmills Irish Whiskey with a touch of citrus, fresh peach and homemade Manhattan syrup, the cocktail has a dominant peach flavour at first which settles into more balanced flavours with an easy drinking style.
If you like to taste the base spirit, try the Weeski ($16), a playful interpretation of what whiskey would taste like if it were French. This is a superb drink, perfectly balanced and made with Irish whiskey, Lillet Blanc, orange liqueur with orange bitters.
Old train destination board
If you’re feeling peckish, choose from pasties, homemade sausage rolls ($7) or freshly-shucked oysters ($18 for 6, $32 for 12) from a supplier who provides the best of what is available on the day.
Gibbo on the Rocks with Pambula Oysters
The oysters are served in their own liquor and are a hit with Gibbo on the Rocks ($16), a sensational savoury cocktail made with Tanqueray Gin, Pedro Ximenez sherry and brine, served over hand-chipped ice with a pickle. The Gibbo delivers a good kick while retaining the flavour of the base spirit.
Upstairs Bar
There’s much to like at The Wild Rover. From the warm welcome on arrival to the highly knowledgeable team of bartenders, the experience is one that will bring you back and tempt you on a Sunday afternoon with the range of Bloody Mary’s. The accessible bar is without pomp and invites you to linger over more drinks with fiends. And should you find yourself there at closing time, you’ll hear The Wild Rover by the Dubliners, an Irish song about a man who spent his money on whiskey and wine.
Upstairs seating
The Wild Rover is finally here, bringing craic and good times to the Sydney bar scene.
The Wild Rover is featured in Sydney’s top whisky bars, Sydney’s Best Winter Bars.
The Wild Rover
75 Campbell Street
Surry Hills 2010
Monday to Saturday: 4pm to midnight
Sunday: 12 pm to 10 pm
facebook.com/TheWildRover.Sydney
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