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The Oxford Tavern

1 New Canterbury RoadPetersham, NSW 2049https://oddculture.group/venue/the-oxford-tavern/ As surreal as this feels to say, lockdown is finally over, and we’re all allowed, fully vaccinated, back into the world again. And after a gratuitous mid-week feast of army stew at my favourite Korean restaurant, I’m ready to get back onto the blogging train. The Oxford Tavern is your quintessential Australian pub – loud, sticky, and grungy, with more types of beer than you can poke a hipster at. There is an above-average beer garden out back, which although excessively loud to my prematurely aged ears, is beautifully bright and lush with vegetation. All in all, it’s the kind of place that you would usually never find me. So why am I here?…

20/10/2021

American, Bar, BBQ, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35), Petersham, Pub

Frankie’s Pizza

I’ve been out clubbing exactly once in my life. Twice, if you generously count the time where a mate booked out a small dive bar for his birthday party. And that one time was enough to teach me that my penchant for good food does not stop after midnight. Unfortunately for me, the one time I went proper-clubbing was in Sydney, and by the time we emerged on the wrong side of 1am, kebabs and Maccas were the only options available. Growing up in Melbourne meant that I was used to wine bars and supper clubs open to the crack of dawn on weekends, if not around the clock, this came as a rather unpleasant shock. But once place I…

09/06/2021

Bar, European, Fast Food, Italian, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35), Pizza, Sydney CBD

Continental Deli Bar and Bistro

For our annual end-of-year shebang last year, I decided on dinner at Ms. G’s. However there was another strong contender for the occasion, and that was Continental Deli Bar and Bistro. On paper, Continental is pretty much everything I love – a wine bar with a range of clever share plates and charcuterie, all served in a relaxed and decadently European setting. First impressions certainly lived up to my hopes. The beautifully classic interior was jazzed up with the most intriguing and charming range of pieces, including boughs of local greenery, framed retro-styled posters, and an enormous hand-drawn picture of a blue fin tuna. But if you ask me, the most attractive features would have to be the deli cabinet…

24/03/2021

Bar, Best Of Sydney, European, Hatted, Italian, Mr. Moneybags ($50 Plus), Newtown, Tapas, Wine Bar

Tres a Cinco

Remember what I said about being devastated over missing out on many a Melbourne restaurant whilst I was stuck in Sydney due to Covid? Well one of the restaurants that I was most upset about not getting to eat at was Bar Tini, the brainchild of Frank Camorra, aka the father of Spanish food (and tapas in general) in Melbourne. Unfortunately, before I had a chance to get myself to Bar Tini, it had shut down, and that boat has sailed forevermore. But it’s not all bad news; for once it’s not Covid that took down Bar Tini, at least not directly in any case. Being both an amazing chef and a shrewd businessman, Camorra realised that as popular as…

10/02/2021

Bar, Melbourne CBD, Mexican, Mr. Moneybags ($50 Plus), Street Food, Tapas, Wine Bar

Nakano Darling

I’m always up for an izakaya meal. There’s really not much out there better than a parade of plates and nibbles, ordered over a long meal with great conversation, and maybe a drink or two. Nakano Darling is one of the new kids on the block, located in the shiny Darling Square dining precinct. The décor may not be classically Japanese, but the vibe it evokes is unmistakeable. It is undeniably cool with its collection of neon street signs, tatami seating with wooden crates for tables, and quirky Japanese ads projected onto the concrete walls. It stops just shy of trying too hard, and the result is very appealing indeed.

02/12/2020

Asian, Bar, Haymarket, Izakaya, Japanese, Just A Bit Special ($20-$35), Tapas

Mary’s Newtown

Mary’s in Sydney is like what Huxtaburger is to Melbourne; it’s a stark divider from the before, where burgers are limited to either fast food, or sandwiches slapped carelessly together on the counter of a fish and chip shop. Their arrival marked the beginning of a change in the burger scene in their respective cities. All of a sudden, the burger was elevated beyond a greasy hangover cure. In came the brioche buns, the good quality beef (with the cheese melted over the top, of course), and the hunt for the perfect combination of sauces that makes you want another burger the moment you’ve finished your first.

05/08/2020

American, Bar, Burgers, Cheapie Lunch (Under $20), Fast Food, Newtown

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