I find the best way to see a city is by accident. Getting away from the hype and stumbling across hidden gems is something I found very useful and interesting while travelling North America and it's a great way to give a fresh face to a place that has become stale to residents. This Saturday I was offered the chance to explore the city myself when a friend from Melbourne (who I lived with during my time in Canada) flew up for the weekend.
The main bullet point of what was a great night out was several finds of bars doing cheap cocktails, sometimes at all hours of the night. The first one was a cafe/restaurant on Darling Harbour called "Baia: The Italian" that was offering 2 for 1 cocktails around about 4pm for $20 and under (averaging out to be $10 each). The trick with this place is that it becomes a restaurant that is reserved all night long so getting in early for afternoon drinks is the best option. Now I know this sounds like a pretty common function of Sydney bars and doesn't seem like anything special, but the reason I highlighted this place from the weekend was the cocktail menu and beautiful spot of the place. We were recommended a staff favourite called the "Anti-Social" which was a brilliant mix of Vanilla and Citrus and the most perfect addition of Absinthe. Strong enough to kick you into that special place, while being one of the tastiest drinks I've ever had. I would say that it is worth taking some time out on any occasion just to stop by this place and have a drink by the harbour.
 |
| sourced from http://www.jaunted.com/ |
 |
| Benny "Effin" Meyers sippin on a French Martini @ The Strand Hotel |
On our walk to the hostel and Kings Cross we also passed a place called "The Strand Hotel", a not too busy but cozy little sports bar that was serving $10 Mojito's. This was my first drink of this kind and came highly recommended by my Girlfriend so had to give it a try. At this price it was great, although I wasn't the biggest fan of the traditional Mojito I was happy about $10 cocktails and the Central Coast Mariners being up 3-1 over Sydney FC. The other (what I deemed) hidden spot was on the main strip of Kings Cross, serving Mojitos out of a coffee shop till 2am. I didn't get the name of the place, but in a street filled with debauchery it's hard to miss. It was actually quite funny to find a street in Sydney where a coffee shop looks out of place among night clubs, strip clubs and sex shops. If you're like me and are not the biggest fan of the nightclub atmosphere and more of a great night with good friends kind of person, then this place is a keeper. They were doing $10.90 Mojitio's "All Night Long" which in that part of the city is nice and cheap considering they do it all night. The three of us got the Raspberry, Mango and Cranberry Mojito's and all of them were fricken tasty, especially after many, many beers. It was the best little find of the night and I think perfect for a group for last drinks before going home or heading to a club for that time of the night when you're less at the bar and more on the d-floor.
Related Links:
Check out or make a booking for dinner @ "Baia: The Italian"
Backpackers Accomodation, after work drinks or cheap Mojito's @ The Strand Hotel
Make your own @ Mojito
Make your own "Anti-Social" with:
- Vanilla Liqueur 30ml
- Absinthe 30ml
- Dash of Vanilla Sugar syrup
- Muddle with Fresh Orange & Lemon (cut into in 1/8th's)
- Top with lemon Squash
No comments:
Post a Comment