Royal Hotel Randwick

This stately two-storey heritage listed hotel looks like a country pub. Built in 1887, it’s wrapped by wide verandahs. The downstairs one is the perfect place to sink a ten-buck Frozen Margarita ($10) on a sunny day, watching the people of Randwick pass by. Though the beer list doesn’t have much to write home about, there’s wine by the bottle for around forty bucks  – the Leo Buring Dry Riesling ($43/bottle) is my list favourite. While the sports bar looks like somewhere you might tangle in a tussle, the rest of this large hotel is bling chandeliers and tasteful art! And don’t even get me started about the boutique hotel-style accommodation they’ve created upstairs! Consider splashing out on a date night Queen Room ($150/night), and take in all that Randwick has to offer. (This ain’t no Formula One style cheap hotel, what with crisp white sheets, fluffy double pillows, and a shabby chic chandelier dangling over the bed!) As for the eats, they’re another Danny Russo pub menu renovation (last seen at The Oaks). Here value is the key, with the (sadly grain fed) Rib Eye on the Bone ($27/400g) as the most expensive menu item. My pick’s his juicy Royal Wagyu Burger ($16) – a cut above your average meat’n’bun affair.

Royal Hotel Randwick
2 Perouse Road, Randwick
Ph: (02) 9399 3006 royalhotel-sydney.com
Pub Bistro $$-$$$