The Clock

While I’m deep into my winter of whisky, I’m also partial to a good gin and tonic. Meaning I was excited to hear that upstairs in The Lounge bar, inspired by Spain’s dedicated tonicas (gin and tonic bars), award-winning mixologist Jeremy Shipley has scoured the globe for fourteen local and international gins to produce a specialist list. I started with The Botanist ($13) – a serious Scottish gin with twenty-two native botanicals, served up simply with New Zealand’s Quina-Fina (low sugar) tonic and mint. After dabbling in Spain with Gin Mare ($12), I found my sweet spot with Hayman’s Old Tom ($10) – it positively sings against red capsicum. While these gins deserve to respected with simplicity, you will also find gin cocktails like Hotel Georgia ($16), dressing up the Plymouth Gin house pour with lemon juice, almond syrup, orange blossom water, egg whites and nutmeg. Throw in clever snacks like Mini Cuban Sliders ($8) with New York pastrami and beet relish, and Cheddar and Jalapeno Croquetas ($15); or eat a full meal of some of the best thin-crust pizzas I’ve seen in a pub, and you have the fixings for a brilliant night out. My hit pizzas are the vegetarian Mushrooms, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Treviso ($18) and the Pork and Fennel Sausage with Artichoke and Mint ($18).

The Clock
470 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Ph: (02) 9331 5333 clockhotel.com.au
Pub Bistro, Pizza $$