Judgement Bar & Bistro

Walking through Darlighurst the other day, I happened into the Judgement Bar & Bistro for a bight to eat. This place is kind-of hidden, in order to get in you need to go into courthouse hotel and find an unmarked staircase to the second floor. The layout is simple and the atmosphere is unexciting, however they are a bit separated from the insanity of central Darlinghurst, and serve beer and burgers! I had them throw some egg and bacon on my burger, and got some calamari to go along with. I didn't realize it when I ordered but I guess it was a steak burger and it was a nice balance with the egg and tar tar sauce that came on it, the calamari isn't anything special, but it rarely is. All in all I'd say this is a nice place to stop for a burger when in Darlinghurst.

Judgment bar from outside

Beresford Hotel

The other night I investigated the bar at the Beresford Hotel near Darlinghurst. The establishment is 2 stories, offers indoor and outdoor seating and has a cool balcony on the second story. They are also are set up for bands to perform on stage. I spend slot of my night out on the balcony talking with people, eventually it got so filled up that they refused to let anyone onto the balcony until someone else exited in order to meet the maximum occupancy requirements. After several beers, I ordered a burger and some calamari from the bar and gave up on trying to get back out to the balcony. The burger was pretty average, but at least it was only 10 bucks, the calamari was the same price and probably wasn't quite as good of a value.

Beresford from outside

Raquel's Spanish Kitchen

Last night MR. T and I ended up around Darlinghurst looking for something to eat. While waking down Oxford street we fond a Spanish place called Raquel's Spanish Kitchen. We decided to order the tapas platter and some Sangria to go along with. It was kind-of a long wait but eventually the dishes started coming out of the kitchen. The chorizo was the best, spiced mushrooms were a surprise, croquettes were croquettey and by the time the chicken came out we were both full. The whole meal + sangria + salad + bread was 80 bucks,  had we not gotten a pitcher of sangria and the bread this would have only been 50 bucks to feed two people. That's what you should do when you eat here.

Raquel's from street

Bay Hong Vietnamese

Bay Hong is located near where oxford street and crown street intersect. The restaurant felt like they tried to dress it up a bit but never finished. Somehow even while looking a bit nicer and having a better location, this place was empty compared to Thang Long. The chicken and beef we ordered were both marked with two carrot slices forming an X so you know where to put your fork. This place probably caters to those who are to drunk to know where the food is, which fits quite well for the location.

Bay Hong from outside

Aquaviva's

During my hung-over sunday, I ventured out yet again. I went north with no plan really, the goal was to maybe hit a couple of pubs to wind down the weekend. Somehow I ended up just south of where Oxford Street crossed William Street where I found a block or so of interesting restaurants that were a bit separated from the herd. After checking out the whole street I decided to venture into one called Aquaviva's.