Courthouse Hotel, Newtown

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The Courthouse is one of those magnificent pubs you remember forever. A sprawling mess of rooms and a bar with 270 degree access, it also boasts one of the best beer gardens in Sydney. One of the rare AFL pubs in Sydney, its walls are dotted with Sydney Swans jerseys. Around one corner is an enclave where the real Courty regulars gather, in a haze of smoke and hardened drinking faces. It was old school before the term was even invented.

It's a Sydney institution, and I mean that literally. The old Newtown Courthouse is positioned next to the cop shop and fire station, so any funny business you were planning after a big night out should be restrained until you are well away from the halls of justice.

People generally head to the Courty for the first time, lured by the Cheap Tuesday beers ($2.70) and then stay for a lifetime. The food is good, though not as cheap as usual pub grub. The Courty burger ($15) is hard to go past, as are the bangers and mash.

The only downside is that it can be hard to grab one of the tables out the back if you arrive late in the evening. Tuesday nights are especially difficult to get a seat for, with happy hour starting at 6:30. The only way to get around it might be to hold all Tuesday afternoon meetings at the Courty, so a seat is ensured. It also doesn't stay open as late as most other bars on King Street, closing at a very civilized midnight.

It's a country pub in the city, filled with a mix of trendoids, alternatives and the true blue. If you feel like a cruisy beer with your mates in a lovely old Ausralian beer garden then the Courthouse is for you.

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