Empire Hotel
Editorial
The Empire Hotel is refreshingly normal. Busting with all the grit Kings Cross can muster, Empire is perfect if you want a night out but don't really feel like trying. Its main selling point, and possibly the primary reason for its longevity on the notorious Kings Cross strip, is its location. Perched on Darlinghurst Road between the mad and the baddest of inner city night spots, you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere better to indulge that voyeuristic streak.
Basically you have three options: Ground Bar, Middle Bar and Plantation. They're all good but impose varying degrees of dress standards. You can leave the thongs at home, boys, if you want to hit up Plantation. This top-floor lounge area is the slickest bar in Empire. They do a mean cocktail but you're better off sticking to vodka sodas and G&Ts like everyone else if you want to be served within a reasonable time frame.
Middle Bar is in the middle, in every sense. The DJs tend to stay upstairs so you can generally still have a conversation, and they still do the cocktails and mixers but have more wine on offer. It's slightly classier though than its downstairs counterpart. For those affected by the GFC, this is your big chance to let your hair down and party - you get change from a fiver for beers and wine.
Empire is not the most glamorous bar in the Cross, but if you need to swap door bitches and overpriced drinks for a quiet beer, then so be it. Don't wear your best shoes but make sure you look reasonable.
Jessica Miller, November 2009
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