Chamberlain Hotel
Editorial
Here's another recently-refurbed, old corner pub in a sweet location near Central Station. It's not a huge McBeer barn that you'll easily get lost in, but rather a smaller Melbourne-style bar nicely presented in pale light, a stylish chocolate-brown interior with jaffa panels. Seating is mostly long, high benches and stools, and a few low cubes and tables, taken to by an eclectic young crowd from all over.
Every night at The Chamberlain - or C-Bar - has a distinct theme, including Rock, Scissors, Paper, Trivia or Bingo, but Thursdays must surely be the great leap forward in bar promotions - Martinis and Manicures. Boys are welcome too (hey, this is Sydney), but Friday at 5pm for $4 Carlsbergs and a free massage might be more your thing if you're a building site sort of geezer. On Saturdays from 8-11pm, the $5 cocktails (yes, $5 cocktails) and Downtown soul/funk tunes are welcome news for all comers.
There are plenty of local beers on tap at standard prices, the staff are friendly and fast, and the wine list won't paralyse you for choice - it's a simple selection including some nice whites from WA and reds from SA at decent prices. The busy little kitchen also goes easy on the wallet, with burgers, steaks, fish, pastas and the humble chicken schnitty all around $15. Honorable mention goes to the $5 pizza, which is finally creeping ever so slowly out of Melbourne and into Sydney. It goes just fine with a cold Reschs and a long peek at the footy on the plasma in the corner.
The Chamberlain opens late until 4am on weekends, but if you can't last that long, there are double rooms on offer upstairs for $100 per night or much cheaper dorm-style accommodation for our friends currently living out of a bag.
Blake Williamson, April 2008
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