Barhop: Hotel Harry

Hotel Harry

Address 40-44 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills, 8262 8800

Open Daily 11.30am-3am

No pub can be just a pub these days. There are kitsch themes, celebrity chefs, fancy cocktail bars in hidden rooms or, in the case of the legendary Macquarie Hotel on Wentworth Avenue, a sudden change of birth place.

What used to be a pretty daggy but solid Sydney corner pub has been transformed into a Latino "bar publico" called Hotel Harry.

Its 100-year-old history has given way to South American street food, colourful Mexican beer ads and bright tiles.

On the up side, there is some delicious, tender meat being barbecued in the kitchen, rows of fabulous tequila and some luscious Argentinian malbec wine served over a grand marble bar.

On the down side, the faded Latino paintings and huge brass pig feel distinctly disingenuous considering this is, of course, not actually an old Latino bar.

Parts of the original 1912 pub have been restored, including the beautiful tiled facade and stained glass windows. They've been incorporated into the new South American look in a colourful and creative way but, somehow, the vibe is not quite there.

High ceilings and hard floors downstairs lead to some terrible acoustics. Upstairs, a semi-outdoor terraza decorated in bright orange banquettes and chequered floor is a nice nook. And a Cuban-themed Paladar Dining Room is on its way.

Down the back of the main room are a few dark wooden booths for diners gorging on meats, meats and more meats.

Harry's Mixed Grill is the way to do it – a giant sizzling plate with a mix of the best of the four menu options; cerveza glazed beef short rib, jerk chicken with sesame pipian and apple-roasted pork neck riblets ($48) with sides like cauliflower queso fundido, corn and quinoa or Cuban black beans.

The rest pales in comparison. The guacamole is a tiny serving of bland slop served with tortilla chips ($12) but some of the street snacks are better, including a juicy Cuban sandwich with slow-cooked adobo pork, country ham and queso fundido ($18) or decent chorizo tortillas ($14).

Drinks are good if you go for the safer bets. Wine and beer come with options aplenty but cocktails can be weak and watery.

There is Uruguayan cabernet franc rosé, Patagonian pinot noir, Chilean carmenere and Argentinian chardonnay among the all-South American wine list, which starts at $7.50 a glass.

Beers straddle a mix of home and away with Little Creatures, White Rabbit and Kosciusko Pale Ale on tap and plenty of Quilmes, Estrella and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in the fridges.

Upstairs in the terraza, the cocktails are a little fancier than the Paloma and punch options downstairs and include mezcal, pisco and plenty of house-spiced rum. They're also nudging $20 each.

Hotel Harry is a difficult place to settle in for the night. The crowd, a mix of after-workers and travellers, feels transitory and unattached; the staff are not overly welcoming. It's hard to imagine this becoming your new local.

There is a bit of colour and fun – and a lot of meat – but Harry may turn out to be little more than just another chapter in this pub's great 100-year story.

YOU'LL LOVE IT IF... you're hungry for meat and South American beers

YOU'LL HATE IT IF... you're looking for a good ol' fashioned Sydney pub

GO FOR... Argentinian malbec, Harry's Mixed Grill

IT'LL COST YOU... cocktails $12-$20, wine by the glass $7.50-$9.50, tap beer $6.80-$7.80, street snacks $5-$18