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Hotel Palisade

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

Back in business: Hotel Palisade in Millers Point.
Back in business: Hotel Palisade in Millers Point.Sahlan Hayes

Praise be to the pub gods, the Palisade is back and it’s bloody gorgeous.

The Millers Point monument to drinking was built in 1915. It’s been closed for the past seven years, standing silent in an area of town where the tumbleweed doesn’t bother to show up. It’s just wind blowing wind. Richard Sapsford (an entrepreneur type bloke who makes a lot of coin in the pest-control business) bought the keys to the Jewel of the Point this year and he hasn’t ruined what I understand was once a top hotel.

I never drank at the Palisade before it went into hibernation, having only moved to the big smoke from Newcastle a few years ago. I’d heard the stories though. Stories of drinking beers on the street and sunlight dancing across schooners. Of dusty counters and dirty Reschs glasses and barefoot drinking sessions in the summer. It sounded spectacular.

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Chicken and tarragon pie with mint peas and potato mash.
Chicken and tarragon pie with mint peas and potato mash.Sahlan Hayes

The Palisade of 2015 is not that Palisade. On a Friday night it’s filled not with art students and unionists but charcoal-clad advertising staff who work in the Rocks’ posher part. The only bloke bringing any sartorial pizazz to proceedings is wearing tartan pants a la Rod Stewart, although I suspect they cost more than my car.

The joint could be filled with Hillsong members wearing hessian and I couldn’t care less. This is the most beautiful pub in Sydney and designer Sibella Court needs a big high-five for her effort.

In one corner is an original Reschs Dinner Ale mirror, spit-polished and proud. Wildflowers and succulents bring femininity to an industrial room decked in copper, leather, timber, steel and tradesmen’s tools. An original by Australian artist Paul Ryan hangs in the parlour room. Give me a pint of Guinness ($10.50) and a spare afternoon and I could stare into its angry sea of paint for hours.

Creamy goodness: cauliflower macaroni and cheese.
Creamy goodness: cauliflower macaroni and cheese.Sahlan Hayes
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Put a Bill Callahan record on here and I would never leave. (It’s a shame the soundtrack is ‘‘chilled beats’’, which is never OK. Even Mumford and Sons would have been better. Maybe).

Mikey Enright (the Barber Shop) has been enlisted to help out with cocktails although he’s not on hand during our visit. The Larrikin Old Fashioned ($17) is the pick of the list, a surly little drink of Maker’s Mark, Ilegal mescal, agave syrup and bitters.

A bitter chocolate Manhattan ($18), is also worth a sip – a cheeky fling of Jim Beam Rye, Punt e Mes, Xocolatl bitters, a splash of Lagavulin scotch and a touch of smoked maple syrup.

Brisket and fried egg sandwich with a side of salt and vinegar chips.
Brisket and fried egg sandwich with a side of salt and vinegar chips.Sahlan Hayes

Off-menu, a daiquiri ($16) tastes fine and tart, but too icy by half and in need of a double strain.

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The menu suits itself better to a lazy lunch than Friday night dinner and there are plenty of other places in the Rocks these days such as Sake and Ananas if you fancy a glitzier feed.

The menu highlight is a soft and smoky brisket and fried egg sanga ($18). It comes with an enamel cup of salt and vinegar chips (so good) that beg to be placed between the bread roll too.

The Larrikin Old Fashioned.
The Larrikin Old Fashioned.Sahlan Hayes

Cauliflower macaroni and cheese ($15) is served in an enamel tray (more camping cookware, I know) with a sharply dressed side salad to cut through the creamy carby goodness while a chicken and tarragon pie ($22) is weighed down, rather pleasingly, with minted and not-too-mushy peas.

For most of the Palisade’s closure there wasn’t much point in coming to the Rocks anyway save for the Lord Nelson and Hero of Waterloo.

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Now that the old dog has yawned back into action and the Argyle hums with activity each night, the Rocks is a beaut place to spend an evening.

Once the Disneyland of dining that is Barangaroo opens nearby, it’s sure to become even better.

Can we start calling it “Bangers” yet? You know it’s inevitable.

THE TAKE-AWAY

Go for: a long and quiet afternoon beer.

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Stay for: a side of salt and vinegar chips.

Drink: a pint of Guinness.

And: there’s a rooftop bar set to open in mid-September. Expect to spend your summer sunsets here.

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Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

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