Royal Hotel Randwick

The pristine white beer garden at the back is in stark contrast to the Royal's lovely National Trust-listed lace verandah out the front. The crowd is equally diverse; nurses and doctors from the hospital rub shoulders with uni students, tradies and Randwick racecourse regulars. The menu of the bamboo and beige bistro - La Cucina Trattoria - is north Italian themed. But don't be fooled by fancy names; this is more club than pub grub. Meat is cooked to perfection but drowned in sauces and paired with odd garnishes (raw radishes with roots on). The weekend courtesy bus adds to the noisy RSL-like ambience, but the meal prices are anything but club-like.