The Animal

You know you're in for a good time when there is a lamb slowly turning over coals on a giant spit and a cocktail called The Keith Richards Coconut Incident. The Keystone Group (The Gazebo, The Winery etc) has taken a 130-year-old Newtown institution and given it back to the neighbourhood,complete with the magnificent wrap-around balcony it was missing, not to mention a private cinema, games room, heaving beer garden, live music, and on the first floor,a loud and lively Greek restaurant decked out in some great graffiti art. The share menu lists very few dishes over $20, from terrific taramasalata to the aforementioned smoky, steamy lamb, alongside skewers of lamb, chicken and beef served on planks with grilled flat bread and little plastic tubs of salad. Even the baklava rolls get duded-up with salted caramel sauce and fig cream.