Woolpack Hotel

is a lot of history behind this pub. It was one of the first 10 hotels in Australia to be granted a licence. Today, it is the only one of those original licences still good for a beer, 214 years later. The humble hotel was first known as the Freemasons Arms Inn and it served beer from Thomas Ruchton's brewery down the road. In 1821, it was sold to a new publican who named it The Woolpack.

A MAJOR RENOVATION HAS RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED and it has, somewhat shamefully, left very few signs of that rich history. Like every second pub in Sydney, it has eschewed old-fashioned charm for stainless-steel furnishings, plasma screens and designer grey walls. From the outside, the pub still has the feel of an old-town icon with its imposing corner spot, fresh paint job and ornate details. Unfortunately, this is all lost once you step inside.

THE FOOD AND DRINK ON OFFER are befitting of a big, central pub. There are several beers on tap, a wine list stocking big brands and a few cocktails and "shooters" to try to steal the women away from the nearby nightclubs. The latter are fairly slapdash. Tacky classics such as Sex on the Beach ($13), Fruit Tingle ($13.50) and Midori Illusion ($13) are all thin and sugary. Stick to the schooners or a glass of wine instead. The Angel Cove Sauvignon Blanc ($6) is safe.

THE PUB IS MADE UP OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPACES; all have a different purpose in mind but all end up looking and feeling the same. There is a funky lounge corner with minimalist lounges and mood lighting presumably for the Gen Ys, a sterile outdoor beer garden with some more minimalist timber benches and stools, a restaurant area for the in-house Thai restaurant and various other eating and dining nooks that aim for sophistication.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP WHEN THE FOOD ARRIVES. It's not pub grub but rather, Thai food – the nouveau pub grub. Don't expect much more than the usual local take-out style dishes but it's fairly cheap and tasty. The crispy golden boats ($5) and crying tiger barbecued beef ($11.90) go down well with a cold beer as does the "drunken noodle" (fried rice noodle with egg and chilli and meat, $10.90). The place is relatively quiet for a late Saturday afternoon so the lovely Thai women from the kitchen serve the food and come back a couple of times to make sure everything is okay. The friendly service is perhaps the last remaining glimpse of the Woolpack of yesteryear.