The best new pubs in Sydney

• Sydney's best club dining

Pubs are pretty special things. Just about everyone's got an opinion on the best ones and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't have a "local".

Pubs are used as handy landmarks for giving directions, they're a neat substitute for a confessional and if you're too stingy to fork out for Pay Per View, they make a handy venue to catch high-end sporting events.

But for all that, pubs have a sentimentality and general sense of history, they have shifted from their smells of stale beer, ashtrays and sweat to take on a much more sophisticated role in society. With it, innovators, designers, architects and bar impresarios have changed the identity of the standardised, tessellated tile, wooden bar, wash-down local, to places you'd show off for their food, ambience and even refinement.

Here are a few noteworthy pubs that have been given a recent makeover and fit the description of a truly new breed Sydney pub.

Coogee Pavilion (rooftop), Coogee

Venue baron Justin Hemmes has allegedly missed a rent payment so the remarkable spit shine and polish that's gone into the Coogee Pavilion might have lost a little shine for him, but nothing's stopping droves of people turning up to this beachside mega-pub for lavish plates of seafood, sparkling ocean views and to catch some rays on the newly opened rooftop bar.

The venue may have been more recognised for the place you went to when you were turfed out of the Coogee Bay Hotel for swinging from the rafters after a Mad Monday celebration, but is now firmly in the upper echelon of "it" pubs with glamorous clientele, judiciously swanky drinks and a food menu by star chef Jordan Toft. Few expenses have been spared on making this one of the crown jewels, aesthetically, of the Sydney pub scene.

Keg & Brew, Surry Hills

I had a soft spot for the KB Hotel at the skid row end of Foveaux Street. It was a great place to hang out and have a low-key beer and simple pub meal while mixing with the colourful patrons who ranged from cockatoo-on-shoulder Robinson Crusoe-styled locals to the flotsam and jetsam heading up to sporting events at the SCG. The KB, as it was called, poured a mean Reschs, had one of those gumball machines filled with nuts, and decorators that rivalled any RSL in Australia. But things sometimes change for the better.

Savvy new owners have applied the elbow grease and restyled the venue, and, revamped the beer selection to tap into a big selection of local craft beers. The venue looks slick, but still holds down an authentic, homely vibe. While the taps might be shinier and the beers a lot fancier, the Keg & Brew has had a sympathetic treatment, and is perfect for a quiet IPA or two.

Hotel Harry, Surry Hills

The Macquarie Hotel had a pretty good vibe in its former glory as a stock standard, serviceable pub. You could roll in, cozy up in the corner and bunker in for the long haul with few distractions or hassles.

A recent revamp has seen the dark interiors and slightly raucous footpath seating superseded with some seriously garish, themed design. This must be Australia's, let alone Sydney's, first "Latin-themed" pub. Yes, the walls are bright, the dining room gaudy and the cuisine orientated to Spanish/South American, but in the startling edifice is the bones of a pub that serves good drinks, good grub and has a good attitude to its clientele. It's worth visiting for a little something different.

The Lord Gladstone, Chippendale

The expression "if only the walls could talk" is usually reserved for offices in parliament or lavishly appointed rooms in bordellos, but could equally apply to this establishment. A pub that many wished would stay the same forever, grimy, falling apart, authentically dive-y, has been given as close to a sympathetic makeover as is acceptable for the stalwarts of the venue.

It's a pub that feels like it's been given $250 and told to get a new wardrobe, rather than have XYZ Design Troupe perform the latest in plastic surgery. That being said, it's neat, clean, tidy and retains enough of its original colour to ensure those potentially ousted by the revamp have some comforting yardsticks from its more rugged past. Good beers, good spirits and a menu that's gotten a little creative. You'll feel right at home.

WATCH THIS SPACE

Great reborn Sydney pubs coming this year.

Paddington Arms, Paddington. From the Merivale/Justin Hemmes group, this underused Paddington pub will have a makeover and get the Midas touch from chef Ben Greeno​ (ex-Momofuku Seiobo).

Newington Inn, Petersham. Solotel Group, which owns inner west luminary pubs like the beloved Courthouse and Bank Hotel, has taken on this sprawling venue with its amazing beer garden.

Bellevue Hotel, Paddington. The tried and tested Bellevue has seen a few incarnations and is being given a solid facelift and makeover, to be reopened imminently.

Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale. A brand-spanking new pub in Chippendale that has set itself a cracking pace with its three levels of modern feeling, drinking and dining.

Newport Arms, Newport. Justin Hemmes goes northern beaches. This stalwart venue will be gradually updated over some years to release the full potential of its remarkable location.

Queen Victoria Hotel. Smack bang in the middle of the revitalised and frenetic strip of Enmore Road, the Queen Vic will be turned into a "Hong Kong-style eating house" by the Merivale group.