The Royal Hotel

The elegant teal colour splashed on the new walls of the Royal Hotel is just the lick of paint Leichhardt's pub scene was crying out for.

Norton Street's nightlife has been looking a tad sad lately. So news of new management and a new life at this historic corner pub is good.

Sydney pub tsar Martin Short and his sister Paris Ballantyne (whose growing portfolio includes the Australian Heritage Hotel and the Glenmore) recently snapped up the 1886 venue when it went on sale for the first time in 20 years and they've embarked on a full makeover.

The hideous beer-sponsored facade has been ripped down, the downstairs pub smartened (just slightly) and the upstairs transformed into a loungeroom garden party.

The theme is ''botanicals'', from the beautiful planter-box wall on the deck to cutesy ''garden cup'' cocktails.

It's not done in a kooky gazebo sort of way, more mothers' group garden day. Classy, m' dear. Muted teal walls and botanical art works on the walls of the tiny dining room make for a much quieter vibe.

All the tables are booked on the Thursday night Bar Hop visits and the tiny deck is stiflingly hot. Lingering cigarette smoke and a 34-degree day aren't helping. Time to open up the roof and get some breeze into this hotbox or we might perish among the creeper vines.

The food menu is nothing out of the ordinary - juicy burgers, schnitzel, steak, a few share plates, etcetera - but the cocktails are a step up from the usual pub stuff.

Not surprisingly, gin features heavily in the botanical bar. A Hendrick's Tea Cup (gin, rose and apple tea, sugar, cucumber, $15) and Quince Cup (Tanqueray gin, pear, quince, lemon, $14) are easy, summery starters.

Some of the prices seem a little steep for what you get and not all of them pull off the ambitious and complex combinations of herbs, fruits, spices and spirits but there's plenty of imagination and enthusiasm.

Jugs of Pimm's or sangria are good fun and I say bravo for having an aperitif on the menu too (The Garden Party - Tanqueray Gin, Sweet Vermouth and Campari, $13).

It's sugary but nevertheless, nice to have something with oomph in among the florally, fruity things.

If cocktails aren't your bag, the Royal is championing craft beers. You can't go wrong with Fat Yak and Scharer's Lager on tap - the latter is a delicious, German-style, all-malt beer brewed in Picton, NSW.

The wine menu is short and well priced with nothing above $8 a glass. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of mainstream wines such as Cape Mentelle and McLaren Vale but also some interesting finds like a summery Restless Rebel pinot grigio from the Riverina ($7.50).

It goes down nicely with a bucket of hot wings ($17.50) on a hot arvo.

A burger served on a bread board with a generous pot of chips ($17.50) and a juicy 300g Black Angus Sirloin ($24) were other highlights, otherwise the schnitzel was dry ($19) and the botanical platter with pickled beetroot, roast vegetables, bell peppers and lavash ($19) nothing special.

Pulled pork rolls (yes, we're still doing pulled pork, $16.50) and chocolate trifle ($11) are also worth a look.

The Royal hasn't done anything groundbreaking and it's not worth travelling miles for but it's a Leichhardt legend worth making your local again.

THE LOW-DOWN
You'll love it if … you need a new local in Leichhardt
You'll hate it if … you're looking for an out-of-the-ordinary pub
Go for … Sirloin, Scharer's Lager on tap, Pimm's jug