The Glenmore Hotel

The Glenmore Hotel is an old-school pub with an amazing view of Circular Quay. There are no sticky carpets here but rather, snazzy tiles, function rooms with a neo-Victorian thrust and a fancy bar menu.

Most old pubs in The Rocks remain relatively untouched by the hands of interior designers with a flair for décor post-1975. The Glenmore has moved away from the "authentic" look favoured by tourists and into the present. That said, it’s not all too different – the clientele are boisterous and loud on the upper deck, which has a retractable roof to shield drinkers and diners from the sun and rain.

The three-storey building has been standing over the harbour since 1921 and is protected by its heritage listing. Even though there are now two restored smaller balconies on the Cumberland Street side of the pub, the owners had to maintain the original style of the building, including the shades of paint that characterise the glam Victorian rooms that skirt the sides of the building and are used for private functions.