The Old Fitzroy

After numerous custodians throughout the years, this 150-year-old Woolloomooloo icon is now under the care of Odd Culture group (Odd Culture, The Duke Of Enmore), who took on the least at the end of 2020.

The group has maintained the pub’s historic features, with a few updates to help the old bits shine. Some of the furniture has been updated and the kitchen has been zhooshed up, but the most notable update is a 100-seat outdoor-dining area. It’s the perfect place to sip on a beer or vino from afternoon into evening. Aside from that, the pub looks and feels essentially the same as it always has. And that’s the beauty of it.

Group executive chef James MacDonald brings his seven years’ experience working in Michelin-starred British and European restaurants to Bistro Fitz upstairs. The menu is stacked with comforting dishes to match the pub’s old-world charm, from duck croquettes with hot sauce to classic steak frites and lamb neck provencal pie. On Sundays the kitchen puts on a rotating roast with all the trimmings.

Back downstairs in the convivial front bar, there’s a tight food menu featuring hits from the bistro – plus exclusives including a Wagyu cheeseburger we can’t look past. On the taps are a solid rotation of local beers, backed up Australiana cocktails (we love the Fanta Negroni) and a selection of natural-leaning wines ranging from approachable to challenging.

Odd Culture has also put renewed focus on the pub’s theatre downstairs, which has long been a space for emerging queer and experimental artists to hone their craft. The theatre is still independently operated by Red Line Productions.