Coming Soon: The Bat & Ball Team Is Taking Over a 150-Year-Old Newtown Pub

In late 2024, The Bat & Ball reopened after a months-long revamp. The new team – Dan McBride and Dynn Szmulewicz (ex-The Little Guy, Enmore Country Club, The Sunshine Inn, Golden Gully), Doom Juice’s Zac Godbolt, chef Cameron Votano (Lowkey, BTB Kirribilli) and Rachael Paul – glossed up the old beauty, rather than doing anything drastic. In its new era, it quickly became one of Sydney’s best and busiest pubs. Now they’re at it again, with the locally treasured Carlisle Castle.

At 150 years old, the Newtown boozer is one of the oldest pubs in the area. “We have a big responsibility,” says Godbolt. “Even just being in here [before it closed] and seeing the community that’s already established – all the locals that treat this place like a community hub. Our job is to create that space for them still and continue that forward, while still inviting new people in.”

The team got the keys last week, kickstarting a “soft-touch” reno over the next two and half months. “It only became a done deal three months ago,” says McBride. “The way I look at it, we’re looking after a piece of history. Obviously, we’re not interested in doing what other people do, and gutting it and whitewashing it – we’re trying to preserve everything.”

The proper old pub’s “much-needed facelift” will include upgraded flooring and nice new pub carpet. Expect timber finishes throughout, and a replacement for the melamine bar top. There’ll be new furniture and light fixtures, and the beer garden will be brightened, too.

The lion on the roof will, of course, remain on its throne. NSW-born brewery Reschs added it to the building when they were the custodians. “They took it in the ’20s, put in the marble bar, and it’s been passed around ever since,” says McBride. “We obviously love serving Reschs so it was a cool little nod to keeping that going as well.”

Votano’s Bat & Ball menu is a winner, especially with its line-up of specials – Monday-night burgers, $19 Tuesday-night lasagnes, $20 parmies on Wednesdays and buck-a-shuck oysters on Saturdays. The Carlisle is set to have the same vibe, while remaining distinct – no copy-pastes here. “Being a community pub, affordability’s at the forefront,” says Votano. “But bringing an elevated touch to Aussie classics. We want it to still be an Aussie local – so not going too crazy. The kitchen’s a lot bigger than the Bat & Ball’s, so we’ll have a bigger menu, a bigger offering for a wider range of people.”

With its new owners, The Carlisle Castle will remain one of the few independently operated pubs in the area. “Safekeeping the old pubs is important to us,” says McBride. “We want to shine up the old beauty and be the custodians of this place for the next 20, when some other operator takes it and gives the pub a different life.”

The Carlisle Castle is currently closed for renovations. It is expected to open in late August 2026.