The Frisco Hotel

The Frisco Hotel is only a few hundred metres from Sydney’s Fleet Base. The habour-side hangout is an ode to sailors; it has seascape murals, blue and white trimmings, locally sourced seafood and a rum-heavy cocktail menu.

The hotel was once famous for opening early; it welcomed naval crews and motorbike gangs for 7am schooners after nights of debauchery in Kings Cross. Now it’s a dining and cocktail bar with views of Sydney CBD from the hotel’s second-storey veranda.

The design highlights the ornate details of the original structure. With the nautical interiors in mind, Micola and head chef David Park have created a menu that celebrates seafood. Using prawns and lobsters bought from the Sydney Fish Markets every two days by Park, and poultry and meat from the east coast of Australia, Frisco’s menu is light: sashimi, fish tacos served in lettuce cups and lobster brioche rolls.

The drinks reference the mariners who first frequented the hotel. The extensive cocktail menu includes a Dark and Foamy, a on the classic; the Sailor’s Mistress, a mix of gin, absinthe and apple; and the Caramelised Pear with vodka, butterscotch, lime and pear. The Frisco’s wine menu has been put together by sommelier Gabrielle Webster from Love, Tilly Devine and has an emphasis on Australian drops.