The Rover

After a decade of good craic on Campbell Street, Surry Hills Irish bar The Wild Rover needed a polish. Now known simply as The Rover, the two-storey venue’s reputation for stellar cocktails is as strong as ever – but Liquid and Larder group (Bistecca, The Gidley, Alfie’s) has turned it into the bustling neighbourhood spot it was always meant to be, with a full menu of refined bistro dishes served on both levels until late.

Whether you’re here for snacks or pushing the boat out on dinner, executive chef Pip Pratt’s East London-inspired menu has you covered. Walk in and perch at the bar with a Martini and some freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters, and a plate of cured sardines with tapenade and bread. You can also book a table upstairs, and settle in for signatures like the fisherman’s pie with smoked trout and potato gratin; or the Gidley’s outstanding double-beef burger.

As ever, the Rover flaunts a serious whisky collection, joined by a 14-page wine list of mostly biodynamic and organic drops. But really, it’s all about the cocktails here. When Broadsheet visited, highlights included the Estuary Martini (Never Never Oyster Shell Gin, vermouth, sherry, champagne mignonette) and the Rover Reviver (Jameson, coffee liqueur, cold brew, demerara sugar.)

The venue’s good bones are jazzed up with plush and velvet-y banquettes, and a dramatic floral installation downstairs that spills across an exposed-brick wall. And while the bar was once hidden from the street, with blacked-out windows and a heavy wooden door, it now opens onto the pavement and the windows allow you to peek inside.