Lunch visit to Hart's Pub

Grant and I, after an arduous morning of CD shopping, retired to Hart's Pub.  It's located on the corner of Essex and Cumberland Streets, The Rocks, Sydney. It's a part of the Shangri La hotel complex.

This pub's recent reopening has not been without great anticipation; the Rock's Brewing company had been looking for a viable outlet, and Hart's pub (closed for some years, I think), became the ideal venue.

Twelve taps operate (although as we sat there, two went off....), and have local crafties, plus one cider (Pipsqueak from Little Creatures).

Rock's Brewing put forward a decent bitter.... at 3% almost a breakfast beer, full of grainy malt and herbal goodness. Also Byrnes Red Ale, 1809 Pale Ale (tasted a bit tired on tap), Cribb's Porter represent the local brewery. All decent, but nothing exceptional.

Murray's have Whale Ale (their not-too-shabby Wit interpretation) and Nirvana - arguably the best beer on tap, for mine.  Paddy's Pilsener is there but, like many local Pilseners, too much honey-ish characters. 
Stone and Wood Draught is a massive hit of guava.... initially it's marvelous, but towards the end of the glass gets a bit too sickly in flavour.

A good place to visit, but at pint prices heading up to $11, I think it's not a good "local".  Our visit was somewhat tempered by some poor kitchen service, with our counter lunch of steak & BBQ lamb sandwiches taking over 90 minutes to arrive, by which time the barman (a very good barman) had plied us with some free beers to compensate.  The lamb sandwich was, eventually, excellent, with pink, tenderly-cooked backstraps.

A good concept in the ideal spot..... very close to the Australian Hotel and Heritage Belgian Beer Cafe.  And a further stone's throw to Lord Nelson, Redoak, Bavarian Bier Cafe too.