THE OBSERVER HOTEL - THE ROCKS, SYDNEY

The Observer Hotel
69 George St
The Rocks, Sydney

These days you see quite a few 2 for 1 deals around. Heaps of places offer two for one meals or two for one drinks. Well, at The Observer Hotel, you get two pubs in one. That's right, the Observer Hotel is literally two pubs made into one. The Observer Hotel was founded in 1908 and combined two establishments, the Observers Tavern and the Waterman's Arms. Situated in Sydney's famous Rocks, where the Harbour Bridge is a stone's throw away, the Observer Hotel stands nestled in the cobbled narrow streets where patrons have come and gone for more than 100 years!

The Counts arrived for dinner on a Friday evening and the place was quite busy. The Observer Hotel is quite a large venue with quite a few different 'spaces'. There is a large al fresco dining area at the front, a main bar inside with ample seating behind it and another great al fresco dining area around the back.

There are quite a few tables which makes it easy to sit and enjoy a meal with friends. Some nights they have live music and this evening some lovely tunes were being sung by a lovely lady in the front room.

We love having a glass of wine with dinner so we looked at the wine list which actually is quite good here.

Count N chose a lovely Italian Sangiovese Rose whilst Count J went for his usual, a glass of Pinot Grigio.

Rose wine is a great alternative to red as its not as heavy and Sangiovese Rose has a nice berry or fruity touch but with a long dry finish. Definitely a favourite of ours!

It was time for some food though and although we'd looked at a copy of the menu, we already knew what we were going to have. You see, if you like burgers, then The Observer Hotel is the place for you (and we LOVE burgers). It has been voted as one of the top 5 burger joints by Time Out Magazine, SMH Good Food Guide and the Daily Telegraph. Quite impressive.





















It was quite a task trying to choose which burger to have, There probably would be more than 20 on offer but we managed to finally choose two burgers and we also ordered some salt and pepper squid (just as a snack).

The salt and pepper squid was crispy and bite sized, so it was a bit like pop corn chicken, only squid. The sauce was creamy and definitely a good dipping agent for the seafood.

Count J had the steak burger. A juicy piece of beef steak, cooked to perfection (not too well done, as that would ruin the burger for him) with caramelised onion and tomato chutney.

It also had rocket in it which gave it bit of a peppery kick.

It was a massive and tasty burger and well positioned to satisfy the biggest of hungers.

Count N, feeling quite adventurous, ordered the Mexican burger. With Guacamole, jalapeños and spicy salsa smothering a thick beef pattie, this burger isn't for the faint hearted. This was as big in size as Count J's steak burger and had the same fresh bun.

Our burgers were served with chips and our choice of salad. We both chose the spicy, coleslaw, which was crispy, tangy and yes, spicy but in hindsight Count N maybe should have chosen a milder salad given his burger was also spicy. Nonetheless, the salad was delicious and most importantly, fresh.

By this time the live music had finished so we decided to call it a night. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at The Observer Hotel and next time you're in The Rocks you should definitely check it out. They're open 7 days a week till late, so there's plenty of opportunity to try one of their famous and delicious burgers!

The Counts, who review for Sir and Mlady Dine Out, dined as guests of The Observer Hotel. Special thanks to Claire McPherson of CPM Online Marketing Solutions for this invitation.