The Sugarmill

Sugarmill plays an important role in the Cross. It's the pub for when you’re in the area but aren’t quite in a nightclub head space, nor angling for seedy strip club action. Located in a former bank, the venue has gorgeously high ceilings, as well as outdoor seating, a rarity in this part of town. Their all-day $10 steak is a winner, as is their late-night menu. Popular with the backpackers, it has friendly staff handling the sometimes-rowdy crowd with considerably good grace. And wouldn’t you, if your uniform was a cute-as-a-button shorts and suspenders? While you wouldn’t exactly go there for a cocktail, they do have a decent list of classics and the pitchers are good value for money at $19 a pop. Our fave is the Asian Cooler – lychees, mint, citrus, gin, lychee liqueur and lemonade – perfect for kicking back on a sunny afternoon and watching the real-life underbelly. A little birdie tells us that they’ve got the go-ahead for a roof-top bar, so expect good things by summer 2012.