You could be forgiven for not having realised it, but beloved Chippendale landmark the Abercrombie Hotel is open. Yes, despite reports in the media, it hasn’t been burned to the ground in a bikie firebombing.
“That’s the frustrating thing,” says licensee James Wirth (also known as Jamie Doom in his other life as one of the Bang Gang DJs). “You read the paper and you think the whole place had burnt down, but the damage was so small you’d barely notice if you went there. The fire was newsworthy, but the fact that we were open two days later isn’t.”
For those who missed it: in the wee small hours of the April 18, a couple of gas bottles were thrown through the front window of the Abercrombie, starting a fire. Wirth doesn’t downplay the fact that it was a serious incident, but says, “It got beat up as part of this big bikie war that’s going on, but you look at the footage and from what we can tell it looks like these two pretty ratbag young kids throwing gas bottles in the window. It doesn’t really strike me as a professional hit, you know? It was just one of those shitty situations.”
He sighs heavily when asked about the hotel’s supposed connection with John Ibrahim and the back-and-forth between rival bikie gangs in Sydney. “The Abercrombie, as a building, is owned by Frasers, who are redeveloping the whole [former Carlton United] brewery site, and then we have a lease from them, me and James [Miller], who do all our pubs together.”
“I mean, obviously right now we don’t exactly know what’s happened, but it could be two bored kids, it could be someone that we didn’t let in once, who knows? Unfortunately, you cop a lot of shit with pubs, hold ups and break ins and stuff, and I don’t think we get much more than anyone else. But ours seem to get a lot more publicised,” he says, laughing. “Yay!”
It’s particularly galling because, as anyone who’s read Time Out over the last few months would be aware, the Abercrombie’s been going from strength to strength thanks to their innovative menus, great drinks, charmingly kitsch decor and, most recently, a partial renovation of the much-loved beer garden. “We are literally half-way through the beer garden, and now we kinda have to go back and re-renovate."
But the short story is: the Abercrombie is open. “That's it. And in four weeks time when we’ve got the carpet back in and some fresh paint and actually finish the beer garden, it’ll be better than ever.” Andrew P Street
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The trend for taking old Sydney boozers and covering them in stainless steel and plasma screens is over. And that's no small thanks to James Wirth and James Miller - the publicans with the Midas touch. Their formula is a simple one, and yet surprisingly, few have thought to do it up until now. Step one: take an old, run-down pub. Step two: give the interior a light gutting. Step three: fill it with tat. This recipe has worked for the Flinders, the Norfolk, the Carrington and now, the Abercrombie - the popular UTS haunt and former home to Purple Sneakers. Time Out held a candlelight vigil when the Chippendale boozer closed its doors last year and breathed a sigh of relief when Miller and Wirth opened it back up again.
So there’s a drink on the list called Rave Juice. It’s Agwa and Red Bull served with a glow stick in a bag. If that’s not a recipe for losing your virginity during O Week, we don’t know what is. There’s also a Berocca Colada - vodka, pineapple and Berocca topped with soda. It’s the cure and the cause, all in one drink. It’ll put a little b-b-bounce in your step, at any rate. The beer at the Abercrombie tastes a lot better, too: it’s fresh and crisp and a lot less like the strange I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-Coopers they used to serve back in the day. Order up with a shot of Stones ginger wine for a beer cocktail.
So while you’re drinking your beer or your Camel Toe (bourbon, peach schnapps, mint, lemon juice, ginger beer), you might also like to order some snacks. They’re a strange amalgamation of American roadside trucker food and British comfort food like toad in the hole and Welsh rarebit. Make sure to try the little deep-fried pucks of mac’n’cheese. They also do a double cheeseburger and - wait for it - Philly cheese steak. There are also pork ribs. And if you’re a total sicko with a taste for cardiac arrest, stick 'em up for the deep-fried Golden Gaytime. Eat your heart out, doughnut hamburgers of the world.
The Abercrombie has been given a Glaswegian makeover. And no, that doesn’t mean taking a torch to it and head-butting the debris screaming ‘ah'll see you Jimmah!' The fresh carpet is a light green tartan. The booths that run along the walls are covered in violently fluoro green tartan. There are pictures lining the walls of sporrans and dogs and a, er, naked lady getting chomped through the middle by a great white shark. Shelves of books line the walls (sadly, they’re glued together so you can’t actually read them, but they look great) and the pokies have been removed. The toilets are still in a fair amount of disrepair with their broken locks and toilet rolls balanced precariously on window-sills, but that’s part of the charm at this old Indie pub. Fingers crossed they bring back Purple Sneakers and all will be well in the inner west once more.
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The word "Kilt" originated from the Scotts, however it is believed to have come from Scandinavia. The kilts worn today are the bottom half of the great kilt. Traditionally, boys' kilts are made of woolen cloth which has a tartan pattern.
Posted on Wed 02 May 2012 16:50:49
The word "Kilt" originated from the Scotts, however it is believed to have come from Scandinavia. The kilts worn today are the bottom half of the great kilt. Traditionally, boys' kilts are made of woolen cloth which has a tartan pattern.
Posted on Wed 02 May 2012 16:50:49
The word "Kilt" originated from the Scotts, however it is believed to have come from Scandinavia. The kilts worn today are the bottom half of the great kilt. Traditionally, boys' kilts are made of woolen cloth which has a tartan pattern.
Posted on Wed 02 May 2012 16:50:49
The word "Kilt" originated from the Scotts, however it is believed to have come from Scandinavia. The kilts worn today are the bottom half of the great kilt. Traditionally, boys' kilts are made of woolen cloth which has a tartan pattern.
Posted on Wed 02 May 2012 16:50:49
The word "Kilt" originated from the Scotts, however it is believed to have come from Scandinavia. The kilts worn today are the bottom half of the great kilt. Traditionally, boys' kilts are made of woolen cloth which has a tartan pattern.
Posted on Wed 02 May 2012 16:50:49
The word "Kilt" originated from the Scotts, however it is believed to have come from Scandinavia. The kilts worn today are the bottom half of the great kilt. Traditionally, boys' kilts are made of woolen cloth which has a tartan pattern.
Posted on Wed 02 May 2012 16:50:49
Love coming here at lunch time for the $10 lunch special, my fave is the tacos! Drinks could be cheaper though, considering how close it is to UTS and USyd...
Posted on Mon 31 Oct 2011 20:14:07
They should totally bring back sneakers, I think first year uni virgins would agree.
Posted on Fri 07 Oct 2011 16:22:55
A great venue and it is fabulous to see it back in action, although the guy bartenders were hopelessly slow, couldn't figure who was next in line which was starting rumbling through the line of people waiting on a busy Friday afternoon for a drink. Managers need to get it together with staff and ensure that they are experienced.
Posted on Mon 19 Sep 2011 12:54:33
not raver!! x
Posted on Thu 18 Aug 2011 09:05:20