Australian Youth Hotel

The first floor of the Australian Youth Hotel used to be a brothel, which is true of several of Sydney’s older hotels (Sweeneys on Clarence Street springs to mind). The architecture is a bit of a clue, frankly: a warren of nooks and small rooms that no amount of knocking through and opening up can completely disguise. Not that Nude attempts to, we should add: the name of the first floor bar and the walls adorned with paintings, classic and modern, of women in stages of undress, are a living tribute to the venue’s saucy past. It acts as the cocktail bar (try the S&M: cognac and vanilla works better than you’d guess) and function area for the AYH, away from the big-screen sports in the front bar and the bustle of the bistro and beer garden. Areas can be reserved in advance for small groups which, because of the aforementioned layout, is a good strategy, especially after work on Thursdays or Fridays, when the place fills up very quickly.