The Light Brigade Hotel

On the one hand, the Light Brigade is a beautiful old pub at the Woollahra end of Oxford Street that’s been around since 1880. On the other hand, like the famous Crimean War cavalry charge after which it is named, it’s also something of a battleground – here throwing together both sides of Sydney’s modern day bar fight.

In the trenches (i.e. downstairs), owner Dean Haritos is going more for a blaring sports bar than a lounge bar. Plasma screen to the right of them, blaring speakers to the left of them, RTDs in front of them, crammed the six hundred.

But over the top (i.e. upstairs) it’s all about plush privacy and original features such as rounded windows with beautiful wrought iron detailing. The cocktail list up there is superb. Head bartender Percy Small is playful in his concoctions. You might want to look at ordering the rum punch – a leg-loosening mix of Mount Gay rum, brown sugar and pineapple juice with passionfruit. There are plenty of frou-frou drinks on the menu like the Apple and Grapefruit Sling (apple juice and gin with lavender and elderfl ower) and a Passionfruit Foam (pink grapefruit, Aperol and a splash of Campari) but for the most part the drinks are a mix of classic tropical cocktails. And if none of this floats your boat, you can have a Martini any way you like. So long as you can navigate the war zone downstairs. Chaaaaarge!