Fortune of War

While venues like the Argyle and Orient pull in a rowdy party crowd, the Fortune of War attracts old guys, regulars and folks who are after a no-nonsense pub with space to talk, rest those weary traveller feet and to quench that well-earned thirst. Take a seat at the bar, order a schooner from one of the 15 beers on tap and take in the hospitality. Hungry? Head out the back and order a pie, burger, steak or roast. On Sunday afternoons the front bar throws on a little live music, but for the rest of the time the jukebox can provide an excellent soundtrack (Glenn Frey’s ‘The Heat Is on’ and the Pointer Sisters’ ‘Slow Hand’ were rocking our world while there). The Fortune claims to be Sydney’s oldest pub and that fight to be recognised is documented in newspaper cuttings, which are framed and hung on the wall. A sense of history is not necessarily obvious when you’re at the Fortune – it’s not all sandstone walls and they definitely don’t need to pump the beer into your glass – but the service is efficient and the staff are friendly. Either way, the Fortune of War has plenty to offer.