The Saint Hotel

Sydney pub crawlers in the late 1990s will well remember the antics and shenanigans that went down at Kitty O'Sheas. The Paddington pub was famous not only for its legendary invite-only St Patrick's Day parties, but being the unofficial home of the band Six & Out – the group made up of cricketers Brett and Shane Lee, Brad McNamara, Gavin Robertson and Richard Chee Quee – that would get the Irish pub rocking along to their Shane Warne-inspired song ‘Can't Bowl, Can't Throw'.

Kitty O'Sheas eventually became the Paddington Arms, and it's currently having a good third life as the Saint, particularly with the late-night local crowd on Friday and Saturday nights. You see, to be completely blunt, the best thing about the Saint is its late-night trading on weekends until 3am.

When Paddington Inn, Four in Hand, the London, Light Brigade, Lord Dudley and Grand National all shut, local drinkers make a beeline to one of two places: the Saint or the Fringe.

With a dancefloor, well-priced drinks (wine by the glass ranges from $5.50–$8.50 and the most expensive bottle is $42 outside bubbles) and friendly staff, there's no reason not to visit the Saint for a tipple either on your way home from the Paddo, or at 6pm after work on a Wednesday.

The design is simple, yet spacious, and the décor works well – a number of long couches and a few tables on either side of the building avoid congestion at the bar and create a few cosy nooks for canoodling or drinking. There are plenty of TVs and big screens for the sports fans, and for those after some pub grub, the menu at the Saint won't break the bank (a burger costs $14.90).

The Saint is at its best late on a Friday or Saturday night primarily because of its trading hours - after all, with so many great local pubs to have pints at in the area, you don't need to be on a dancefloor until the wee hours anyway. James Wilkinson