29 Birchgrove Road, Balmain, Sydney
02 9555 9889
www.theriverviewhotel.com.au
Built in 1880, The Riverview Hotel is a heritage-listed delight of a pub tucked away on a side street in Balmain. Formerly owned by Olympian Dawn Fraser, The Riverview was recently sold and refurbished, re-opening last November with a top-notch British chef, a great dining room and a sense of history. The Riverview Hotel brings old-world charm and modern cuisine together with delicious results. Publican Tim Condon (ex 3 Weeds Rozelle), believes that it is one of only a few true ‘Gastro Pubs’ in Sydney. “The English gastropub movement of the 1990’s was about bridging the gap between the high end city restaurants and the public houses – the Anglo equivalent of the French Brassiere if you like. Providing restaurant quality food, made with local produce, at pub prices. Sydney has numerous quality restaurants attached to hotels, but very few can really call themselves ‘gastro-pubs’ in the true tradition,” says Condon. “It’s somewhere where one can wonder in on their own, sit at the bar and have, for example, a beautiful local craft beer and follow it with a Crispy Duck Confit with Cassolet and Tuscan cabbage and a glass of French Pinot as opposed to a bangers and mash or beef and Guinness pie and still do it for under $30.” The Dining Room is open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner and Friday through Sunday for lunch.
Another hidden gem on my travels solid and interesting wine list. Good food menu. Great happy hour with everything available and hopefully stocking some of my wines soon watch this space x