The Hero of Waterloo Hotel

This historic pub serves excellent food and beer. We ordered the beef sandwich and meatball tapas. Both were excellent and we were not disappointed. I also enjoyed their 150 lashes beer and golden ale. The 150 lashes is the bar’s craft beer, and it’s made in honor of a man who made beer for the military during Sydney’s colonial period. His punishment for stealing herbs to brew his beer was 150 lashes, a light sentence so he could likely keep brewing.

Words can’t describe the pleasant surprise this place was. I still don’t know my whereabouts around Sydney, so when I run out of battery on my phone I get lost… a lot of times. And sometimes, this helps you discover gems like this one.
Here I was, stumbling on the streets, when I hear some live music on a Sunday evening. Live music has a «Pied Piper of Hamelin» effect on me so I went inside this old looking pub. And then just stayed until they closed and kicked me out.
Authentic little pub siting on a corner. Alright beer selection and an excellent crowd who are there to say goodbye to yet another week of our lives with a smile on their faces.
There was a live band, encouraging people to get involved, playing fun songs and all and all, having a good time. Which at the end of the day, is all you want when you go to a good ol’ pub.
I’m coming back. Many times. For sure.

It seems a popular practice in this part of Sydney to name bars after British war heroes. First there was the hero of Trafalgar and many other famous naval battles, Lord Horatio Nelson (
A few nights later, and a few blocks away I found another bar named after the hero of Waterloo; aka Lord Wellington.
Other than the gallant names and the historic structures, that’s really where the comparison ended between the two bars. Where The Lord Nelson was somewhat upscale and touristy, the Hero of Waterloo was more approachable and laid back (For Gilligan’s Island fans, think Ginger vs. Marianne).
In short, though I had enjoyed the delicious, house beer at the Lord Nelson, the Hero of Waterloo was my kind of pub. Despite being small and narrow, it was not overly crowded within, even on Saturday night. The ambiance was warm and convivial, with a two-​man band playing on the small stage. The barkeeps were attentive and the prices (for the area) weren’t bad. I alternated between my water and a Jameson (neat) and enjoyed the affable atmosphere and the music.
The only downside was finding The Hero so late in my visit. It would have been nice to stop by here more than once, maybe to order food, learn the history and get a better, overall feel. I’m keeping my fingers crossed I can make it back.

This little pub has heaps of History … a great selection of beers, wines, ciders and spirits … it’s cosy enough and live music most weekends helps make you feel like you might have travelled back in time maybe a hundred years or so … pop in and complete the pub crawl you refuse to admit to …

Great bar, good tap selection (not enough ipa’ s for my taste), and a great crowd. The bar even has a ghost story! Great place to hang out.

A great place for an arvo drink, esp on a Saturday! Good set of drinks, friendly crowd but more importantly, Great live music by some amazingly talented elders!

Super chilled — non pretentious.
I had the Barramundi and was not disappointed. I was able to sit outside with my dog which I loved and even the security guard was super friendly.

At first I thought that this pub was a pretty cool pub until I checked out the website and discovered that this is an absolutely amazing pub. Apparently it’s haunted (though don’t expect some ephemeral being in a white sheet, rattling chains, and going ‘whoooooo’ drift across the bar, though I’m sure with modern technology they could pull off something like that). Also, they have some old tunnels and cellars underneath the pub where patrons used to be chained up and dumped onto ships to form part of the crew. If anything this pub has some pretty awesome history. As for the pub itself it serious feels like you are back in the 1800s and it is only the fact that it is full of people in modern clothes that sort of gives it away (as well as all the modern beers on tap). I’m really going to have to go back to this place one day, even if it is only to check out the cellars.

My favourite pub in Sydney, because it doesn’t suffer from pretentiousness like so many other pubs in The Rocks (with exceptions of course).
I really would eat before you arrive though.

Very cool old bar a bit odd the path from the Bros on The Rocks. Open and airy, comfortable place to hang out.

Good atmosphere with a mix of locals and visitors. This is one of the oldest pubs in Sydney but was much easier to find seats here than other places in the Rocks area.

Great little pub tucked away off the beaten track.
Worth a visit? You betcha.
It was part of our Unilocal Elite pub crawl with Peek Tours — Thanks Greg!
I had no idea this little gem existed, mostly because I always just did the pub crawl down the main drag of the rocks and never up. Well now there’s a reason to go up!
They do ciders, ales and beers… they have cute little pew seats (how can you say no?)
And there’s an underground cellar where we were serenaded by fellow Unilocalers who were playing the piano. Or whatever the older version is called.
There’s a great story about how this pub was used to smuggle people off into the sea to be used as sailors … You should go ask about it.
All in all though, they have alcohol, history, pews and an awesome view of the harbour. What more could you ask for?

I’ve been to the Hero of Waterloo twice. Once was for an amazing race event with some friends, and the second time was part of the Unilocal Elite pub crawl with Gregg Peek Tours. Yay for supporting local activities!
The first time I went was during a weekend. And the first thing that struck me was that there were so many old men drinking beer. I know this is one of the oldest pubs in Sydney, but I seriously did not expect its clientele to match. So that was a bit overwhelming. But also a good sign, I guess, if they’d been coming back here for the past 70+ years or so. In all fairness they were really friendly and supportive of our amazing race. :P
Anyway, the second time I went here was for the Unilocal Elite event. It was a weeknight, and the place was empty. As part of the tour, they took us downstairs to the cellar. The room had been decorated for Halloween, which was interesting… there was also a functional piano (which some Unilocalers played), an axe, the largest bellows I’d ever seen in my entire life, and a li’l bit of history.
Once we went upstairs we got a glass of beer each. Super friendly staff. I love the vibe of the place. They also serve food, which we didn’t try, but wouldn’t mind going back for. It’s a little bit further from the main busy-​ness of The Rocks, so if you don’t mind going for a short walk I suggest checking this out!

I see some of the other reviews of The Hero of Waterloo give it very low numbers of stars. I think some of those reviewers don’t quite realise what this place is, and its history.
It’s the oldest continuously operating pub in Australia. It serves beer — and good beer at that — with what appears to be the whole range of James Squire beers on tap, plus some others.
It’s old, and it’s made of sandstone, and it’s cool in summer and warm in winter.
I enjoy this pub because of what it is, and recommend others stop by for a beer or two too.

I love this joint like old people love bathrobes.
In the slew of pubs proclaiming to be the Sydney’s oldest swill shack, the Hero has the most legitimate claim to fame. It also has a veritable butt-​ton of delicious James Squire beers on tap — One Fifty Lashes is the best, the Hop Thief and Chancer’s Ale are also up there — as well as a creepy cellar haunted by the ghost of a woman who broke her neck a over a century ago. And where drunk sailors were shanghaied and sent to work on ships.
So. Much. History. Also, lots of sandstone. I like sandstone.

Somewhere in a tourist guide I read about this pub and when we encountered it by accident on a hot Sydney afternoon we were ever so happy to pay a visit. Good selection of craft beers on tap and an authentic, relaxed and unpretentious atmosphere.
A nice option for the fellow thirsty who’d like to spend a lazy afternoon sipping on quality stuff.

I love this place! And whenever I am in Sydney, I always stop in here for what turns out to be a wonderfully lazy afternoon of sipping pints and checking out the local color. And that is what this place is all about, local or rather I should say authentic Sydney. It doesn’t pretend to be anything other than it is, a superb local pub with great history. I love listening to the bartenders or locals tell stories about how the bar was once used as a pot where men were once shanghaied and taken through the tunnels below to ships waiting in the harbor. The last time I was there the bartender even took down into the cellar to show me the tunnels, which I found fascinating.
However, as much of a locals spot as The Hero of Waterloo is, that doesn’t mean that they don’t appreciate tourist and treat them with kindness and respect. So tourist have no need to worry that they will find themselves shanghaied to the tunnels below (although some of them should be. lol). The trick here is sit back and relax, which is something many tourist seem to have trouble doing. I am reminded of Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold at the Louvre, «Honey, it closes in 15minutes. There are 100,000 works of art to see. Come on!!»
While I was here, I had a really yummy steak sandwich that was just perfect with some local brew, My only regret was that I didn’t have a good book for The Hero of Waterloo is the perfect spot to enjoy a good book with that cold pint. It’s not big on flash but it is big on cozy authenticity and that is what really counts.

I understand the 2 star «tourist» review and why this classic old pub might not be to their taste. There are very different offering’s in close proximity, and perhaps that is why people wonder about the quiet atmosphere at the Hero.
The «busy» nature that is noted in other pubs isn’t wanted at the Hero. If they did, then they’d do things the same way as the other places and force change. They use the same old live band, because that’s the vibe they want at the establishment.
They have that relaxed locals feel about the place, because that’s what they want. I can imagine if one of the bar baron’s like Justin Hemmes took over the place. It would be glitzed up and turned into a nightclub or stacked with poker machines and turned into a money den. Either way the charm of the place would be destroyed.
The sandstone blocks and wooden beams are given life by the tunes from the piano and the quiet way in which the place goes about its business.
I met an interesting local in the pub a few weeks ago now whilst taking a break on a photo snapping afternoon. He lived over the road. Was mid 40s, clean cut and well-​to do. He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and we were able to connect and engage because of the solitude environment of the Hero. We were both in very reflective moods, and struck up a conversation as a result.
The pub is relaxing, iconic and steeped in history. Anyone can put poker machines in all over the place, revamp things, hire an award winning chef and pack the place out. But will that make you want to go there anymore? Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it…

GREAT pub in a nice neighborhood, away from some of the douchebaggery that can be found at The Rocks. As a lover of history, it was AWESOME to knock back a few at one of the oldest pubs in Australia. The interior has been faithfully maintained in it’s original set-​up and décor (yes, if you’re a tall fellow like me you just might bump your head on the doorway to the toilet). With all the old exposed stone blocks and dark wooden ceiling, you can almost feel the ghosts that are said to inhabit this pub.
They have a good selection of beer and the service is friendly and efficient. They had live music the night I visited and the crowd here are down to earth and just want to have a good time. Definitely recommend this place if you want to enjoy a drink or two amongst a great crowd and soak in a little Australian history.

Amazingly fun pub. An old one, and tucked down the other side of the Rocks so you’ll rarely find tourists.
What you will find is an old pub that’s a minor warren of different rooms, drinking in front, dining in back, and toilets that are like little caves. You’ll find several ordinary beers and a handful of James Squire’s brews. The staff are usually cheery Irish folk.
The real gem here is the weekend house band. Show up mid-​to-​late afternoon on Saturday or Sunday and you’ll see a swinging group that plays jazz and easy listening hits you’ll tap your toe along to. And you’ll marvel at the eclectic group that plays them; the lady who sings has been crooning and playing saxophone a lot longer than I’ve been alive, and longer than my dad, too. They’re genuinely terrific.