Woolpack Hotel Redfern

Not sure if it was just Anzac Day fun or if this little out of the way pub is always this animated… but I really had a great time here. It’s got the crowd … the atmosphere… the feel good factor all going on here. I will come back just to make sure it was not just a one off awesome time … I feel I will enjoy my next visit as well.

Overly loud music in an empty bar
Potatoes had a sickening taste of some kind of cleaning product. Only got ¾ of a potato in the roast though. Got a total of 12 peas (counted them!). Carrots were reheated.
I’m sure it’s probably a nice spot for beers after work on a Thursday, but a place for a Sunday roast it isn’t. Haven’t been this disappointed in a meal out in Sydney for quite a while.

Worst pub meal I’ve had in Sydney to date. How do you take pork belly and transform it into a $ 18 «burger» that doesn’t taste like anything? The first time I’ve actually felt disgusted enough with the piss-​poor food to ask for my money back for a meal in Sydney. Staff immediately gave me back the cash (not the first dissatisfied customer, eh?) but made sure they were rude about it. Tip to the staff: snootily saying «you sure ate enough of it» after requesting back my hard-​earned cash when I’ve merely been poking around trying to see what components of your crappy burger are edible is not the way to win back over customers. Clearly, they don’t give a monkey’s. Which is why their food is shite.
Sweet potato fries were a mushy atrocity. Prob not a bad place for a beer if you’re a typical arrogant hipster. Sorry, not this gal. I like tasty food and value for money, thanks.

As a gastropub, the Woolpack isn’t anything to write home to your mother about. As an old men’s pub, well, it aint half as dingy as the Tudor up the road, which is a good and a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. But, you know, the Woolpack is alright. It’s friendly. There’s plenty of seating, the «bistro» kind of blends into the bar. There are old kodgers and aging hipsters and their parents, there are dogs, and there are trivia buffs, there are bingo cheats.
The Woolpack does not put on airs and graces, and grub is wholesome though rather plain. Servings are very large, but the prices aren’t super cheap, so you want to turn up hungry, with a few spare 20s in your pocket. There are steaks, pastas, salads, chips and schnitty … sometimes that’s exactly what you want. There’s also some really terrible paintings on the walls — but what would the Woolpack be without them? The crowd is younger on Trivia night (thursdays) and rather white haired on Bingo night. Gotta watch out for the cheaters on Bingo night though, seriously, keep your wits about you.

Holy Hell I love this place on a Tuesday! Now, I may be a sucker for interactive bar games, but there’s something about the bingo night here at the Woolpack that is top notch. First of all, it’s free to participate. Second of all, they give away 10 enormous meat trays to the winners. Third, the give away free beers throughout the night. Fourth, the food here is pretty kick-​ass awesome. Convinced yet?
So get yourself here no later than 7 to nab a seat and order your dinner /​drinks. The awesome, cheeky announcer will come around to hand out bingo card books and dabbers slightly after that, and the game starts promptly at 7:30. You’ll want to have all your chitchat out of the way, because when you hear the commencement phrase «EEEEEeeeeeyes DOWN,» you had better be ready to focus.
The best thing about this bingo night is that its never ALL that crowded (at least not the several times I’ve been), so the odds of winning, especially if you have some friends with you, are pretty high. At the very end of the night, all the glorious meat comes out like a parade and winners pick according to order of the wins. I was lucky enough to get first bingo one time and scored myself the prettiest tray of steaks /​lamb chops /​sausages you ever did see. BINGO indeed.

Half art gallery, half eclectic gastropub this great hideaway in Redfern serves up some modern Australian feasts for a reasonable price, which makes it a great Sunday sessions. Think about bringing the whole gang along with you, it’s great for groups, and has ample seating for prams and strollers as well.
Give the Chicken Schnitzel or Parma a go, and for a second visit try the Steak & Guinness Pie, both are a fantastic long lunch treat. If you find yourself there for an extended stay, remember the nights can get quite busy. On Thursday nights, you’ll find yourself battling to find the answer to ‘What is the name of Spongebob Square pants pet snail’ for the evening Trivia, and blaring out ‘Equine’ which is obviously the wrong answer. Don’t worry the points don’t matter that much…
If you’re in the mood for great atmosphere amongst good friends, taking in some local art, at this historic venue, then this is your new local.