Manning Bar

Manning Bar is on the top level of Manning House (yes you need to walk up all those stairs!)
From my numerous visits to this place, I can summarise my experience in 5 dot points:
1. The quality of the food is quite good for a place to eat at the university. Usually chips and potentially salad will be provided with a main course meal.
2. The serving portions of the food should fill you up– chicken schnitzel is the one to order if you have a serious hunger.
3. Prices are very decent, especially if you have an Access card.
4. Service is brief but on most occasions very satisfactory.
5. Atmosphere is usually quite loud (due to live performances and chatter) which makes it a little difficult to properly converse with friends.
Manning Bar is usually where the Arts students hang out (due to proximity to classrooms) and also because the food here is pretty solid.

I have been to Manning Bar for two occasions now: The Rock and Roll Market a couple of years ago and RAW festival this past Friday.
This is a great place for events and gigs as it is pretty spacious, and although it’s a Uni bar with a laid back vibe, it’s certainly not on the seedy side.
RAW was a great event displaying some funky art, different stands selling postcards, paintings and hand-​made jewelry, all very unique, but also somewhat pricey. Got to see a couple of nice live acts too.
Unfortunately I missed out on the hair and make up — guessing it happened before I got there — I might go back again next year.

This is a great bar for gigs. It’s the right size (i.e., small) and — because it’s a uni student bar — they get lots of out-​of-​the-​mainstream acts. I’ve seen bands like Japandroids, dEUS, the Beards, and the Besnard Lakes here.
Every spot has a decent view thanks to a sunken dance floor. There are lots of outdoor tables on the balcony at the back. The bar is long and stocked with good beers. The vibe is pretty relaxed. The sound isn’t bad. Fun spot for rockin’ live tunes.
They have a lot of metal acts here too, I think.

Back in the day, according to my grandfather, Manning House was actually a residential building for female students and men were only allowed on the premises if given a formal invitation. In the latest incarnation, though, Manning Bar is probably the centre of all campus activity and the one place that every undergrad visits on their first day. I know that was the case for me — Manning Bar became the midpoint for my sense of on-​campus direction. I would look at maps and determine the location of my destination based on where the bar was.
I don’t want to generalise the student experience, but it is pretty safe to say that all University Of Sydney students know Manning Bar. During the day, it is a pretty barebones bar with a great outdoor balcony (along with an outdoor kitchen serving pub food). At night, it becomes a concert venue, primarily hosting indie rock and metal gigs. The promoters attract a surprising level of performer — I have caught Broken Social Scene here before and during one day, the kids from Superbad stopped in for a Q&A on their promotional tour. The pricing is obviously skewed by the Access student rewards scheme, but even for guests and sad old graduates like me, the price of food and liquor are still pretty cheap.
Honestly, if you’re not a student or faculty or visiting someone on campus, you’re probably a long shot to find your way here. And if you’re any of the above, you know it well already. For those thinking about catching a show here, I recommend it. The venue is fairly intimate and has good sightlines.