The Anchor

Stopped in for dinner last night and although I was impressed by the menu (considering it’s a bar), the food was just okay. We had the NZ pan-​fried salmon and the fish tacos: the salmon was a tiny portion for the price ($ 24) and the dish came out quite sloppy. The tacos, again, were small for the price ($ 16 for 2 *fried* fish tacos) so we ended up ordering more to get full. The winner of the night were the sweet potato fries that someone else in our group ordered, they are a MUST! The service was attentive and although they seemed overwhelmed with our large group, they handled it well. I would return for a snack and a drink, but unlikely again for a big group dinner.

This place is da shit! And the waitress is hot + possibly not wearing a bra (altho we won’t know for sure)

Amazing cuisine, amazing staff and the cocktails were remarkable. This is a definite place to frequent! take a date or good mates without delay.

It seems ever since venturing over to Canada a couple of years ago I’ve been somewhat fixated by pulled pork, hot wings and anything Mexican inspired. This was further heightened by recent trips south of the border. So it was with great excitement that I ventured in on a blustery weather beaten day.
This great little bar/​restaurant had all the food I occasional crave and a Friday night atmosphere to boot. Fish tacos were a treat to eat, the pulled pork delightfully spicey. Wine and beer selection slight but well rounded, as was I after this reasonably priced experience.
As other reviewers mention there were the hipsters present but hey… they do generally know where to get the unique eats… And it is Movember right?
Would love to experience this bar on «international talk like a pirate day». Argh!!!

Love this little bArrrr. (See what I did thar? Nice one, LaRrrra. Ok, Eiiyyy’ll stop.)
It’s dark, it’s steamy, it’s wooden, and you’ll think your ship has been overrun by a band of bearded pirates whose trousers have shrunk from the bleak, blistering sun and salty sea air combo, but you’ll risk it. Why? Because you’ll be rewarded with the best tequila-​based tipples Sydney has to offer. Even better that on certain nights of the week they’re only 10 dollArrrrrs. (Sorry.)

I don’t think restaurants and bars actually set themselves up with the express purpose of becoming hipster nests. It just seems to happen somehow. I think osmosis might be involved.
With all its dark wood and nautical (read: pirate) theming The Anchor never really stood a chance, especially with a menu heavy on sustainable seafood and a cocktail menu sectioned into Agave, Sugarcane, Grain and Grapes. (Spiced rum and mahi mahi, anyone? BAM.) The place is lousy with sideswept bangs and pleated chinos. There’s hipster juice dripping down the pavement. Which is a real shame because the food, drink and décor are all kinds of awesome. Its just the clots of scenesters gunking up the place and making the rest of us feel self-​conscious that are the problem.
Get down on a Friday for ten buck margaritas during happy hour.

If you need to find me… I now live at The Anchor.
Recently opened by the owners of adorable café, Bondi Massive, this vibing little bar is already packed at the seams and it doesn’t surprise me one little bit.
As the name suggests the bar is nautically themed without being tacky. Cocktails are dished out by the best of the best bartenders in Sydney, serving amazing little numbers like my personal tequila based favourite — The Machete (with a rim of home made jalapeño salt). I was also pleased to see sangria make an appearance on the drinks menu — perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons. Upon multiple visits to the bar it also became apparent that everything seems to come with that extra little pinch of love and point of difference at The Anchor — shots of tequila come served with chaser shots of fresh sangrita (A pineapple/​fruit based apéritif blend with a kick of chilli to ease the tequila punch).
Tapas based food is casual and reasonably priced yet always tasty andy interesting. Even the fries are a cut above the rest — double fried the way the Belgians do it and served with a happy little dollop of aioli! Specials on the board when I recently ate here included tempura fish tacos which went down a treat and just quietly were much better than any other fish tacos I’ve recently tried in Sydney. I expected a little more from the scallop ceviche which lacked the lustre I had envisaged after everything else being so spot on but I guess you can’t have everything.
The staff are friendly, helpful and unpretentious. Similarly the bar has managed to draw in a mostly young and trendy crowd without pushing away the more middled aged punters who just want a glass of wine and a post-​work chat.
If you haven’t yet been here — run, don’t walk. It’s only going to get better and busier!