Lo-Fi

Very disrespectful and violent staff. Nothing short of spectacularly disappointed with the service of the staff here. Would have hoped for more appreciative service, particularly in light of the tough regulatory environment in NSW.

If you’re into a bit of hip hop culture then the Lo-​Fi is the place to get your fix. I’ve only even been here when they’ve got some sort of gig or event on but there’s always something new. Whether it be showcasing art by famous graffiti artists with free drinks (yep, I said free) or a cheap show by a local rapper, they’ve got it all.
There’s a bit of a hipster vibe but it’s cool, you know, if not for the balcony alone where the majority of people will hang out, crammed and chain smoking. But it’s a good joint for a tasty bevvy and to watch the city bustle below.

Went there for a friend’s birthday on a Saturday night and was pleasantly surprised. My first thought upon entering the dark grungy room that resembled an abandoned basement with cool rocky tunes playing in the background and a very unpretentious crowd was «Sydney needs more places like this».
I didn’t get to try any of the cocktails and stuck to my vodka lime and sodas, but I’ll definitely be going back for some cocktails and the famous Johnny Wong’s dumplings.
Oh, and before I forget, they also have bowling. That’s right — you can drink, listen to some cool tunes and play a bit of bowling all at the same time. Not bad.

The bar dude made me an extra special cocktail once that has remained on the tip of my tastebuds ever since, and I have repeatedly returned for more. Doesn’t have a name per se but it’s essentially an Old Fashioned concocted with chocolate bitters, agave and and an orange twist. A little like a tequila jaffa — but crystal clear. It usually takes me at least half an hour to drink it because it’s got so much Mexican kick, which means I hands down get my $ 20 worth. Not a huge fan of this place on the weekend because it gets kinds crammed — much like the rest of Sydney I guess, so I rate this place as ideal for post dinner school night shenanigans. Lo Fi took Middle Bar’s place above Kinselas and you can sit outside on the terrace and watch Taylor Square saunter by beneath you, or you can stay inside and incite the barman to create swanky new cocktails just for you. A word of warning… have more than one jaffa tequila surprise at your own risk. And don’t indulge in any at all if you have an early morning appointment unless you fancy chewing on a pack of fisherman’s friends to disguise the heave scent of tequila oozing from every pore. Like I said, the drink has kick!

The definite attraction to LoFi is the balcony, it’s a great view from the top of flinders looking beneath to the rest of the world galavanting on their weekend escapades below, blissfully unaware that they’re not at Lo-​Fi, and should be.
It gets ridiculously busy here, very crowded at time, so if you like your hipster university student, folk music loving, contestant blogger and social network geek type, who’d fight you for the last jug of pims, then you’ll love this place. I think I just described myself. It’s got a great vibe, and the cheap jugs of cocktails are great for sharing.
That said, the fact that Kisellas is below, and The Standard is above feels like they should just combine all of them into a collective of bars, with sneaky interior doors, shrinking corridors, and homely live music everywhere. Sounds good

Spot the coloured lanterns on that ever busy balcony? Despite what it may seem, it’s not a part of the long standing, dodgy Kinsela’s hotel — it’s Lo-​Fi, a bar you can access from the door on the right hand side of the pub.
This place is always busy — if you arrive too late, as in any time after 11pm, there will be a queue at the door for some time — climb the two flights of stairs (always difficult after a few pre-​drinks) and you’ll be met with a massive bar, ad hoc dancefloor by the DJ and a whole lot of space to socialise at said outdoor area.
This place was one of the bars that started the recent upgrade of the once grimey Taylor Square area — they play old school r’n’b on Friday nights, and make awesome cocktails as well as providing special drinks of the night. There used to be an artists’ collective upstairs, but I think that’s shut down since it was taken over and turned into another bar, The Standard.

The reason to go to Lo Fi (for me at least) is the jugs of cocktails, at $ 27.50 they are a bargain, mind you there is a lot of ice in them so you don’t get many drinks, but still.
The atmosphere there is okay, a bit young for me generally early twentyish uni student sort of crowd. But my flat-​mate Jess & I often go just for the cocktail Jugs (as neither of us really fit in with the crowd, nor do we like the music), but it isn’t too bad if you can get a seat on the balcony outside overlooking oxford street.
There are two choices of cocktails, one is some kind of Cinnamon and Orange Juice creation which I am not so crazy about, the other is fantastic it is Ginger beer, lime and all sorts of other things (just look for the ginger beer and you know you have the good one), however depending on how well you flirt with the bartenders you might get more options. Jess manages to get this other lolly water like drink made, which is like some kind of Pink apple sugary thing, which is quite yummy, but a bit overly sweet.

Away from the grime of Oxford Street, Lo-​Fi provides a safe haven of trendy people, slick drinks and smooth tunes. The balcony is probably the highlight, with 80% of the patrons drinking, talking and hitting on each other out here. Inside there are lounges running along a significant length of room and allow for a more chilled out lounge session.
I usually come on a Sunday when it is less busy but no less enjoyable. The Ginger Ninja cocktail jug is an incredible explosion of lychee and ginger beer. Winner!
Upstairs at Lo-​Fi Collective there are lowbrow art exhibitions promoted every so often. Checkout their Facebook page (
) and get yourself to one of the opening nights. Just sit back, have a beer and experience this creative space.

Lo-​Fi Bar is a real hidden gem located right near Taylor Square. Its little entry way may be slightly hard to find but don’t let that deter you. This bar is usually jam packed with a fun crowd eager to dance and drink until the early morning hours. The music at Lo-​Fi is excellent. They have a really good range of Chinese and Japanese beers. The Asahi is on tap ($ 9.5) — its nice and cold! The view over the neighbouring streets is really nice. The décor reminds me of a trendy New York loft with floor to ceiling windows. The outdoor balcony can get very packed so be sure to get in early.

I was blindly led to Darlinghurst on Saturday night after having a couple of drinks. Not knowing where I was, my friends and I exited the taxi and went straight up to Lo-​Fi, which is located above Kinselas. With no expectations, I was quite impressed with the hip atmosphere and the artsy crowd of attractive 20-​somethings. Like a warehouse that skipped on its electricity bill, the place is dark and spacious, but certainly not empty. The bar is clustered, yet colorful, and the blackboard on the wall is scribbled to the brim with food and drink items. They offer a multitude of retro and inventive cocktails, and the hipster bar staff appeared capable in executing these drinks to perfection. There’s a large balcony that offers views of Taylor Square, allowing you to spy on the sloppy messes trying to navigate Oxford Street. I felt lucky to be up here.
From what I remember, the music was primarily 90s and RnB, all coming from a pretty decent speaker system. I kinda shrugged of confusion when I heard ‘errybody in the club getting tipsy,’ reminded briefly of when that song was played at my high school dances of yesteryear. So I just busted out my high school moves. Up the stairs from the main bar, there’s a whole other room with a large dance floor and high ceilings, décor in the same vein as below. Except that there are ping-​pong tables behind the bar! Great thinking.