7 recommendations

Cruise Bar

Editorial Review

Cruise Bar has the best beer garden in the world. Or so it says. Perhaps it should have words with the Opera Bar across the water (which, in its own opinion, also has the best beer garden in the world), or maybe a trip for both up to the Newport Arms on Pittwater might settle the matter. Cruise Bar does have a great view over Sydney Cove to the Opera House, whereas the Opera Bar merely has the best bridge in the history of the world and enticing glimpses of?? well, the Cruise Bar. Every so often an enormous great ship interposes itself and puts a temporary end to the argument (they just park anywhere, don't they?).

Certainly this is a bar in the premiership league. Lunchtime during the week will find crisp suits of all denominations filling their faces and presumably finalizing million-dollar deals. Early evening is first date time, with dewy-eyed couples ignoring the superb view (or the enormous ship) and sipping extracts from an inspired wine list.

Cruise Bar is the bottom end of a three-tier enterprise, with a swanky cocktail lounge on top and a thoroughly good restaurant sandwiched in between, and the caliber of this is reflected in the bar food - it's not cheap, but it is good value. The bar has a wall of lights in Mary Quant pastels, which have to be seen at nighttime to be believed (they sort of gyrate to the music - how does that work?). And there are good sounds on a weekend which brings in the revelers, at which point it gets noisy and a bit cramped, but who cares? The staff are polite, friendly and very professional; prices not bad for the location, and for ship aficionados, you can't do better.
Austin Harrison, February 2008

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