Food Review: Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney
Thanks to somethingyousaid.com, I was given the lucky opportunity to inhale a free meal and share a jug of Long Island Iced Tea with mates at Sydney’s iconic Lansdowne Hotel.
The building endured some damage due to a suspicious fire in January last year but, had I not been told that before my visit, I wouldn’t have even noticed. I attributed the paint stripped walls that were peeling off to an intended ‘grunge’ or ‘hipster’ effect, rather than what was potentially heat damage from the fire. Regardless, I loved the décor; dim lighting, comfy couches and lacquered tables. A reggae band was performing and punters were playing pool, or lounging on couches, drinking cider and enjoying the performance, which provided a chill, lounge room vibe.
The cosy ambiance was welcoming and I ventured upstairs to explore the Phoenix Diner menu. Whilst some of the patrons were saying that the food used to be much better, I found it satisfying. Their starters menu was impressive with American inspired dishes, so there’s something there to satisfy all drunk cravings. I had their buttermilk chicken burger (pictured right) and the side of hot chips which were a delicious combo and came out on a cute red, American diner type plate. 
Their portions are generous and filling, yet leaving room for dessert, so of course I had to try their Secret Sundae – which still makes my mouth-water just thinking about it. Food and drinks were pretty cheap and you can get a good feed for under $15, so it definitely caters to uni students and people who are short on cash.
Upstairs was more done up than the downstairs area and there was a bare brick wall, which made me feel like I was in a cool bar in Brooklyn or something. The bathrooms were adjacent to a lime green wall, which I witnessed become the perfect backdrop for selfies and group shots. The female bathrooms had poetic Gen Y graffiti and an awesome cartoon pinup drawing in permanent marker appropriately labelled “La Fine”. Unfortunately I couldn’t explore the male bathroom, as I don’t really fit that category on most days.
After guzzling down reasonably priced meals that were filling and easy to share, my mates and I left with happy guts and tipsy souls.
Protip: Try their pizzas.. good stuff!
For more information about The Lansdowne Hotel visit their website or Facebook page.
Words by Tammy Potakh, cover image taken from here burger image taken from here.
