The Bad Pub Guide
The Commodore: Blues Point Rd, North Sydney
There's something strange about the acoustics in this place - it's one of the noisiest pubs I've ever been in, even outside in the covered courtyard. Don't come here if you want to be able to chat with your mates, you'll end up shouting yourself hoarse.
On a Thursday or Friday night, once the North Sydney suits have cleared out, most of the people here look about 15 years old and look rightly amazed that they got through the door. Call me old and cynical, but you can't help but feel it's due to the incredibly skimpy outfits on the girls distracting the bouncers and letting hoards of pimply youths rush by.
There's nothing overtly wrong with the place, but we just found it too noisy and charmless to make for a pleasant evening.
Paddy Maguires: George St, Sydney CBD
Typically packed and over-priced Irish theme bar with bullys in suits manning the doors in the evenings and weasily bar managers who don't even look old enough to drink. We had a perfectly nice evening ruined by attempting to go for a drink here.
I was asked to leave by a neanderthal bouncer for making the simple mistake of taking the time to say hello to him as a friend and I looked for the people we were supposed to be meeting. We'd been in the place for less than a minute.
He wouldn't tell me why he wanted me to leave, then he refused to let me get my wife, who was in the lounge bar with another friend, and his limited grasp of logic and the English language led to him physically threatening me when I asked him how I was supposed to let my friends know I'd been thrown out.
People like that should not be allowed out in public. To have them put in a position where they are allowed to bully and threaten innocent bystanders is nothing short of criminal, but of course, when we complained to the bar manager he was clearly so intimidated by this thug that he was probably frightened he'd be in line for a punch if he sided with us.
