The Governor

The Verdict

With all the recent renos, refurbs and hospitality group takeovers, it’s rare that Sydney scores a brand new pub these days. But guys, it’s happening. A new pub is opening in Macquarie Park and not only does it look like we’ll be scoring some damn good cocktails, pub specials and Japanese eats, but it’ll also have a rooftop garden bar.  

The bar manager, Andrew Ratcliffe, has looked after some of Sydney’s best bars (think Baxter Inn and Eau de Vie) so you can expect a bar menu with twists on whisky classics and seasonal cocktails that change, well, seasonally. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Head Chef Luke Lashford is creating menus appropriate to each area of the pub—from the main bar and bistro on the ground floor to the rooftop garden bar. 

No matter where you decide to set up camp for the evening, you’ll be well fed and watered (read: wined). We recommend you order a bunch of dishes to share among the group so you can try a little bit of everything—but especially the teriyaki chicken poke salad, a cheeky wood-fired pizza and a slow-cooked Flinders Island lamb shoulder (designed to share between two). Meanwhile, on the rooftop, there’s an Asian-inspired menu filled with share plates straight off the Japanese yakitori grill—think skewers of Wagyu and glazed chicken wings. Basically, we’ll just take one of everything.

And just an FYI, the rooftop bar, Ess, has 360-degree views of the local area. And if you’ve ever suffered through peak hour traffic on Epping Road, you’ll know the view of the Harbour Bridge and city skyline is pretty special from this neck of the woods. 

There’s not a concrete opening date for The Governor & Ess just yet, but it’s expected to open in early July. 

Image credit: Kai Leishman