The Sir John Young Hotel

One of the last vestiges of Sydney’s one thriving Spanish Quarter is in fact a classic Sydney pub.

The Sir John Young Hotel, corner of George and Liverpool St, is trapped in two worlds. Out the front is the standard front bar, complete with a gents several floors underground down the worlds steepest stairs and Happy Hour every day from 4.30 – 6.30pm. Out the back is the ‘La Tapa Guapa’ (‘the beautiful lid’ – yes, odd, but ‘tapas’ literally means ‘lids’), a lively Spanish restaurant competing with Capitan Torres and Casa Asturiana next door for Sydney’s Spanish-craving foodies.

Your correspondent has had several opportunities to enjoy happy hour @ the SJY (as we locals like to call it) after a hard day at the coal face. Happily the L90 runs right past and the George St traffic allows one to drain one’s schooner and then leisurely stroll up and hop on board before it has gone too far.

Sir John Young (1st Baron Lisgar) was one of New South Wales’s less notable governors. He was in office from 1860 – 1868. A quick look at his history suggests he was better known for being officially recalled from senior positions he held throughout the Commonwealth from Australia to Canada and Ireland. A pattern of ‘secret dispatches’ being leaked emerges.

The SJY staddles many eras. I recall it being the ’15th hole’ on many a George St pub crawl. There is a backpackers upstairs. The front bar is full of pokies. But it is a survivor and Sydney is all the richer for its presence.

Worth a look in for a schooner. Mind the stairs.