The DOG — Restaurant in Sydney

On a breezy & wet Sydney Autumn Wednesday, this weeks #publunch, 'The DOG', as the locals affectionately call The Duke of Gloucester Hotel at Randwick, welcomed us with its refurbished charm.

Catching up with my old Sharks & Bronte Cafe mate (& bunny lover) @ian_muddle , we settled into the revitalised ambience that seemed to blend traditional pub culture with modern touches seamlessly. Lot's of screens but not overbearing.

Under the new stewardship of Merrivales, 'The Dog' underwent a transformation that's perhaps stirred the old guard to new haunts, but it's clear the future is bright.

For lunch (on the tip of a few mates), I savoured a 250-gram rump steak, cooked to perfection, while my bald mate Muds enjoyed a tender chicken parmi.

There are about 50+ beers so I went with a nice drop of the @younghenrys Newtowner.

Our conversation meandered to the shifting tides of the pub game - where pubs are at a crossroads, (like many businesses), striving to remain relevant in a landscape where the very notion of a pub is evolving.

But it's the elevation of pub fare that may just be the saving grace, offering quality that resonates with the increasingly discerning tastes and value needs of today's punters.

As the industry pivots, 'The Dog' stands as a testament to change – one where the spirit of the community and the clink of glasses remain unchanged.

A snapshot of this visit captured in the photos reflects the spirit of camaraderie and the evergreen nature of a great pub chat with mates.

Til next week -Maxy out . . . #beer #pub #sydneypubs #pubgame...

Giving the venue 2 stars purely because of the terrible atmosphere and attitudes of staff. Firstly as me and my 2 friends walked into the pub the security staff came from outside from behind us agressivly looking at us and asked for ID bare in mind this was at 6pm friday night , so we thought fair enough. My friend had a provisional driving license that had ran out of date so he then decided to ask for a passport and which she didn't have .. (We was going for dinner and NOT drinking) so he told us to wait inside as he needed to ask the manager if it was ok for us to come in ?? (Please note we are ages 28-29 So as we waited thinking it was ridiculous i noticed a two year old child walking around the venue ??? So I'm wondering why he felt it was necessary to cause such a scene . Mean while the manager obviously said it was ok for us to come in ??. So we went upstairs and just waited to be greeted by staff as we booked a table which then took more time finally someone came and we were seated but wasnt told how to order .. etc . By looking at other customers we realised we had to order at the bar and was given a buzzer which tells you when your food is ready , after it is ready you have to collect it from the Chef pass and once again , greeted by more unpleasant staff It's a shame really cause the food was good but most of the staff are just unpleasant, kitchen team seemed really unhappy which is bad as they are on view to the whole resturant and lack of communication to front of house staff must mean bad management....

We went in to the main bar which was nice but a bit loud and full of youngsters (we're 35 and our issues not the pubs) so headed to the bistro, which i had previously been too and was pretty good. Straight away we noticed tables not cleared, and when they were, it was half arsed, clear the plates but still leave food crumbs on the table, napkins and general rubbish on the floor. No this will not kill you, but with the normal price for a steak around $40 (good restuarant price) id expect the same standards). So luckily it was 2-4-1 on steaks, which brought the price down to match the care given by the wait staff. After ordering i got a pint of ipa, which set me back 14 bucks. Ouch ! After waiting for the food for 30mins plus ! the buzzer went off and we collected our meals. For 20 bucks it was ok, but to normally charge 40 ! The steak was fair to good, i got 6 runner beans, 6.... thats not a lot by any mans standards. The portion of chips was similar. Verdict: ok boozer on 2 4 1 nights with over priced drinks and inexperienced staff. But if you pay full price, more fool you. Id go back for a happy hour beer and a bet on the tab. If you are looking for a top end $40 steak...