The Old Fitzroy Hotel — Restaurant in Sydney

Upon visiting this pub, my partner was approached by a woman who aggressively insisted he was in her "spot", despite him having been sitting in the seat for quite a while before she even arrived. She then became completely dysregulated and verbally assaulted him with obscenities when he didn't move at her behest. She spiraled into a rage saying she is a local and gets preferential treatment, which is why that is HER spot. Ironically we live 100 m from this pub so technically we are also locals, just do not frequent the place as much as this woman (who is already showing signs of intoxication) apparently does. We also both have accents from other countries, which can sometimes cause people to think we're just visiting. I have been in the country for just over 7 years now, am a citizen, work in the medical field serving the community, pay my taxes, etc. There's no valid reason to assume we are not also locals and to be bullied based on this assumption.

So the staff get involved, as she is belligerently causing a scene and some resolution must be reached. And instead of calming her down and trying to explain that there is no reserved sign on that seat so my partner is free to sit where was available at the time of his arrival, they sided with her - explained to my partner that "locals" have spots they like to sit at and he must move (thus fully committing to her xenophobic rant), and then served her alcohol which seems quite irresponsible given her behaviour. It does seem there are some severe mental health issues at play as well, so I do have empathy for this woman; however, such discrimination and irrational behaviour shouldn't be rewarded. In the end there was nowhere else to sit and my partner had to go home. All he wanted to do in the first place was sit in the sun while calling friends in Europe over a couple of beers, and - while in the middle of a phone conversation mind you - he was attacked by this woman and the staff supported her.

It's fairly obvious, we will not be back and are quite offended by how the staff echoed this raving patron's xenophobic stance about there being preferential treatment for "locals" (which don't assume we're not just because we grew up in other countries), made my partner leave after being verbally abused by someone clearly either unhinged or completely wasted, and decided to serve her instead. Absolutely ludicrous...

The backstory: My girlfriend and I moved into the area recently and have been checking out local pleaces. We were out on a late walk and figured we grab some dinner here as I'd read about it online and we wanted a pub dinner.

The positives: The decor/atmosphere of the pub is awesome. Tucked away from the cross on a side street, coming down the hills with the city serving as a backdrop to this beautiful old pub was a great experience. The tables outside were well heated, the bar staff were lovely. There was a fire burning inside and the beer selection was great.

The negatives: Were our experience became disappointing was with the food. A french menu marketed as being premium with the head chef named online and everything definetely seemed in keeping with the venue.

The menu had four mains on it and a variety of entrees - great, I respect the boldness of going with four mains because there's nowhere to hide.

We ordered two of the duck croquettes to start. My girlfriend ordered the rainbow trout main and I ordered the cheeseburger. The food arrived promptly but all of it was disappointing.

The duck croquettes - I question the concept of these entirely. With something as rich as duck paired with a strong cheese before being crumbed as fried, there was nothing to cut through the richness. They were served with a hot sauce (not very in keeping with the French menu) and it just tasted like vinegar. It was overpowering rather than complimentary.

The cheese burger - it contained two smashed patties, a sweet 'brioche style bun' and thick cut chips. Again, I question the stylistic choices made with this dish. Smashed patties are American, the pub cut chips Australian/ American again. If you're doing a cheese burger on a French menu, you think you'd go with pomme frite style chips and a larger patty that could be served pink in the middle. Some lettuce and tomato at this price point also wouldn't go awry.

My girlfriend's trout - the skimpy frozen kinda fillet, which was served overcooked and under seasoned. The potatoes weren't crispy.

Overall - I will certainly be coming back here for a glass of mulled wine in front of the fire this winter. But I'll be doing so after I've eaten somewhere else.

Would could have been a great experience turned out to be pretty lacklustre. For good food in a similar style pub nearby, head to the East Sydney Hotel or the...

The Old Fitz came to our attention through the timeout bar awards, where they won “best bar food”. We liked the sound of the menu so we figured we’d grab a few foodie friends and check it out for ourselves.

We went on a Friday night and it was a lively place with punters enjoying a beer on the sidewalk of the establishment and throughout the two story building which has plenty of great beer on tap.

It’s an electric atmosphere, both the crowd and venue. Whilst it’s been updated, it still carries the old world charm. The building has been around since the 1860’s and you can see some old portraits adorning the crimson walls.

It’s pub lovers menu serving up British gastropub inspired delights. What could be better than a rissole sandwich with a beef mince in the sandwich mustard, ketchup, parsley, melted cheddar and beetroot. Very moist and juicy, this was certainly a surprise packet and one of the favourite bites from our sitting.

The crunchy outer casing was a good start to the scotch egg with oozing yolk, kept together with sausage mince of pork neck, bacon, sage and white pepper. A delicious mix of ingredients and a perfect snack.

The dish which enticed our visit was the scallop potato scallop. Pretty much your old school potato scallop with a seafood scallop inside. A very good potato scallop with a beautifully crisp batter but the sea scallop was kind of lost in it.

We enjoyed the cauliflower cheese tart with butter lettuce and the beetroot dish. Both had great flavour combinations and the beetroot dish had hazelnuts, which provided a crunch element and the horseradish gave a nice contrast to the pickled beetroot. A lovely option for vegetarian diners too.

The raw beef on dripping toast is their version of a beef tartare with nicely seasoned meat.

Since we’re there around Christmas time we opt for a festive dish, the Christmas pudding custart tart. A lovely dessert to finish off the dining experience.

If you’re looking for a gastro pub with a cool vibe, then check...