An evening at The Swank

My how Newtown’s Bank Hotel has changed!!!! Talk about sophistication. The upstairs cocktail bar with its glorious outdoor deck and bird’s eye view of Newtown Station is a must for any inner west sophisticate.

Indeed, my mate Sallyanne has renamed it The Swank

But Westies take note! The Swank’s cocktail menu will not suite. Toblerone and Pina Colada free (to my disappointment). Instead we have a Ruby Manhattan, a Dirty Spanish Martini and a Strawberry Femme Fatale.

I must say, I wouldn’t really recommend the Ruby Manhattan. With Wild Turkey to the blend, it would have suited someone like Bon Scott – that’s if he was into cocktails.

The Vanilla Mojito had a ‘woozy’ affect on my mate Karen, who was kinda hoping for a Pina Colada but she did enjoy the Femme Fatale.

Downstairs there is a more rowdy crowd and more outdoor drinking. I have to say, I feel quite sorry for the poor buggers who live in the apartment blocks that serves as the pub deck’s backdrop.

Spending quite a bit of time at The old Bank, I was quite sceptic about how the ‘refurbishment’ would look.

Would it simply be a wank job?

Yep, it is fancy, but I reckon the service from the bar staff prevents the pub from being The Wank. Friendly, efficient, they are devoid of the anorexic stares that you get from most staff bar that exist in the city or Eastern Suburbs bars. AND the bar staff hand back your change without that annoying little silver tray – even in the cocktail bar.