shady pines saloon

funny how progressive hipsters like bars with lots of dead animals. shadypineslooks nice but is a pretty standard noisy underground bar. the western music seemed to be droning electronic imitations rather than the real thing. happy hour has great deals, otherwise not worth shutting yourself away.

shadypinessaloon is a loud, cranked up saloon in darlinghurst. entry to the underground bar/club/water hole is accessed from an unmarked door off a dark lane. my first trip to the saloon was guided by the friendly security who wore a fluorescent vest.

pines resemble uncannily with baxter inn - the crowd, the decoration and even the music. the bar counter was jammed packed with drinkers on a thursday evening and you might need about 30 minutes or so to get your whiskey or lager. the spontaneous dance circle in the middle of the bar was also swarmed with tipsy drinkers.

not really my cup of tea. probably too loud and too many people.

very hidden entrance, it is as if you were back to 16th century(?) america once you enter the place.
it has live country music and a generally cool vibe.
got the junglebird cocktail and shadypineswhisky on the rocks. the cocktail is nice and has a tang of bitter. shame it wasn’t made from scratch. the whisky was smooth and easy to drink.
the music was very pleasant and the reason why i giving it a 5 star :)

aaron forte and jason scott sure know how to make a good bar – they are not only the brains behind shadypinessaloon, but also the baxter inn and frankie’s pizza.

o.k. i decided today to start reviewing the places i visit in sydney. here is my first.
shadypinesis ok. i do not understand all the hype surrounding it. it's dark, stuffy, chairs are uncomfortable, i hate starring at dead animal heads, bathrooms are so dirty, etc... the staff is fun, drinks are good. thats all. and why wait in line forever to get in a place when there are a million others around that are just as good if not better? maybe people think its trendy. who knows?

yeah, nah.. shadypineshas pretty cool decor, but i just don't like the place because its always overcrowded, nowhere to sit, takes ten years just to get a drink, and you're literally just squashed in with a bunch of people. its a very dark vibe and just a bit average in my opinion.

the epitome of the small bar scene in sydney, shadypinessaloon will surprise and delight you. it manages to have an exclusive feel, without the usual sydney pretentiousness.

256 crown st shop 4, not that that address means much. shady pines; even if you know where it is, is hard to find; somedays, there’s nobody out front and you can’t even tell where it is. most times however, its the presence of the big hulking bouncer and/or queues that will reveal where the entrance is. it is a black door painted in that laneway. once you enter, shadypinesis a themed small bar/speak easy. the joint has a western themed with animals everywhere and a buckeroo hillbilly sensibility. quite fun. the back counterbehind the mixologists is a shelf filled with taxidermied animals and the most amazingly comprehensive selection of booze. like stars in the sky – speaking of stars, yup, they love their fairy lights here too stuffed animals, fishes on the walls. some sort of grapefruit cocktail. bitter and refreshing. good.   saloonesque aesthetics. chairs. timber panelling. lights. its a western themed smallbar. tom collins. maraschino cherry/ oj / whiskey. good. american flag. t

at shadypinessaloon, we were greeted by steers. this place is an amazing slice of texas situated in central-ish sydney. we ordered a house special, before we wrapped up our night:

strange. unfortunately the past experience at shadypineswas terrible.

shaddypinesis a great bar, with friendly staff, tasty cocktails and a lot of wild west cheer. i am certain i'll be back.

very much an ‘it’ place at the moment, head early on friday or saturday nights to join the cool kids at shadypinessaloon.

imagine a bar called shadypinessaloon. what would it look like? well i wouldn’t be surprised if the shadypinesof your imagination comes close to the real thing. we’re talking a sub-terranean space with lots of wood and candle light.