The temptation is upstairs but the better find is the downstairs

It’s all bright sunshine yellow and white umbrellas, banquets and white wire furniture, with views over East Sydney’s rooftops but can this revamped pub offer a village feel.

Charcoal grilled charmoula prawns and salad at East Village Sydney hotel, Darlinghurst. Picture: Brett Stevens

EAST VILLAGE

Address: 234 Palmer St, Darlinghurst

Phone: [phone]

Web: eastvillagesydney.com.au

Food: Elevated pub grub

Cost: $40 per person, with drinks

IT’S A hard slog reaching the rooftop of the East Village. Not the four flights of stairs we have to climb, but the officious maitre’d who blocks our path, tut-tutting our lack of booking and informing us our timeslot is limited. Seriously? Sydney doesn’t do rooftops like Melbourne, so when a new one opens it’s bound to be popular, but we’re early and it’s half empty.

The space is great, all bright sunshine yellow and white striped umbrellas, banana leaf print cushions, wooden banquettes and white wire furniture, with views over East Sydney’s rooftops.

A Michelada ($10) is a summery take on a Bloody Mary, popular in Mexico, it’s a beer mixed with tomato juice, Bloody Mary mix, lime and salt rim. It’s refreshingly sessionable and you know the Tecate comes from a can. Less impressive is the Pirate Life IPA ($9) that’s poured at the bar, from a can.

The East Village hotel's terrace in Darlinghurst. Picture: Brett Stevens

The menu, overseen by Tom Kime, executive chef across Goodtime Hospitality’s two venues, the West Village in Petersham and East Village, is light and summery.

A zucchini dip ($10) has a strong cumin kick, but lacks seasoning, an element also missing from the rare grilled veal ($24), which is overloaded with caperberries and in need of more of the fried anchovy crumble. Grilled charmoula prawns ($26) are nice and juicy, with a fresh mango salsa but all the dishes land at once and the waitress is playing Tetris with the plates table, trying to make it all fit and flip the table faster.

We ask her to hold off on the escabeche of grilled fish ($24) until we’ve finished what we have in front of us but seems bemused by the request. But we note a nearby blogger’s lunch has a much more leisurely pace, to ensure she has enough time to shoot each dish properly.

While the rooftop sounds like the main drawcard, the downstairs bar is a better place to be. Renovated in shades of white and grey to highlight the pressed metal ceiling, it’s an open space where you feel welcome to linger over craft beer on tap and wine-based cocktails ($18).

Order at the bar for a decent wagyu burger ($19) and don’t miss the chicken Caesar croquettes ($16). Served san choy bow style in cos lettuce cups with bacon, mayo and parmesan these crunchy morsels are perfect drinking foodder.

Plus, you don’t have to worry about taking on the stairs to get to them.

Originally published as The temptation is upstairs but the better find is the downstairs