Taylor's Rooftop

Overview

Located en route from the city to Circular Quay, Taylor's Rooftop is the Republic Hotel's lush rooftop bar. As is usually the case with a venue's top floor space, here, after a seemingly endless flight of stairs, you'll be rewarded with a night sky, live music and a cold beer when you reach the top.

If beer isn't your thing, the cocktail offerings are great for the locale — fruity, fresh and frozen could describe a large percentage of the menu. Try the Post Melone (white rum, elderflower liqueur, watermelon and pineapple, $18), a frozen coconut margarita ($17) or a pink gin spritz ($17). There are also a number of carafes to share, including the Frosty Fruit ($29), which tastes just like the beloved icy pole.

The food menu covers all the usual pub classics — such as schnitzels ($20), fried chicken burgers ($19) and a sirloin steak with chips ($25) — plus some added delights. There's a trio of tacos to start; a salmon poke bowl complete with edamame, spicy mayo and crunchy wasabi peas ($22); a Beyond Meat cheeseburger ($22) for the vegetarians out there; a Japanese chicken curry ($23); and beef bourguignon pot pie with salad ($24).

An otherwise smart-casual bar space is made remarkable by a vertical garden of lush greenery that sits nicely against a starry sky or a sunny afternoon. With the addition of live acoustic music and DJs throughout the week, Taylor's is the site of many glorious rooftop dance parties.

Updated February 24, 2020.