Hump day: when your memories of the weekend past have well and truly faded away and you can do nothing but visualise Friday arvo. The solution? Gather your fellow long-suffering colleagues and head out for a mid-week lunch. In fact, getting out of the office for an hour or two can cure chronic workitis. We promise.
To help you do just that, we've teamed up with our mates at Heineken to bring you six of the best lunch spots to hit this hump day. And, because you'll be needed back in the office, a Heineken 3 is the ideal accompaniment. From the depths of the CBD to sunny harbourside spots, our picks will give you the bounce you need to make it through to the weekend.
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It’s Wednesday at 9am and you’re already thinking about how you’ll spend your lunch hour — we’ve all been there. When you just can’t fake it anymore and need a hit of ocean to bring you back to life, hit up Hotel Ravesis. The menu pays homage to the beachside location, keeping things fresh with lots of seafood, and there’s some very lunch-worthy house-made pasta on there, too. Nab a spot out on the balcony, grab a beer and take in the spectacular view. If you’ve got an extra long lunch break, you could fit in a swim beforehand.
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The only problem with heading to the Tilbury for a mid-week lunch is that you won’t want to go back to work afterwards. Get in early to nab a spot in the sun-drenched courtyard and enjoy the world outside of the four walls of your office. The menu goes from mini — fresh oysters or corn on the cob — to maxi with protein-heavy mains. Think pork loin lamb rump and duck breast. The setting here is so lovely that you’ll seriously consider phoning it in for the rest of the day.
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The Morrison is a slick lunch option for those working near Circular Quay. You can go one of two ways here, depending on how the week is playing out. The first option: sit at the bar and choose from Sean Connolly’s carefully curated menu which showcases incredibly fresh produce and the bar’s signature snack, oysters. The second option is to head to Parlour Burger, just back from the main bar. There are six burgers to choose and they’ll only set you back a tenner each — unless you want to tackle a double patty situation, which will set you back $14.
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Escape from your office and head to the Office — that’s what the ground bar at the Mercantile is affectionately known as. This Irish pub has been keeping local workers happy for yonks — the laidback attitude and good vibes found here are the perfect antidotes to the nine-to-five grind. Grab a table outside with your team and watch the world go by, or head inside and settle in for some arvo beers. Depending on what day you visit, the $12 lunch specials may take the form of a steak and Guinness pie, bangers and mash, or a chicken parmi.
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When a venue’s got good views, it tends to show them off — and the Manly Wharf Hotel does just that, making the most of its waterfront location on the ferry wharf. If you work on the beaches (or a quick ferry trip from Circular Quay), enjoy a break from mundane office life, plonk yourself and your pals next to the big blue yonder for an hour or two. On Wednesdays, you can nab a lunchtime half pizza for a little over a tenner, which is affordable for these parts. Team that with a Heineken 3 and that view, and you’ve got yourself the perfect hump day escape.
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Pub lunches aren’t just for Fridays — especially not if you work in the CBD. So cut yourself some slack this hump day and head to the Shelbourne Hotel to celebrate making it halfway through. If the weather’s kind, the beer garden is the perfect place to tuck into a brisket burger with chips ($15 on Wednesdays) while you look away from your emails for a sec. On a tight schedule? You and your crew can pre-order restaurant meals, so you can get back to the office within your lunch house.