South King Recreation Club Is Newtown's New 'Pre-Lockout Inspired' Beer Hall

The south side of Newtown's King Street is now home to a brand new beer hall, with South King Recreation Club channelling RSL vibes, spinning tunes on vinyl and throwing it back to 'pre-lockout Sydney'.

The venue plays up its old school atmosphere with daggy furniture and carpets, along with little touches like an administration merit board circa 2001 and mounted photos of the 'board of directors'. They've swapped the pokies for retro arcade games, but kept the meat tray raffles and cheap pub grub deals — including $12 schnittys on Wednesdays and $12 burgers on Thursdays. Parmas and beer-flavoured lamingtons also make the menu.

Grab a seat in the leafy outdoor beer garden for locally brewed beers by the likes of Young Henrys and Hawke's Brewing Company. Craft tinnies and draught brews are just $5 during the bar's weekday happy hour, which runs from 5–7pm and also features a rotating list of $10 specialty cocktails — think mezcal palomas, plus bourbon-spiked peanut butter and jelly milkshakes. The bar will also pour minimal intervention wines from small producers like New Zealand's Don + Kindeli and Adelaide Hills' Ochota Barrels.

Every Wednesday features your chance to win some meat, as well as badge draws, and every Thursday offers Wheel of Fortune prizes — plus DJs hitting the decks all night long. Entertainment Director Rick Hunter (who runs the monthly South King Record Fair) has lined up guest DJ appearances from some notable local acts, and has sourced one helluva collection of vintage vinyl for the venue, too.

South King Recreation Club is now open at Level 1, 597 King Street, Newtown. Opening hours are Monday through Friday from 5pm–late and Saturday through Sunday from noon–late.