The Entertainment Quarter's Irish Pub Has Been Transformed Following a Multimillion-Dollar Makeover

Everyone's first stop after the footy or cricket has been revitalised with new al fresco dining, a 32-tap bar and an inventive menu.
Ben Hansen
September 22, 2021

Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter is set to score a brand new pub, with the newly named Watson's taking over the much-loved former site of Irish bar PJ Gallagher's. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, the new venue will feature a modern look with a fully renovated indoor and outdoor dining space plus a fresh lineup of pub feeds and tap beers.

PJ Gallagher's was a go-to spot for pre or post-match drinks and feeds for games at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Sydney Football Stadium, which is currently under construction. Punters heading into and coming from the Hordern Pavilion, Max Watts and the Royal Hall of Industries would also be familiar with the longstanding Irish pub. Now, Watson's promises to slot back into this role as the Entertainment Quarter's neighbourhood favourite with an enhanced dining experience.

Included in the upgrades is the opening of the upper level of the pub, two al fresco decks and a courtyard bar with a four-metre screen ideal for watching sport. The deck is shrouded by three fairy light-lit Moreton Bay fig trees and will feature acoustic live music alongside all the sports action. A new tallowwood and Rivera stone top bar has been installed inside the pub which will serve a selection of 32 tap beers.

On the menu at Watson's, you'll find a classic range Australian pub meals including schnitzels, fish and chips and salads, with a few inventive twists. Think buttermilk chicken tenders served with fries, gravy, corn-on-a-cob and a dinner roll, or the pub's take on a dinner party classic — the French onion cob loaf served with celery and carrots for dipping.  There is also a selection of steaks and cuts of meat including a one-kilogram cut of Ranger Valley black onyx grain-fed rib eye which is served on the bone with charred lemon and red wine jus.

Accompanying mains is a dessert menu with tiramisu and sticky date pudding, and a vast drinks list featuring spritzes, espresso martini on tap and cocktail carafes made with vodka, T2 rose tea, lemon juice and lemonade.

Watson's is located at 1 Bent Street, Moore Park in the Entertainment Quarter. It will open following the rolling back of venue restrictions in Greater Sydney.

Published on September 22, 2021 by Ben Hansen
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