Overview
Bring your family, your mates and your dogs — along with your sandy feet — to Mosman this weekend, as the harbourside sports club Mosman Rowers reopens on Friday, March 15. Now managed by Bird & Bear Group (The Sandy Bear, The Flying Bear & Foys), the century-old clubhouse boasts a brand new fit-out and an elevated pub offering across three levels.
First up is Archie Bear cafe, a 100-seater slinging coffees, breakfast and long lunches, plus dinner on the weekends. Designed by Studio Etic (Barangaroo House), it has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook an expansive outdoor deck and the bay views beyond. Inside, there are polished timber floors, brass and gold finishes and a fireplace for the cooler months ahead.
Brekkie includes classic bacon and egg rolls alongside green breakfast bowls and maple-baked granola with stewed rhubarb and mint. Meanwhile, the lunch and dinner menus focus on share plates like Sydney rock oysters, baby squid with lemon and aioli and antipasti plates — think prosciutto, burrata, olives and flatbread. There's also a selection of salads and sandwiches, such as the soba noodle salad with poached chicken and soy-lime dressing, and the wagyu pastrami reuben with raclette, sweet and spicy pickles, coleslaw and smoky sauce.
Archie Bear
One level up is The Rowers Bar, which offers its own bar snacks and mains, as well as another 100 seats. For bar bites, there are wagyu sliders and rice paper rolls with daikon and water chestnuts. Larger dishes include the zucchini pasta with lemon, chilli and basil and grilled barramundi with butter bean puree and bean salad.
Compared with the bright digs downstairs, the heritage interior upstairs boasts low-lighting, warm timber tones and nautical vibes. Expect more brass trimming here, too, alongside terrazzo table tops, navy leather banquettes and a marble bar with 11 beers on tap.
The wider drinks list will be up for grabs in both venues, including R!ot Wine Co rosé on tap, seasonal cocktails — try the spicy margarita or melon fizz — and an extensive local and global wine list. Plus Pimm's, spritzes and white sangria jugs for sharing. There'll be heaps of weekly specials on too, including $6 beers and house wines during weekday happy hour, $12 spritzes from 3–6pm on Saturdays and $20 beer buckets and cocktail jugs on Sundays.
While the venue will remain a registered club — with a private members space on the top level — non-members can access the lower two levels by signing up (free of charge) as a temporary member. The waterside digs will remain a community hub for activities such as rowing, paddling and kayaking, with a reinvigorated member events calendar in the works.
Mosman Rowers will reopen on Friday, March 15 at 3 Centenary Drive, Mosman. Opening hours for Archie Bear are Monday through Wednesday from 7.30am–3.30pm and Thursday through Sunday from 7.30am until late. Opening hours for The Rowers Bar are Monday through Friday from 4pm until late and Saturday through Sunday from noon until late.