What could be better than a Paddington pub crawl before a test at the SFS? Limber up at the Lord Dudley in Jersey Road with Jamie Couche's hospitality in a delightful corner pub. Roll down to the Four in Hand at the bottom of Elizabeth Street and grab a feed at their excellent bistro. Hike up Elizabeth Street to the new Grand National (when it opens). Wander along Underwood Street to the London Hotel; if there's a cuter hole-in-the-wall pub in Oz I haven't been there. Then comes a testing, genuine pub crawl along Oxford Street: the Imperial followed by the Paddo Inn, The Paddington, the Light Brigade ending up at the Centennial. From there it's a gentle downhill stroll along Moore Park Road to the ground. A colourful patchwork of genuine pubs with charm and character, this pub crawl comes with some much-needed exercise for free and a sense of achievement of something done with class and style.
The Caxton: it's difficult to tell the difference between an Archerfield tyre dealer's front yard and the Caxton beer garden with its industrial strength asphalt and lack of decent seating. As for Caxton Street and its ersatz craft beer cafes, they look like tarted-up milk bars. I can't say any more about this mish-mash of ordinary watering holes.
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