Sugarmill Hotel Review

Review By Nastasia Campanella

Retro chic is alive and thriving at the Sugarmill Hotel. Located in Sydney’s Kings Cross, it’s a venue that feels like your favourite local minus the stench of bad, cheap beer.

Chatty security staff welcome us at the door. There isn’t a line for this nightclub, no cover charge and jeans and casual shirts are allowed. We head inside the funky venue where long leather lounges and booths are visible. The retro style continues with vintage wallpaper lining the interior which was once home to the Westpack bank. Antique light fittings hang from the roof above patrons who mostly consist of 20 somethings. Judging from the conversations coming from couches around us (yes, I was eves dropping), local artists, writers and muzos frequent this cute space.

My partner in crime and I flick through the satisfactory, yet well-priced menu. Decent sized steaks, pork ribs and duck curry with rice are yummy meals for $15. There is a selection of tasty pizzas with nothing under 20 bucks. Pasta wise, the orecchiette with peas, mushroom cream, goats cheese and sage ($14), is smooth and full of flavour. The salt and pepper calamari ($16), was soft, but more pepper than salt for me. The garlic bread ($6.50), was crunchy and didn’t leave us with smelly breath. The kitchen serves $10 steak and chips all day every day and a delicious all day breakfast with the usual favourites.

If you think the meals are cheap, you’ll love the drinks too. Cocktails are all under $13, wine can be served by the glass at $7.50 and schooners range from $3-$6.50 which is pretty good for a Kings Cross bar/nightclub.

After finishing up our food and acceptable, house white wine, we head up to check out the bars other two levels. These two floors are home to another nightclub called Kit and Kaboodle. Here the vintage mood continues, but everything in Kaboodle is much more glamourous than the Mill. One blogger described it as Shanghai Nights meets Studio 54. It has similar lighting to Sugarmill, but the bar is all gold and Chinese dragons hang above it.

These two levels are certainly more colourful than the groundfloor and has a lovely range of cocktails. My pick is the Florida Mule: Bacardi Oro with muddled pink grapefruit, brown sugar, mint topped with ginger beer. The menu is pricy and I was glad we ate up big down stairs.

We were able to work off our pub grub on the top level as dancing is a must at Kit and Kaboodle with sexy house and electronic music pumping until the early hours of the morning. This area plays host to live bands every Thursday night from eight pm, occasional comedy nights and once upon a time, Friday’s were vintage themed.

Sugarmill has quickly become my new favourite pub/bar/nightclub and I look forward to heading back there for a great meal before having a dance in the enchanting hub above.

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