Time Out Sydney Bar Awards 2009
City superclub Ivy was named Bar of the Year at the inaugural Time Out Sydney Bar Awards 2009.
City superclub Ivy was named Bar of the Year at the inaugural Time Out Sydney Bar Awards 2009.
Ivy was also named the best designed bar, while The Beresford won Best New Bar. Manly's tiny Safety Wolf received the award for Best Small Bar. Best Wine Bar went to The Bentley, and the Bayswater Brasserie picked up Best Cocktail Bar.
Voted on by a panel of Sydney luminaries including Brendan Cowell, Clover Moore and Fergus Linehan, the awards are a celebration of Sydney's thriving bar scene, from larger venues such as Ivy to dinky drinking holes such as the People's Choice winner, Time to Vino in East Sydney, and pubs such as The Australian (which was named Best Pub).
The awards ceremony took place at the Blacket Hotel where the crowd drank Jameson Whiskey, Stoneleigh and Jacob's Creek wine, as well as Vodka O and St Arnou beer until the wee small hours.
Hosts for the evening were The Chaser's Julian Morrow and TV's sweariest foodie legend, Peter (g'day) Russell (g'day) Clarke. You Tube his bloopers. Now. They formed a hilarious double act with musical comedy trio Axis of Awesome providing the cymbal clashes in the right places as the house band for the night.
Comedian Wil Anderson got big laughs for his 15-minute routine which warmed up the 300-strong crowd of well-oiled barflies.
Burlesque superstar Gypsy Wood (pictured alongside Peter Russell Clarke) provided a fitting finale to the formalities as she saucily stripped out of a floor-length red embroidered velvet gown down to nothing but a pair of bejewelled knickers and star-shaped pasties.
The biggest cheer of the night, however, went to 1950s Hollywood star and owner of the Hotel Hollywood, Doris Goddard, 78, who got on stage to accept the Hall of Fame award to deafening applause. An emotional Goddard said that she hadn't had a reception like that since her showbiz days.
TIME OUT BAR AWARDS WINNERS IN FULL:
BAR OF THE YEAR
Ivy
BEST NEW BAR
The Beresford
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD
Time to Vino
HALL OF FAME AWARD
Hotel Hollywood
BEST SMALL BAR
Winner: Safety Wolf
Joint runners up: Bodega Bar and Sticky
BEST COCKTAIL BAR
Winner: Bayswater Brasserie
Runner up: Lotus
BEST WINE BAR
Winner: Bentley Bar
Runner up: Aperitif
BEST PUB
Winner: The Australian
Runner up: The Lord Dudley
BEST DESIGN
Winner: Ivy
Runner up: Victoria Room
BEST BAR FOOD
Winner: North Bondi Italian Food
Runner up: Bennelong Bar
Did we get this right? Email your opinions to bars@timeoutsydney.com.au
