Redoak Boutique Beer Café

baggio

Sweden

3.88/5  rDev -9.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Pub-style restaurant that has about 20 brews of their own. Atmosphere is good even though it might be a bit loud for some people. They won't sell
you sampleboards of their beers unless you order it alongside food. Some of the beers are truly exceptional and a must try. I found their beer "Christmas cheer" to be the best beer i've tried in australia. Tastes alot like liquid christmas-pudding. If you're in Sydney you can not afford to miss this place. The food and beer is a bit on the pricey side but well worth the money.

10-12-2007 10:19:34 | More by baggio

vancurly

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -13.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

*** EDIT WINTER 2011 ***
Things ease over time, as too the perceived quality of Redoak. Perhaps they're a bit jaded. Perhaps I'm a bit jaded. Perhaps the in-crowd has moved on, and they're struggling for relevance. (Note: since my last review the Local Taphouse at Darlinghurst has opened, as too Hart's Pub).
I tasted an Australian Ale, the Honey Ale, and an arbitrary Porter. Still 'good' but not as outstanding as before. I noticed with some dismay the appearance of three ciders, occupying taps that could have been taken by some more ales.
Yes, they are struggling for relevance, and are targetting a different market. The beers they had available all seemed to me a bit passe, and the sense of innovation that once set this place apart has headed North and East to other establishments.

*** EDIT 20 May 2007 ***
Held my 40th birthday drinks here, with 8 mates. Janet really looked after us, helping us select the sequence of tasting, and basically being a good sport putting up with 9 pissed experts.
Tried new editions of Kölsch and Eisbock, which were excellent, and also some old favourites like Organic Pale & IPA. I had not tried the DunkelWeiss before, and found it be excellent.

*** Original Review ***

This place is great. I haven't been here since joining BA, but Janet remembered me and, pointed out the new IPA on tap. I vaguely recall more than a year earlier asking her to consider brewing one, and what do you know ? That's service !! And what a beer !!
I sat at the bar with my mate, handed over the credit card to open a slate. and got stuck in... IPA, English Real Ale (hand-pumped), Honey Ale, Altbier, Wee Heavy Ale. A great cross-section, and all with significant merit.
I nearly got turfed onto the street when I ask her if there was any "Brett" in the Wee Heavy. She didn't follow, so I tried to convey the impression of Band Aids to her... ummm... let's say I had to do a bit of back-pedalling to get out of that one...:-)
Not to worry. The place was packed come 5pm Friday. The only downer is the smoking table at the front door, which, given this day's prevailing wind, blew the offensive plume across the bar... not good.
The award winning Special Reserve barley wine is available for $15 per 50ml. This equates to $75 per 250ml bottle (e.g. Thomas Hardy-sized). I didn't try it on this visit, but this is EIGHT TIMES the price I paid for the Hardy recently. It better be bloody good, I tell you....

09-23-2011 06:44:59 | More by vancurly

heygeebee

Australia

3.36/5  rDev -21.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | $$

Ah, Redoak, Redoak, Redoak... a venue that seems to be dividing the beer community at present.

Have had some lovely times in here before, Saturday endless lunches with varieties of beer to match and enjoy. However, haven't been recently to allow me to review.

Popped in around 4:30 on a Friday arvo. Place was far from full, and mrs heygeebee and I were able to find a seat. I ordered a 'standard' bitter, and mrs heygeebee asked for a tasting plate as she was peckish, but we were informed these were not available until 5 as the kitchen was between shifts. No biggie, I suppose. Time to look at the beer menu in detail. Pride of Place - 'Redoaks Eagerly Awaited Ciders' erm, by who, I wonder? Not I... There are still three to four times as many beers as ciders, tho a lot of beer in bottles What got me was that the tasting plates are now four nibbles, with two beers plus two ciders. Not good. Change of direction from Redoak management, methinks.

Didn't try to talk beer to the staff, but they were generic pleasant.

So, the bar area got full by five or so, the restaurant area was still empty, not too many suits in sight, and the venue is still really well appointed. It's still the best bet, if you like beer as we do, within a few hundred metres in any direction. Beers in general are still all OK, nothing to point out brew-wise, but not too inventive either. Served too cold, as is the usual complaint. Didn't have the food.

Getting home, checked the website - it's hopelessly out of date compared to what was on offer.

Redoak, where will you go?

08-03-2011 00:17:14 | More by heygeebee

dgilks

Australia

3.56/5  rDev -17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$$

Redoak is located in the Sydney CBD on Clarence St. The venue itself is simply adorned and nicely appointed with a series of tables and high benches to allow people to congragate.

The beer list is limited to their own beers which is understandable but unfortunate as while some Redoak beers are good, others are atrocious. Most beers are served well but I have experienced beers with off-flavours that could be attributed to unclean taplines.

The service is fair and while the servers are knowledgeable, I have found them to sometimes be a little bit arrogant and condesending to patrons who know what they are talking about. Service can also be slow at times.

The selection is good with a broad range of Redoak beers on tap and in bottles including some of their very limited beers. The biggest issue with some of these is the price with 250ml bottles of their beers going for up to $75.

On the whole it's worth a stop if you are in the area but you will find better beer and a nicer atmosphere at better prices at the Local Taphouse.

05-31-2011 09:59:55 | More by dgilks

Otterburn

Quebec (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Red Umbrellas on the side walk. Inside is a very nice decoreted bar/café. Lots of wood everywhere. The place is nice and the waiters are chic. it looks like a nice restaurant. Everybody was well-dressed, looking sharp.

it was maybe a friday or something, and the place was full. We find a table, and i order the degustation board. It was excellent. Each beer was paired with a small portion of food. 3 different meat. I dont remember exactly what it was,but it was excellent. Each beer belongs with the food. The service was fast and helpfull.
They was a great selection of beer on tap and on bottles.

It was a bit pricey, but if you considered the quality, is really not that bad. You pay for what you get.

I think its a must if you are around.

02-08-2011 22:11:09 | More by Otterburn

RedBeerchetta

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$$

This is more a "brewrestaurant" than a brewpub. Dark, wide paneled hardwood floors, brass chandeliers, very clean and outstanding service bt not at all pretencious.

I ate at the bar (travelng alone on business) and the bartender could not have been more accommodating, having 6 tastings in front of me in no time.

Beers are in the English style and don't stray far from form, though the IPA was more full bodies and hoppy than expected. They also have a few of their own reserve bottles available (some very expensive- $75).

Food was very good and not pub fare. I had kangaroo served rare as recommend. Delicious!

Definitely worth a visit when in Sydney along with the Local Taphouse.

11-20-2010 10:51:32 | More by RedBeerchetta

MrKennedy

Australia

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

This place opened in around 2004/2005 and i have been there quite a bit during that time.

When it first opened the craft brewing scene in this country was just starting to gain some impetus (relatively speaking) and the range of good imported beer in bottle shops was not that great...a lot of things have changed during this period.

Whey the above comments? Just to give some context for the review...when it first opened the beers were fantastic, almost all the styles were great and seemed to be brewed very well technically. It seems though that the standard has fallen over the past half decade, or is it that the competition has pushed the bar to a new level...don't get me wrong, the beer is still good, but i never seem to walk away with a big grin from their beers anymore.

Another change: the prices have dropped, on opening it was hard to find a pint for $10 or less and now a number are selling at $8 or $9, which is a welcome change. Some of their more esoteric styles sell for up to $75 for 250ml, which is (i think) part a reflection of the tax on beer in Australia, part high cost of brewing and part wank!

The service is mixed, sometimes fantastic, often over the top descriptions come with the beers...but what really infuriates me is a staff member taking up to 5 minutes explaining a beer to a patron before i get served.

Otherwise, the food is very good to excellent for a bar, the bar area is often difficult to find some room, the beer is good to very good...but just some simple things could make this place so much better for everyone.

I do recommend as a must visit on a trip to Sydney and hope you get to experience all the highs of this place, without some of the little lows.

02-12-2010 00:13:26 | More by MrKennedy

hurleymanvw

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

The only negative i can say about Redoak is that i happen to stumble in on the night of their very first beer tasting school. It was a bit back and the servers seems trained on the guest there for the tasting while it was going on and not on the others at the bar. I was luck enough to get a seat at the bar and i must say the bartenders were great once it got less hetic. I had their FRAMBOISE FROMENT and SPECIAL STRONG ALE and what can i say but awesome. The framboise was out of the this world and the strong bitter had just enough pop with a nice malt balance it was great. I will return here again to try one of their cheese or desert samplers paired with the house beers. A great place for any quality beer lover.

08-29-2008 15:01:25 | More by hurleymanvw

Beervis

Ontario (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I visited RedOak a couple times while I was on vacation in Australia last month. What more can I say about this place, except fantastic beer, great friendly service, and a great atmosphere. The first time I visited, it was for a nice dinner with my wife. I will say up front that the food is great too.

I was able to try a few brews, and loved every one of them. I started off with the American Double IPA. It was a great beer, not as potent as some of the ones we get here in the USA, but as far as Aussie beers go, I believe this one is pretty extreme. Since my palate was still in good shape, even after a pretty hoppy beer, I went with the Marzen Rauchbier. What an amazing beer this was, and as it would turn out, it would be my favourite one that I tried. I finished the night off with the Baltic Porter from the dessert menu, this too was awesome. On this first visit, the waiter was a great guy, and once he found out I was knowledgable about beer, he really started conversing with us. Needless to say, he gave fantastic service and was very passionate about beer which was nice to see. At the end of the night the owner came over and talked to my wife and I. The waiter had told her that we were from the US and I was a BA. She told me that the BA guys had visited there too and said some of the same things I did (I assume she was talking about the Bros., who must have visited at some point). It was really nice to feel special and recognized for being a BA, I felt the love!!! She brought me over a free copy of Beer and Brewer mag that RedOak was featured in, and I told her how it would be nice to see their beers in the US at some point.

I went back one more time on my trip, and this time I sat in the bar and tried all the brews that I wanted to try but didn't the previous visit. I was once again greeted by our waiter from a few days before, who recognized me and said "you're back!". This time I had the Hefe, the Pale Ale, and another one I can't recall, I believe maybe a wheat beer with fruit. I finished off the visit with their limited edition barleywine. It was kinda funny, as the bartender was all excited that I ordered it, because he didn't get to serve it very often. He carefully measured out my 55ml serving from the 11.2oz bottle, and I drank it up and loved every sip.

Overall this place was fantastic and definitely a must visit if you are in Sydney...which may I add is an incredible city, and one that I wish I could have stayed in for alot longer!

03-26-2008 18:09:51 | More by Beervis

brendan13

Australia

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I timed my visit to Red Oak to coincide with one of their Beer Dinner/Class on 19th of Jan. I got there at 4:30pm and left at 11:30 roughly (I think).
It certainly is more restaurant than bar with most of the space taken up by tables with table clothes, napkins, the works.
As part of the beer class the first beer offered was the Irish Red. Having had it before I opted for the Kolsch instead.
Then being seated for the dinner with a quick introduction from Janet the first course was served. Crab & roast pumpkin risotto paired with Organic Hefeweizen. Without going into all the details of the beer dinner it was great with Simon, the beer sommelier, talking about beer history & talking about the food and beer pairing.
Their selection is amazing, not much more can be said. I'll say more anyway. Everything from their signature Framboise Froment to Old Baltic Porter and everything else in between; All the regular bottled beers on tap as well as a very tasty & well balanced IPA, Marzen-Rauch, Berry Weiss, Oatmeal Stout & many more. The reserve list is pricey but very tempting. $75 for a 250ml bottle of beer is pushing it...
They are obviously very passionate about beer & their service reflects this. One of the guys advised me to let the Belgian Choc Cherry Stout warm for 5 or so minutes to allow the "black forest cake" flavours to come through & it was well worth it. Allowing it to warm for more like 10 to 15 minutes was even better. Even the English girl who had only been there for 2 months seemed to know her beer. Compared to other "beer destinations" that was quite pleasing.
As mentioned above the beer dinner was great, I think a regular meal would also be pretty damn good.
The beer dinner was great value - 6 beers, 4 courses, $79.
They are certainly on the higher end of the scale in terms of the price but it is well worth it. In a way I'm glad I don't live in Sydney as I could see myself spending way too much time and money here.
A MUST visit for anyone in good beer.

01-23-2008 08:21:32 | More by brendan13