Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel

chadlebald

California

4.53/5  rDev +17.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Simply put, a wonderful brewpub.

I came across this place on my one and only day in Sydney. And I spent more time there than I probably should have as it was my first visit to Australia (and did I mention that visit was all of 24 hours?). But the beers were that enticing. So I stayed.

And if the great brews weren't enough to keep me there, I met and chatted with the brewmaster, Damon. He was very open and welcoming--more than happy to chat about brewing methods, tricks, etc. Passionate about his brewing and an all-around nice guy.

I only wish they'd have had some eats beyond chips (which they actually did at the time - some cheese/bread plate thing - but that wasn't actually offered me!)

Great great place.

11-19-2010 15:46:15 | More by chadlebald

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.3/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

I had two weeks in Sydney, mostly trying beers and different bars.

This was my favourite drinking establishment. Open plan, plenty of serving area around the large bar and a good choice (mainly British style beers) on tap.

It is located a short walk from the louder, youngster style bars of 'The Rocks' and well worth finding.

I liked the list of names on the wall. Every person who arrived on the very first flotilla bringing convicts to Oz are on the lists. The lists are by ship, it just sends you back to the birth of a nation, it made me think a bit.

08-11-2006 09:04:27 | More by BlackHaddock

BillStrehl

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I learned of this place from a person who said it was one of her favorite places. Since she managed the beer section of Merchant's Fine Wine in Dearborn, Michigan I figured it was a credible recommendation. There is a pub downstairs and a restaurant upstairs that closes for private parties. It was my misfortune to not know this happens when I tried to have dinner there upon my arrival in Sydney from the US. I asked if they would be serving dinner the next evening and was told I would have to call the next day. (All of this interaction was with the people working in the pub.)

I called the next day and was able to make a dinner reservation but the person who I first talked to seemed almost clueless about whether the restaurant would be open. (Maybe another pub employee).

My dinner of Baramundi with a curry sauce was outstanding however my wife did not care for her beef dish and after tasting it I would say the flavor was very different than the US beef I am used to.

While they don't normally sell samplers our waiter was most accommodating and set us up with a sampler of all their house beers. The beers were brewed in a UK style and were very good.

I can't comment on the pub but it seemed very popular but a bit on the noisy side. I would definitely return to this place again.

07-24-2007 12:21:32 | More by BillStrehl

johndawsonaustin

United Kingdom (England)

4.13/5  rDev +7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$$

My favourite place when visiting Sydney is the Lord Nelson Hotel.

A cosy bar downstairs with the brewing equipment visible in the back room. Uptairs holds a few rooms for accomodation, which are quite comfortable, even if they don't all have ensuite facilities.

Last time I was there, they had six of their own beers on sale, unfortunately, not on hand pump, but all very tasty, if a bit gassy for me. My favourite was the Three Sheets, an "Australian Pale Ale", very remininiscent of American Pale ales, being superbly hoppy. Second favourite for me was their variation of an English Porter.

Food is not a big thing here, though you can get pie, mushy peas and mash, which is quite tasty, if you like that sort of thing.

(Visited December 2007)

01-03-2008 11:30:25 | More by johndawsonaustin

zerk

California

4.06/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

The Lord Nelson is located in The Rocks area in downtown Sydney. It's a quite old bar and hotel... built in the mid 1800's I believe. The mood of the place is quite cozy, with a nice dark wood bar. I was there on a Thursday night, and it was quite busy. They have a good selection of their own beers... probably 7 or so, with mostly British styles. My favorite was the Victory Bitter. I tried a few of their selections, and was generally quite impressed. They must have made some improvements since the last beer reveiws were posted.

07-15-2005 14:37:15 | More by zerk

TubaManJack

Illinois

4.06/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | $$

Went Late on ANZAC Day

Okay so it was a happy holiday and everyone else was out in force for this special day. This was the fourth drinking establishment I visited on the day, but only the 2nd where I bought a pint(s). Could you fault me for trying to find a game of two up. Although their wasn't a game on it I decided to stick around for the killer atmosphere. It had a classic pub feel to it and fortunately no one was falling down drunk, which was atypical for the other places. The floor plan was open and moderately full. However this place is between the Rocks and CDB districts so grab a map before you try to find this place.

As for the service it was okay considering the night and the bar can't really be faulted. They had their own brews on tap and a wide variety of bottled ciders and even Chimney on-tap. You must try Nelson's Blood (Roasted Porter) even if its just for the name. The food looked good and on Mondays was $6 pie night.

$4Aus for pints on a Holiday--> Will always get my vote.

04-27-2009 09:55:55 | More by TubaManJack

vancurly

Australia

4/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

This is where it all started for me.... where I learnt there was more to life than Tooheys New. It was also here where my passion began, courteousy of Blair Hayden, Willie Simpson, and the One Eyed Beer Tasters Club.
This monthly bacchanalia is now defunct unfortunately, but I have vivid (and blurred) memories of Willie rambling on about Crystal Malt and "bl**dy Wine Wankers".
The hotel itself has remained untouched in my memory, and is one of several that make the claim of being Sydney's oldest.
It's a lovely place: sandstone and well-worn floorboards. The brewery is visible to those who circumnavigate the bar; if you're early or lucky enough, you can grab a much sought-after stool at the bar, or a table near the winter fire.
The beer is fresh, and good. I usually start with a cleansing Three-Sheets, before settling into the Victory Bitter.
Usually a pie, mash & peas is good fare, particularly on a cold day with a pint of Old Admiral. Also highly regarded is a mid-afternoon Ploughman's lunch.
One of Sydney's finest; a mandatory stop on any Rocks pub-crawl.

07-17-2006 05:47:40 | More by vancurly

Finite

Australia

4/5  rDev +3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Nice old cosy stone building, Historic structure in the heart of the rocks. Great old wooded bar. Very friendly staff and nice beer selection. The beers range from a pale ale to a nice dark porter.

The food selection is modest, simple yet very nice and you will be able to find a beer to complement the food selection.

I visited this place on a Tuesday night and it had a comfortable amount of people there.

Really great place, good beer, good atmosphere. For sure a pub which I would visit regualy if i lived close

05-03-2006 03:10:49 | More by Finite

joedon

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

This place hasn't changed much since my last visit in 1993. Very old stone building that says "quaint". You can easily imagine sailors drinking here who have hiked up from the quay. Decorated much like a British pub with navy signal flags, old photos and nautical knick-knacks.

Nice selection of beers; five taps working during our visit. My wife (who is not a beer drinker) had the Trafalgar pale ale and decreed it to be quite good. I chose the Old Admiral which was a strong brown ale at 6.7%abv. Really excellent brew!

We stopped by at five pm but the kitchen didn't open until six so we ordered a "ploughman's plate." This consisted of pickled onions, hot mustard, chutney, about five slices of brown bread and a generous serving of cheese; must have been about a pound!

The brewery is quite small. On display were what appeared to be three serving tanks and one fermenter. No brewmaster on duty so I couldn't quiz him about the beers.

I thought we received good value at the Lord Nelson. The food was AU$10 and the beers were AU$6 per pint. Total of about $16.50 US.

Highly recommended! We plan at least one more visit during our Australia vacation.

08-17-2006 22:05:37 | More by joedon

drtth

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$$

Reviewed from notes taken on a recent visit to Sydney.

Made the visit on a busy Saturday evening. The downstairs bar was quite crowded and somewhat noisy but we found a barrel to stand around and set the beers on while chatting and waiting for a table to open up at the restaurant upstairs.

Generally the amosphere in the bar was congenial and everyone was clearly there to enjoy themselves and relax. Lots of wood in evidence and its clear this place has been in business for a quite long time. Struck me a nice place on a quieter evening to stop by, have a couple of beers and a good chat with friends. (No TVs!) The bar was busy but service was just fine. The range of beers on offer was limited to about 5 of the Lord Nelson's range but those we tried were fine, if not outstanding.

Going upstairs for dinner was like entering a different establishment. The room was well appointed and quiet, tables were widely spaced and it was clear that this was a place for fine dining. The service was very attentive and the server very knowledgeable. I had a preparation of Barramundi I'd not tried before and found it to be excellent.

However, with the US and Aussie dollar almost at parity while I was there I did experience some sticker shock at the price of the food.

11-02-2010 02:05:13 | More by drtth