Coogee Bay Hotel: a beachside classic
It’s hard to believe that this iconic Sydney super pub got its start way, way back in 1873. Now in its 137th year, the Coogee Bay Hotel still occupies the same fantastic spot opposite Coogee Beach, although it’s expanded considerably since those old time tavern days. So much so, in fact, that it now sports seven bars, a boutique hotel, a brasserie, two liquor shops and Selinas, a 1,800 person capacity nightclub/live music venue.
A towel’s throw from the sand, the CB’s beer garden is the perfect place to throw back a few, munch on a burger, kick back and enjoy the beachside vibe. There’s nightly acoustic entertainment at the beach bar, or for something a little more loud and sweaty, Selinas throws regular dance parties and hosts renowned DJs and local and international bands.
By day it’s popular with families, and the brasserie restaurant busily serves up fry-up breakfasts, barramundi burgers, fresh fish, salad and steaks including a monster 1.2kg ‘Tomahawk’.
The CB is famously known as a backpacker magnet and on any given evening you’re likely to find punters from every nationality glued to the screens in the sports bar or brushing the sand off their board shorts in the beer garden.
Should you want to extend your stay past closing time (which is 5am on a Saturday/Sunday), there’s good quality accommodation to suit every budget, with a stylish bayside boutique wing and a more basic heritage wing. Coogee by night in the peak of summer may not be for everyone, but if you want to be in the thick of things, and right by one of the best beaches in the east, the CBH is hard to beat.
Posted by Fiona Davies
