Yesterday was my mates graduation (Congrats g!) so naturally we were at the pub celebrating. (Note to self: drinking on a Monday night isn’t as easy as it use to be – you’re getting old!). My mate actually has to graduate again in a few years, because she now has to do post-grad, so last night was just the practice round.

One of the things I love about Sydney is that there are heaps of funky pubs and bars scattered across town. Last night we were at one of my favourite pubs, The Clare. The Clare is great for a lot of things, firstly the beer is cheap. We’re talking $10 jugs of Coopers – AWESOME. And because its so cheap its extremely dangerous, especially on a Monday night followed by an early start on Tuesday morning. The next great thing about The Clare is the decor. It’s all from the 70’s, I’m not just talking 70’s themed, but seriously from the 70’s. You’d look at the swivel chairs or fabric lamps or long leather lounges and think “I’m pretty sure mum’s got a lamp like that in the garage”. Most of the walls are plastered with old festival or gig posters. So as you’re sitting on a lounge from the 70’s in this dimly lit pub sipping (or skulling) your beer, you can reminisce about the good times you had at GV ‘08 or at that Ben Harper concert (before he turned rocky).

Now I can’t finish this post without mentioning one of the greatest things about The Clare – the outdoor area. It’s not your typical timber clad beer garden with over-sized umbrellas and pots and a water feature, it’s simply an alleyway out the back. No joke! When your out the back sitting on a beer keg looking at the crocodile graffiti on the wall you kinda forget where you are (especially after a few drinks). Sometimes it just feels like you’re in a mates backyard because everyone knows your name…

Oh, and there’s old-school pac-man and space invaders – need I say more. The Clare is awesome – true story.