The Sheaf
429 New South Head Road, Double Bay, Sydney, NSW, 2043
+61 9327 5877

Walking through Double Bay has always felt a bit like a vacation from the #realworld.

It’s a place where everyone has nice hair, you can smell the perfume from the boutiques from a block away, and there are always pretty flowers dotted along the sidewalks. There is literally nothing to dislike about Double Bay, unless you’re morally opposed things that are aesthetically pleasing for the sake of being so. Or if you feel an aversion to the Eastern Suburbs as a general vibe.

Lord help you if that’s the case because this place is the crux of everything E.S and The Sheaf has been the gathering point between Bondi, Rose Bay and everywhere to the right of Kings Cross.

The Sheaf almost exists as more of a verb than a venue. “Going to The Sheaf” used to mean a multitude of activities ranging from looking for a hook up, to having a big night, to clocking off early on a Friday and sitting in the beer garden for an afternoon.

All utterly respectable things for a freewheeling young thing to do but in the end nobody ever likes being known for being a bit of an easy make.

So there’s been a shake up at The Sheaf and it’s been so effective that we’ve gone from occasional frequenters to complete regulars. How we’ve ended up there 3 times in 3 weeks when we’re based on the Inner West is probably testament how improved things are.

The Garden Bar has been given something of a Cape Cod-esque makeover, with extra flourishes of brass lamps and light timber, making it feel like less of a bar and more like a club house for the Kennedys. Which we’re sure is no mistake because this is the kind of place you bring a few friends and settle in.

The menu has also been given a do-over. The classic steak favourites remain but the rest has been renovated with long lunches in mind. Not many pub menus include starters and close with an extensive tea and single original coffee option, placing The Sheaf in this curious middle ground between pub and mid-range restaurant. Not an easy place to be but at present it seems to be excelling at both. Who doesn’t love a bit of ambition?

The new stage of renovations due in late 2015 will no doubt prove that this Eastern Suburbs beauty has a lot more depth than we all gave it credit for.

Highly recommended

The Pulled Pork Pizza. It’s a thin-based crowd pleaser that goes down great with a side of sunshine and glass of rose.