You have to look hard to find a chicken schnitty at the West Village. Instead, tables are tucking into homemade kimchi poutine, quinoa salads.
It was not so long ago that this palatial Petersham pub was infamous for its Jurassic-sized chicken schnitzels. From the menu to the dining room, almost everything except the building itself is virtually unrecognisable from the days of its previous incarnation, The White Cockatoo.
Goodbye The White Cocktaoo, hello West Village. Image by Alana Dimou
Gone are the carpets and kitsch, although a few pieces of Australiana memorabilia sits on the shelves above the bar. Now the West Village is hipster chic, with just the right amount of grunge. Expect exposed brick, recycled timber tables, vintage mirrors and a few touches of the original pub tiling.
Like the tiling, West Village has kept a few pub classics on the menu, but chef Sam Thomson has worked his magic to ensure your meal will be way more than just pub grub.
These are dishes you won’t want to share! Image by Alana Dimou
Head to the bar menu for cheeseburgers and a chicken schnitzel but make a beeline for the restaurant’s more elaborate delights. Kimchi Poutine is set to be a new pub classic while the generous Stockman’s Board is great if you want to nibble over a few drinks.
A hearty veal schnitzel will fill you right up – pair it with the oh-so-salty-and-scrumptious rosemary salt shoestring fries and the grain salad, a roasted vege medley topped with a melt-in-your-mouth baked goats cheese. With summer well and truly on its way, the quinoa, chicken, kale and pomegranate salad is fresh and bursting with flavor. From crab fettuccini to a filet steak, there’s something for just about every taste bud.
Batch bottled cocktails hit the spot. Image by Alana Dimou
A similar tactic is going on at the bar, where you can order your beer, wine, spirits and cocktails – but then there’s the Bottled Cocktails. Don’t be put off by the name. This is nothing like bottle orange juice when all you want is some freshly squeezed vitamin c. The team are batch bottling their own fruity cocktails – elderflower and lychee caprioska anyone? Cocktail flavours change seasonally and lightly carbonated on site.
The new outdoor courtyard (dog friendly) is set to be rebranded as the Patio in coming months, and will operate as a breakfast bar catering for the commuters catching the train from the station literally across the road.
West Village
30 Terminus Street, Petersham
T: 02 9569 4675
Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 10am – midnight
Sun: 10am – 10pm
westvillagesydney.com.au/
