You might wonder where to tie up the horse and hang your Stetson at this Surry Hills newbie as the fit out is more western saloon than Italian Stallion, but the The Flinders/Norfolk/Carrington boys know how to mix things up.
Red tiled high tables, rattan ceiling, wagon wheel chandeliers and quirky wall hangings have created a new watering hole worth rounding up the herd for.
Things turn Italiano when you peruse the menu – look out Sydney’s best pizza joints, The Forresters is a serious contender.
Choose flame licked ‘White’ bases like speck and fontina, or nduja (a Calabrian spicy spreadable sausage) with mashed potato and tallegio cheese. Or go ‘Red’ with prosciutto, pineapple and jalapeno or splash out on ‘Pay Day Pizza’ with lobster, truffle and truffled salami.
The fun and surprises rock-on with snacks of spicy deep fried cauliflower, oozing stringy smoked mozzarella arancini and addictive ‘Poppers’ of deep fried red pepper stuffed with pork and sage. For the hungrier lot, there’s an open flame rotisserie charring everything from chicken and beef to duck and goat. This stuff is finger lickin, buddy bonding fodder.
The bar staff whip up a mean cocktail – ‘Idiots Delight’ anyone? – while the beer and wine list is a good mix of Occa and Nonna’s favourites.
So don’t hold your horses, get on one, and gallop down for $3 pizza slices on Wednesdays.
The Forresters
336 Riley Street (cnr Foveaux Street), Surry Hills 2010
T: 02 9212 3035
Open seven days; Monday – Wednesday, 12pm to 12am; Thursday – Saturday, 12pm – 1am; Sunday 12pm – 10pm. Food served til 10pm daily.
