The Beauchamp Hotel – Darlinghurst
Considering myself highly cultured after spending a few weeks in France chasing backpackers, I’ve always pronounced The Beauchamp as if it were a French word – and it’s only now, while writing this review, that I find out it’s actually pronounced “Beech’um”.
Live and learn. I’ve also learnt not to order cocktails from this bar – but I’ll get to that in a moment.
Even though the Beauchamp isn’t renowned for its cocktail skills I nonetheless insisted my gay wingman buy me drinks here for my birthday simply because I’ve always liked the look of the place. It might not be pronounced in a French way but there’s something about the second-floor windows that’s reminiscent of an 18th-century European drinking hole. Or maybe it’s just my imagination.
I also wanted to come here because the staff have always been friendly here, which is a huge plus, and the food’s not bad – the second last time I was here I had some nice salt and pepper calamari.
This time my wingman and I go upstairs. It’s late on a Friday night and the bar is crowded but not jam packed. Most people here are in their 20s and 30s and the music is dance-driven. The cocktail menu is laminated, which doesn’t inspire confidence, but the barmaid who greets us is friendly and so, having faith in her, I order a margarita for myself while my GM gets a whiskey sour.
The margarita isn’t bad but it is too sour. Even though this drink seems simple to make, it’s easy for it to end up being mediocre rather than fantastic – and unfortunately the margarita here falls into the former category. My friend’s whiskey sour comes out pink rather than yellow, which is a concern, and it turns out they put too much bitters in it – and as a result it tastes too sweet. I actually don’t mind it but my friend refuses to drink more than half because he finds himself feeling ill. In desperation I end up mixing both my margarita and the whiskey sour together and despite the GM’s scepticism I maintain that my mongrel of a concoction doesn’t taste half bad.
Bar Zine only reviews bars that we like and we still give the Beachamp a thumbs up because it has a friendly and cosy air to it. There are a number of comfortable chairs and sofas upstairs and it has one of the nicest smoking courtyards in the area. In other words, I’m sure I’ll be back for beer, wine and spirits – but I’ll give the cocktails a miss.
Now it’s your turn – how do you rate The Beauchamp Hotel?
(4 votes, average: 2.75 out of 5)
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The Beauchamp Hotel, 265-267 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. Corner of Oxford and South Dowling Streets. Phone 9331 2575, see the Beauchamp Hotel website
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