If you’re a retrosexual like me then Honey Rider ticks all the boxes. Named after a James Bond girl? Check. A bar counter up front with leather stools you can perch on with a devil may care swagger? Check. 70s-style lounges down the back where you can lure the North Shore women with pick-up lines straight from a Playboy magazine? Check – not that any of the lines work for me.

What really impresses me, though, is the blackboard behind the bar counter that shows all the different bourbons and rums they can make an Old Fashioned cocktail with.

I opt for the Bulleit bourbon Old Fashioned ($17), made with vanilla sugar and orange bitters, and watch as the bartender slowly adds the bourbon, then some ice cubes, and stirs, before adding more bourbon and stirring again, and repeating the process a third time. Whether or not this is the best way to make an Old Fashioned is arguable – some say it is, others believe it dilutes the drink too much. However, as I’m always hungry for any attention that’s bestowed on me – or my drinks – I’m happy to watch the repetition of stirring and pouring. My only quibble is that the bartender then serves it without any orange peel – but the other bartender (possibly the manager) notices this and then comes up to flame a peel and twist it into my drink to finish it off, which I appreciate.

With that note of cocktail nerdery out of the way I can now quickly deal with the ambiance: blues music is playing, upside down pot plants hang from the ceiling, there are exposed brick walls, a collection of old siphons above the back bar, wooden floorboards and lots of women. Then again, every bar I go to in the North Shore has more women than the bars in the inner city – perhaps it’s time I gave up on my pseudo hipster ways and moved north.

PS oh yes: I forgot to cover other basic details that should go in a review such as:

• Food: there’s pizza from $9.50
• Beer: they have 4 Pines Heffenweizen beer (which I love) for $7
• Girly cocktails: available, such as the Cham 69 – Chambord, Smirnoff black, Amaretto, fresh lime juice and lemonade for $16
• Classic cocktails other than the Old Fashioned: include mojitos, Vespers and the negroni
• Conclusion: A cute, stylish bar with counter stools, a love of classic drinks and just a hint of swagger.

Honey Rider, 230 Military Road, Neutral Bay. Open Tuesday to Saturday until midnight, Sunday until 10pm. See the Honey Rider website

Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Honey Rider?

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Related posts:

1. Old Fashioned cocktail recipe
2. The Oaks – Neutral Bay
3. Firefly – Neutral Bay

Politics and alcohol often go hand in hand, which might explain why so many new bars have political names. You have Hinky Dinks, coined after a corrupt polly from Chicago; The Roosevelt and, in Cremorne, The Mayor.

Located where the post office used to be, The Mayor is a stylish bar and restaurant where the walls are covered with black and white photos of mayors and the occasional quote from them – I particularly like “A conservative is a liberal who was mugged the night before” by Frank Rizzo, an outspoken former mayor of Philadelphia.

There’s a large dark wooden middle bar in the centre with comfy leather stools all around (which alone makes me like the place – to me, that’s the ideal bar setup), along with leather banquettes, tables, chesterfield sofas and a large window with venetian blinds facing Military Road.

It’s a weeknight and the place is bustling to the point where I only just squeeze myself in at the bar. I’m not on the North Shore often so I decide a stiff drink is order and opt for the Hurricane ($17), which the menu says is a secret house-made tropical rum punch with fresh fruit and burnt orange syrup. Pale yellow with an orange wheel perched on top of the glass, this is a well-made punch that’s ridiculously easy to drink – if you don’t like the taste of liquor then this is for you. As if to synchronise with my drink, Bob Dylan’s Hurricane starts playing on the sound system. I wonder what would have played if I had ordered the Sneaky Sneaky instead (a shot of apple brandy and apple cider – $18). There’s also a good wine list, with vinos from Mudgee to Argentina and beers that include Bluetongue Lager, Peroni and Bruers Bright.

The restaurant serves meals such as the club sandwich ($19), crispy southern wings with coleslaw, blue cheese and sweet sour dips ($17) and chicken breast stuffed with ricotta, preserved lemon with brik-wrapped Israeli cous cous and jus ($26) – but since the Hurricane gave me my daily serve of fruit and I’m squeezed between two different groups at the bar, I decide to try the food on my next visit.

(I was going to end with a lame joke about not having the stomach for politics but even my cat shot it down … )

The Mayor, 400 Military Road, Cremorne. See The Mayor website. Open for lunch and dinner 6 days a week.

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Related posts:

1. Minsky’s – Cremorne
2. Vino Bravo – Cremorne

Never let it be said I don’t listen to readers – and so when someone recommended a new small Italian wine bar in Bar Zine’s forum section (it’s a new part of the site that you can use to talk to each other or me about bars, drinks, events or felines) I took a deep breath, asked my cat to bless me for luck, and headed over to the dark side (aka Cremorne) to check it out.

Vino Bravo is located where a dentist’s office was many moons ago – a piece of boring trivia that I nonetheless point out because I worked in the office above it in the 90s and was madly infatuated with the dental assistant who didn’t know I existed (I’ve always liked women who wield sharp implements). Now, as I sit at the pressed metal bar counter next to two women who also seem oblivious to my presence, I realise that while the liquor licensing laws might have changed, my mojo hasn’t.

The female bartender approaches and, happy to have a friendly female acknowledge my existence, I readily agree to her wine suggestion – namely the Logan Weemala 2011 pinot noir ($9). It’s a good pinot – flavoursome and with a subtle aroma – and the wine list also stocks a good range of Italian vinos as well.

The bar is tiny, colourful and lively. There are tables, red armchairs, bright photos and an exposed brick wall down the back, while the bar counter with naked bulbs dangling above it is up the front, complete with metal stools. Most of the food here is light Italian bar fare – think sopressa plates, crostini with sardines, as well as panini with three cheeses. They also have Italian beer such as the Moretti ($8.5) and some Italian cocktails, including a negroni, bellini, and the Italian screwdriver (citron vodka, orange juice, grapefruit juice, splash ginger ale).

And … that’s all I have to say, making this possibly the briefest review in Bar Zine history. If you think I did a crap job and would like to add to it then leave a comment below:

Vino Bravo, 350 Military Road, Cremorne. See the Vino Bravo website. Open Monday to Saturday until midnight, Sunday until 10pm.

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Related posts:

1. Minsky’s – Cremorne

I can describe The White Hart in one paragraph: it’s a cross between an olde-English pub and an upmarket cocktail bar, wedged into a small bar that’s on a small back road in Cremorne.

In other words, it’s full of contradictions – and yet somehow manages to pull it off.

I turn up on a Friday night to meet a posse of women who I barely know (luckily my male ego likes to be surrounded by attractive women, even though I know none of them will want to go home to meet my cat). The bar is busy, with every sofa and table full, and I find the posse defending a tall table in front of the bar counter.

The décor is quirky in a stylish way: there are gold-coloured bird-cage light fixtures, yellow banquettes, black and white photos and boxing gloves on the wall and a blue-tiled bar counter with an impressive back-bar behind it. The menu, for those weak-livered people who inexplicably eat rather than just drink in bars, is in line with gastro-pub fare – think bread and butter puddings, fish and chips, pork belly and lamb rump with Yorkshire pudding. Ok, maybe I ought to try eating here sometime.

Tonight, however, I’m here for the drinks and the drinks alone. I order a Cornwall Negroni, which is a twist on a standard negroni by having Punt e Mes and orange bitters in addition to the usual London dry gin, sweet vermouth and Campari. I’d normally be suspect of tampering with the negroni, which is one of my all time favourite cocktails, but this works so well I want to try it at home. It’s also served in a silver goblet, which my posse says improves my mojo. I think they’re just humouring me, however, and that in reality it makes me look like Harry Potter.

The crowd here seems friendly but it’s so loud that we move on to another bar, and it’s only several hours later that I go back to The White Hart with one of the women in an attempt to sweet talk her further about my cat.

This time I order the Polish Mule, made with spiced ginger beer and Polish vodka, while the woman – I’m tempted to call her the Sultry Secretary, even though she works as an executive assistant – orders the Southern Punch, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, elderflower cordial, apple juice, and citrus bitters.

My mule is crisp and refreshing after a hard night’s drinking – if you like ginger beer you’ll love this – and the apple and bitters work well with the bourbon in the SS’s punch. I hate to compliment a bar’s cocktails without any criticism but you can tell a lot of thought has gone into these ones. Then again, the man who created the cocktail list here is Grant Collins, who is also behind Zeta Bar’s concoctions and is one of Australia’s more respected bartenders – so you’d expect the cocktails here to be well crafted.

It’s now closing time and as the SS and I head out the door I refer one last time to my cat’s beautiful champagne-coloured coat of hair. A sobering breeze hits the SS as she looks at me oddly, smiles awkwardly and then suddenly sprints down the street like Cathy Freeman in heels. I can only assume she’s a dog person.

The White Hart, 19-21 Grosvenor Street, Neutral Bay. See The White Hart website

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1. The Oaks – Neutral Bay
2. White Revolver – Bondi Beach
3. Firefly – Neutral Bay

As far as fantasies go I thought this was relatively achievable. The dream was to go to Delicado by myself, grab an outside table, and as the wind rippled through my hair I’d enjoy a nice glass of Spanish wine while tucking into some tapas and a good book. There I would revel in the pleasure of my own company and only make an exception when a gorgeous North Shore maiden, no doubt unable to resist my lone wolf nature and wind-swept locks, would swoop down and insist on ravishing me in her McMahons Point mansion while her slaves made us cocktails.

Like I said, I thought it was relatively achievable.

Sitting outside was a crucial part of the fantasy since I’d come to Delicado once before on a Saturday afternoon and sat inside next to the kitchen and deli counter (you can also buy Spanish smallgoods here) where I then felt cooped up and claustrophobic (I was, however, happy with my glass of the 2003 Toscar tempranillo wine and my bocadillo [roll] filled with jamon [Spanish ham, which is similar to prosciutto]).

Yet when I arrive this evening my fantasy rapidly deflates. I’m met by a waiter who reminds me of Michel, the haughty concierge from the Gilmore Girls (yes, I’m a sad, sad man for even knowing this), who looks almost disgusted when I tell him I’m by myself and, even though it’s the middle of the week and half the tables outside are free, he tells me I have to sit inside – and leads me to a table hidden in a corner where I won’t offend too many people with my presence.

This doesn’t sit well with me and I’d normally argue but, to be honest, I had spotted a woman outside who I once had a dalliance with and so I decide that maybe I’m better off inside after all (there’s also a courtyard to the side that is deserted, with chairs up on tables, but it looks too lonely even for me).

Another waiter who’s much more welcoming then comes to serve me and I order a glass of the Solar Viejo 2005 crianza and the garlic prawns with black rice (made with ink squid), shallots and aioli (a thick, creamy garlic sauce).

The crianza is gorgeous – there’s no other word for it (technically, the word crianza means the wine has been kept in an oak barrel for a year). The flavours are well balanced, making this seem light and certainly delightful to drink, and the aroma smacks of goodness – to be honest, if I wasn’t still smarting over the Gilmore Girls waiter I’d go straight to the bottle shop attached to Delicado and buy a bottle.

The prawns arrive and at first sight I’m not impressed – for $22 there are just three of them nestled on black rice. However, I change my mind as soon as I try them. The prawns are full of flavour, the aioli adds some zing, but it’s the rice that’s the standout. Last time I had black rice was in Spain, where the flavour was overpowering, but this version is fantastic: creamy (and much softer than the black rice I had in Spain) and with a slightly smoky flavour (I suspect they might have used smoked paprika and certainly some white wine in making this). I don’t know enough about black rice to be able to say which dish is more authentic, but I definitely think the Delicado one is the winner.

Unfortunately my North Shore maiden never swooped on me (I can go without the ravishing, but the slave-made cocktails would have been nice), and to be honest I won’t ever come back to Delicado by myself – but the food and wine are good enough for me to maybe come back with a friend the next time I feel a strong Spanish craving.

Delicado, 134 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point. Phone 9955 9399 or see the Delicado website. Open six days Tuesday to Sunday. Breakfast until 11:30am (they serve bloody marys after 11am) and lunch and dinner until 10pm.

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Preteens might be listening to Hannah Montana these days but when I was a wee lad I was obsessed with Billy Joel’s Piano Man. I didn’t understand half the lyrics and I was over nine years away from being able to legally drink, but the song’s tale of gin-soaked hacks and the seen-it-all piano man who croons to them was an inspiration that possibly explains why I now run a site like Bar Zine. It also explains my enduring love affair with Minsky’s.

Located on top of the Hotel Cremorne, Minsky’s is a time capsule of a bar that’s been around for close to 26 years. Old movie posters line the walls, neon pulses like it’s 1979 and John Watson, the resident piano man, pounds the ivories while singing late 70s and early 80s songs such as Tiny Dancer and yes, Piano Man, as a crowd hovers around him.

The crowd here is mixed: on one hand you have older folk who still think this is hip (a friend of mine describes it as a cougar bar, although I’m far too innocent to be able to endorse that view) while on the other you always see a new generation of 18- and 19-year-old locals who are lucky enough to experience this for the first time. Actually, I’m not sure lucky is the right word but hey, it’s certainly an experience.

There are several other bars in the complex, from the street-level sports bar and bistro to the upstairs pool hall and SoBar nightclub but for Bar Zine’s money it’s the Minsky’s Piano Room that makes it worth going to. It’s open from 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays but only starts to buzz after midnight. Shoulder pads, big hair and Miami Vice-style leisure suits are optional.

Minsky’s, Hotel Cremorne, 287 Military Road, Cremorne. Phone 9909 8888 or see the Minksys / Hotel Cremorne website

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Related posts:

1. Vino Bravo – Cremorne

North Sydney is in dire need of good wine bars and an unexpected saviour has come in the form of a bottle shop that turned a corner of its floor space into a mini restaurant and bar.

I’m not entirely sure which of its three names I ought to use, however. The store is North Sydney Cellars but the street sign says Drink Better Wine and the bar inside is called The Oasi. Regardless, it’s located on the bottom of an office building on Miller Street, the ambiance here is … well, let’s call it functional. The inside area is filled with tables and has a bright, café feel while the outside section has slightly more of a bar atmosphere to it at night. However, there’s a good buzz thanks to the customers (most of whom are office workers although there seems to be a few locals), the service is friendly and most importantly the selection of wine is outstanding.

I’m here with a North Shore native who insists on calling herself Our Lady of the North and we’ve just come from having cocktails at the Union Hotel. It’s past 9pm on a Friday and North Sydney is beginning to empty, but there’s still a lively crowd at Drink Better Wine.

We grab two glasses of the 2006 Clos Clare Grenache, which turns out to be the best wine I’ve had in a bar for a long time. The aroma is sweet and full while the flavour is fruity with berry overtones. I make a note to myself to come back at some point and buy a bottle.

We also grab a cheese plate with Manchego (a Spanish cheese made from sheep milk), Roquefort and Brie, all of which is served with dried grapes and apple slices. All three of our cheeses are gorgeous and I especially recommend the Manchego, which has a gentle, creamy flavour. Those after heartier fare can also order meals such as pasta, a mushroom risotto, various paninis and a twice-baked Gruyere soufflé.

Unable to stop at just one glass, I finish off with a glass of the 2006 Massena “Howling Dog” Durif, which has a strong, bold spicy taste and leaves a velvety smooth feel in the mouth. If you like shiraz then I suggest giving this a shot.

If you’re after a seductively atmospheric bar then this isn’t it – but if you feel like some great wine then you can’t go wrong here. Furthermore, you can also order wine in 60ml tasting cups (ranging in price from $4 to $45) if you don’t want to commit to a whole glass or, heaven forbid, a bottle.

Drink Better Wine, 189 Miller Street (corner of Berry Street and opposite Historic Rag and Famish Pub), North Sydney. Phone 9954 0090 or see the Drink Better Wine website. Open Tuesday to Saturday. Sundays and Mondays closed from 4pm.

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Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Drink Better Wine / Oasi?

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1. Union Hotel – North Sydney
2. Alberts – North Sydney
3. Firehouse – North Sydney

The Blondie song Union City Blues goes through my head as I head up to the Union Hotel but when I walk in I find myself faced with more of a faux French vibe than Blondie’s gritty New York feel. In the large paved courtyard out the back there’s a fake Parisian street sign hanging near a fake fountain (well, there is a faucet above the fountain, so I guess it’s only half fake), and in the main bar there are prints of French posters for aperitifs. While I’m not a big fan of the French theme the overall look here is still smart, upmarket and comfortable, with a hint of art deco about the furnishings – which might explain why this is one of my friend’s locals.

The friend is an ex-work colleague who moved from Bondi to the North Shore – or as she puts it, the dark side – several months ago and as we sip on our drinks she describes the décor here as a modern take on art nouveau. Then again, she also says she’d like me to refer to her in this article as Our Lady of the North, so it’s hard to take her too seriously.

After catching up over beers and wine in the courtyard, where she tells me that her boyfriend loves coming here for the giant TV screens that are apparently perfect for watching the footy on, we then move inside for cocktails. It’s a Friday night and the crowd here is a mix of locals and office workers. I spy a cute woman across the room and tell Our Lady of the North that I’m going in for the kill, but OLOTN (aka my friend) says she’ll disown me if I do since she doesn’t want me to embarrass her in her local pub. With my romantic dreams dashed I then seek solace in a vanilla negroni while my friend, who I’ll call the anti-cupid rather than Our Lady of the North, gets a margarita.

A negroni is made from gin, Campari and sweet vermouth and is one of my favourite drinks because of its strong, bittersweet flavour. I’ve never had one with vanilla added to it and at first I actually like it – but halfway through I begin to find the vanilla overwhelming. The anti-cupid gives it a taste and immediately screws up her face. “It’s like licking granny’s mothballs!” she exclaims.

The margarita is better but nothing special, leading both of us to wonder if they used fresh lime juice to make it (although I’ve certainly had worse). However, my attention soon goes back to the cute woman who caught my eye and, taking pity on me, the anti-cupid changes her mind and says I should approach her. I summon up the courage, stand up and … the woman then leaves with her friend at the crucial moment. Sensing my loss, Our Lady of the North takes pity on me and suggests we try another bar … but that’ll be a whole other review.

Union Hotel, 271 Pacific Highway (on the corner of West Street), North Sydney. Phone 9955 5844 or see the Union Hotel website. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to midnight, and Sunday 11am to 10pm.

Now it’s your turn – how do you rate this bar?
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Related posts:

1. Union Hotel – Newtown
2. Drink Better Wine / The Oasi – North Sydney
3. Alberts – North Sydney

I’ve been sitting in the Corner Bar of Alberts for 15 minutes and I’m still not sure where to look. On one side there’s a painting of several naked women in a scene reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut. Underneath it there’s a sofa with retro cushions and two career women sitting on it who studiously ignore me (and I can’t help noticing that one looks worryingly like an an ex of mine). Further along the wall there’s the bar counter that’s placed underneath a bizarre cylindrical column that looks like it came from the set of Star Trek and, on the other side of the room, there’s an odd-looking man sitting by himself who’s cackling like a jackal.

The Corner Bar is the swankier part of Alberts and whereas in the next room there’s a TV, jukebox and large groups of men eating steak and wedges underneath bright lights, the Corner Bar is a little more sedate. The window is open, allowing a breeze from the intersection of Mount and Walker streets to blow in while office workers rush past, and both the lights and sound system, which is currently playing an 80s pop song, are on low. Even the women in the erotic painting look relaxed, as if their nightly exertions are already over with.

To be in tune with this laid-back vibe I ordered a caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail with cachaca (a spirit made from sugar cane), muddled lime and sugar, that the friendly barman insisted on bringing out to me. As I now sip it I decide it’s good but should have more sugar in it. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t like cocktails to be sweet – but this is too sour for a caipirinha (and at $17, you expect a premium cocktail).

I’m just about to order a glass of red when the two career women get up to go and a John Farnham song starts playing – which collectively forms my cue to leave. I still think the Corner Bar is one of the better bars in North Sydney, and certainly one of the most intimate, but it’s time for me to re-enter the real world again.

Alberts, 100 Mount Street, North Sydney. See the Alberts website or phone 9955 9097.

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1. Firehouse – North Sydney
2. Drink Better Wine / The Oasi – North Sydney
3. Union Hotel – North Sydney

The most interesting thing about Firefly, a tapas bar with a clean modern design, is that it opened at all – after all, up until now the only obvious places to drink in the area were The Oaks, The Pickled Possum and The Cremorne Lounge (home to Minskys and SoBar).

In other words, despite opening up in an economic downturn, at least Firefly is targeting a relatively untapped market – which might explain why it’s often hard to find an empty seat here, even on a Monday evening.

The atmosphere is relaxed and while the smell of Spanish food fills the room Firefly still feels more like a bar than a restaurant. Amongst the wood paneling and stone walls there are sofas, small café-style tables and chairs as well as long open windows to allow you to watch the North Shore world pass you by as you drink. There’s also a bench for larger groups.

The long wine list is impressive – or perhaps we should say formidable, since there are more bottles here that cost over $100 than under $50. There are some interesting Australian choices, such as the $200 1993 Moss Wood cab sav, as well as wines from Portugal, Italy, France, Chile and Argentina. However, we end up being happy with a $9 glass of Chilean carmenere.

The cocktail list is brief by comparison but the selection is intriguing. The grapefruit martini ($18), for example, is made from gin, Massenez grapefruit and grapefruit bitters and yet it still feels like you’re drinking a proper martini. The grapefruit flavour certainly comes through, but it’s tart rather than being sweet and fruity and works well.

The high tea caipiroska ($15) is made from muddled mandarin and lime, vodka, and bergamot and Earl Grey syrup (bergamot is a small, oddly shaped citrus whose rind is used in Earl Grey tea for its aroma). The syrup’s flavour is too strong for our liking but if you love citrus – or tea – then you may feel differently to us.

Those after something lighter might like the Hemingway daiquiri ($16). Made with Matusalem Platino rum, maraschino liqueur, gomme (a highly sugary syrup that has gum arabic added to make it smoother) and pink grapefruit juice, it’s subtle in flavour, easy to drink and a far cry from the rich fruity daiquiris you often see in bars.

Another easy to drink option is the Bitter and Twisted ($13 – lychee, blood orange juice, Campari and Eliza sparkling chardonnay) – then again, Bar Zine’s female companion says she likes it simply because she relates to the name.

The tapas here obviously have a Spanish and Portuguese influence and include salt cod croquettes ($10.50 – as the name indicates, it’s salty and might be an acquired taste for some), chilli chicken chorizo ($9) and Petunas smoked trout with crème fraiche ($14). The rest of the menu, however, is harder to pin down: the mains range from gazpacho ($13) to spaghetti with pork and veal meatballs ($19), plus there’s a selection of cheeses from France, England, Italy as well as South Australia.

Firefly is open for breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays, serving churros (a Spanish pastry similar to a donut) with a thick chocolate dipping sauce for $10.50 and a Berocca and soda ($4.90) for those who had too many martinis the night before. A $12 Bloody Mary is available from 10 am for more hardcore relief.

The meals and cocktails here are affordable and different to your usual bar fare, and even though the wine list can seem intimidating you have to give Firefly credit for having an impressive range – and for allowing you to have a Bloody Mary and fried churros for breakfast.

Now it’s your turn – how do you rate Firefly?
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Firefly, 24 Young St, Neutral Bay. Phone 02 9909 0193, email firefly@fireflybar.com.au or see the Firefly website. Open for breakfast Saturday to Sunday 7.30am until noon, for lunch Monday to Sunday noon to 3pm and for dinner Sunday to Thursday 6pm until 9.30pm and Friday to Saturday 6pm until 10pm.

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Related posts:

1. The Oaks – Neutral Bay
2. The White Hart – Neutral Bay