After five thirsty years awaiting some Merivale magic, the beloved and rescued Alexandria Hotel will soon officially open ‘Backyard at the Alex’.
Billed as an “outdoor community hub” for socialising over great food and drinks, the fit-out takes inspiration from a classic family yard.
Inside, the pub is currently stripped bare, with no working kitchen.
Only outside will be open, as a family- and dog-friendly place, decked with long communal tables, and grandstand seating centred around a basketball court.
Live entertainment from local musicians and DJs will play, alongside outdoor screen for all types of sporting fans. And Merivale has clarified the famously Sydney Swans-supporting venue will continue its dedication to the red & whites.
Sans kitchen, it will host a rotating roster of food trucks, starting with Wholly Schnit, serving a range of handmade chicken schnitzels and sides, and Firepop, specialising in Yakitori-style bamboo skewers made using local ingredients.
The third truck will produce a selection of Merivale’s top pub hits, such as Dan Hong’s cheeseburger spring rolls.
In response to a local movement protesting the heritage pub’s planned demolition and redevelopment, pub guru Justin Hemmes bought it “spur of the moment” in 2016 for $10 million.
Joining an already dynamic and growing portfolio, it has stood idle while the group determined its best outcome. Incorporating an enormous footprint and outdoor space, it is now seen as well-suited to rules around patron numbers and floorspace ratios as Sydneysiders burst back to social life.
“Prompted by the COVID lockdowns and the heightened passion to reconnect and socialise, and in an outdoor environment, we are very excited to be reopening such an important community hub,” Hemmes explained to PubTIC.
Backyard at the Alex is expected to open early November, from midday to midnight Wednesday to Saturday, until 10pm Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday.
UPDATE: Backyard at the Alex opens from Friday, 12 November.
