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Odd Culture

266 King Street, Newtown, NSW 2042
Phone
02 8317 3057
Website
oddculture.group
Instagram
@oddculturenewtown

Read time 4 Mins

Posted 17 Jun 2022

By
Alexandra Carlton

Bright natural light meets brightness on the palate at this lively neighbourhood restaurant and bar that focuses on fermenting, pickling, yeasts and bubbles with happy results.

man enjoying his drink on bar counter
Why you goThe concept might seem confronting at first: a bar-restaurant hybrid with a focus on fermentation. You wouldn’t be blamed for expecting a pucker-fest of vinegar, excessively textured natural wines and other stuff that sounds more cheffy than approachable. But you’d be wrong. The best way to describe the food, wine and beer at Odd Culture is – lively. This is a bright, happy way to eat and drink – it zings and buzzes, from the sparkly natural bubbles to the fresh green herbs and lime of the raw beef salad. Considering the team’s hospitality pedigree – they also run the show at The Old Fitzroy Hotel, The Duke of Enmore and The Oxford Tavern – it shouldn’t be surprising that Odd Culture does what it does very, very well.
Why you stayThe atmosphere matches what’s on your plate – it’s bursting with brightness and character, from the patrons’ lively chatter to the typically matey inner-west service. It’s also literally bright: unlike most venues in this area, which are often constrained by the neighbourhood’s cramped, heritage architecture, the team have managed to flood both the lower-level bar area and upper-level restaurant with natural light from the huge open windows that face onto busy King Street to the skylights in the ceiling. It all feels like a big breath of fresh air. 
Odd Culture interior . People having fun, sitting and drinking.
Bartender mixing glasses in Odd Culture
What drink to orderMost of the cocktails, from the fermented strawberry soda in the Strawberry Collins to a take on a Piña Colada made with pineapple shrub syrup, have a welcome whiff of funk about them and they’re all super-fresh. The Moonlight “Super Tranquil” pétillant naturel, meanwhile, made with zibibbo and vermentino is a little ripper of a sparkling wine, and the beer selection – a rotation of 12 on tap and what’s in the fridge – leans into the sour spectrum, but not entirely; you can also get a plain old schooner of icy Resch’s if that’s what does it for you. The Terada Honke Daigo no Shizuku sake is a surprising inclusion on the dessert menu, given its juicy, pickled-plum character, but it’s so good you should try it at any point in the meal.
What to pair it withAlmost everything on both the drink and food menus pops with acid so you’ll struggle to make a poor match. The fish on toast features fat, glossy scallops jumped up with jalapeño, the raw beef salad is so bright it practically has its own headlights. Squid, peaches, cashews and curry butter are four ingredients you never knew you wanted together until you taste them. Or just grab a simple plate of LP’s Quality Meats’ French-style cured sausage layered with pickled carrot. And don’t skimp on the sides: the potatoes are fried in a light-as-cloud choux batter that turns them into the world’s most luxurious tater tots.
People sitting at bar counter and bartender serving drinks
Odd Culture Interior
Why we love itIt’s open almost all day and all night, seven nights a week. That’s right. It even serves breakfast daily, starting from 7:00am and featuring a menu crammed with classics-with-a-kink such as buttermilk pancakes with miso caramel, or a fat bacon sandwich given a slick of Japan’s tonkatsu sauce. Oh, and you can bring your dog. Really, you might as well move in.
Who to takeThe happy clamour rules Odd Culture out as the perfect first-date venue – it’s much more conducive to big, loud groups of friends – but there’s a secret corner worth hiding away in, either with a current loved one or someone you hope will become a loved one in short order. When you book, ask for the back corner spot near the alleyway window upstairs. It’s a bit of a squeeze to get to, but once you’re in you’ll feel like you’ve snagged your own little romantic hideaway.
Authour image
Alexandra CarltonAlexandra Carlton is a freelance writer who contributes to Australia’s leading food, wine and travel publications.
Tags
Drinks DirectoryAfter work drinksRestaurantPet friendlyTop notch wine listSydneyMeal and a bevVego Food OptionsGood for groupsSydney – Inner WestBrilliant beer listTakeawaysBar
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