NOW EXPERIENCING:The Doss House
Drinks Directory|Good for groups|Casual catch-up|Bar

The Doss House

Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM
77-70 George Street, The Rocks, NSW, 2000
Phone
0457 880 180
Website
thedosshouse.com.au
Instagram
@thedosshouse

Read time 3 Mins

Posted 29 Dec 2022

By
David Matthews

A dimly lit den in heritage surrounds that combines an eye for history with a deep interest in all things whisky, but above all it just wants to show you a good time.

Interior view of The Doss House
Why you goBack in 2018, The Doss House rolled the dice by opening in the heart of The Rocks, doors up from shops flogging Ugg boots and kangaroo key-rings. Just a few years later, as the neighbourhood transforms itself with a flurry of new openings from impressive local operators, this small bar looks like a masterstroke, set to add new devotees to an already dedicated following. The trick, if there is one, is in marrying a thoroughly modern approach with the heritage space that taps into its history, dating back to 1843. Over the course of its life, the building served variously as a hospital, bootmaker, an opium den and a boarding (aka doss) house. Today, these influences are visible across several basement areas and two courtyards, backed by a menu that leans hard on whisk(e)y, with fine Australian examples alongside classics from Scotland, Ireland, and the US. A reason to visit? Each of the spaces is intimate and cosy, the drinks rock, and a night here inevitably comes charged with energy and excitement.
Why you stayWhen it’s full – and it gets full – The Doss House pumps. Tables in the street-level courtyard are rammed, friends vie for a spot on the Chesterfields in the downstairs bunkers, and the bar is a hive of activity. In lesser hands, running a venue with so many spaces might make things tough, but here each visit brings a new adventure. Put it down to the owners, who designed the interiors to draw on the building’s storied history – one of the four basement rooms, for instance, is known as Un Quoy's Den, a nod to the period when it was an opium den, while another is called The Bootmaker’s, with themed knick-knacks lining the cabinets set against the heritage sandstone walls. As for drinks, there’s plenty for whisky fanatics – including a line-up of house cocktails alongside some 150 labels – but bar staff know their way around classics, too, and the wine list has a few surprises to keep you interested.
beautiful Interior of The Doss House
Drinks served at The Doss House
What drink to orderConsidering the focus, it’d be remiss to come here and not go for something whiskey-based. And while there’s a strong case to order the Whiskey Lemon Cheesecake (yup, that’s a drink), which starts with cream cheese, biscuits and lemon curd before it’s clarified and spun with Slane Irish whiskey into a surprisingly delicious, creamy drink, there’s no beating The Old Doss. The house take on an Old Fashioned, its kick is in the bitters, which have the depth and earthiness of black walnut. They’re tempered by sugar, then stirred with Woodford Reserve bourbon for a twist on a classic that’s warm, rounded and mighty memorable.
What to pair it withThe menu is short and sharp here, with three sandwiches (try the Chisler’s Loaf with black pudding, goat’s cheese and caramelised onion), just a few snacks and a handful of platters to share. It’s The Rocks, so if you’re with a group, it has to be the Native Platter, featuring kangaroo prosciutto, salami made with wild boar, bush chutney and native fruits alongside a couple of cheeses. Flying solo? There’s no beating the Scotch egg for heft, cut with Branston pickle and freshened with watercress.
Chef decorating dish at The Doss House
Wine bottles
Why we love itThe Doss House knows its product as much as it knows its audience, which is to say if geeking out over 150 bottles isn’t your thing, there’s absolutely zero pressure – the Guinness can flow as readily as the peaty Islay Scotch. There’s a reason this place draws crowds, and it’s in the friendliness of the staff, the liveliness of the soundtrack (whether it comes from the speakers or the band in the corner) and the sharpness of the drinks. Such is its success that the team have opened a sister bar, gin-focused Frank Mac’s, just up the road. Give it a whirl if you find a seat hard to come by here.
Regular’s tipWe all love a bar where you can walk in every time, but The Doss House gets busy. In fact, with the tourist and expat trade, and a strong local following, you’re more likely to be politely turned away on a Friday or Saturday night than to find a stool. Book online, with the benefit of being able to choose where you’d like to settle, or keep its number handy – this is one of the few bars where they actually answer the phone – to check whether there are any openings before you take the gamble. Converts to all things malty and peaty, meanwhile, can book in for masterclasses online to take their whisky knowledge up a notch.
Cocktail served at The Doss House
Wine bottles at display at The Doss House
Make it fancyIf you’re the sort of person who wants to drop a grand on 30-year-old Hibiki from Osaka, this is the place. Then there are the top-shelf Australian examples from Sullivans Cove (a relative bargain at just a couple of hundred bucks) alongside single-cask malts and peaty, floral examples from Scotland. Can’t decide? Go for the Last King of Scotland flight, which gives you four drams from around the country for $40. Getting across the differences between Islay, the Lowlands, the Highlands and Speyside has never been easier.
image credits: Alana Dimou
Authour image
David MatthewsDavid Matthews is a bar and restaurant critic who has written for Australia’s leading food publications, including Gourmet Traveller and Good Food.
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Drinks DirectoryKiller cocktailsVego Food OptionsBarGood for groupsDate nightSydney – CBDOutdoor areaCasual catch-upA+ spirits listAfter work drinksSpecialty BarSydney
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