Located on the outskirts of the Sydney CBD, The Australian Youth Hotel sits in the vibrant suburb of Glebe. An area rich with some of Sydney’s best cafes, restaurants and pubs.

Having frequented this pub a number of times, and loving their food on almost every occasion, I thought it was time I actually wrote a review of it. Now I can’t remember all the dishes I’ve had here, however, on my last visit we chose the following:

Spanner Crab Risotto ($16 / $28)
crab beignet, spring onions and parmesan wafer.

Risottos can be a bit of a hit-n-miss for me. I either love the dish, or I find it to be bland and terribly boring. I’m never left sitting on the fence. The Spanner Crab Risotto at The Australian Youth Hotel was an exception.

Everything about the risotto was beautiful, except for one aspect, the seasoning. Unfortunately the chef had added way too much salt to the dish. It wasn’t just a touch, it was well over. Such a shame really because the rest of the dish was beautiful. The rice was cooked perfectly, the spanner crab exquisite, and even the parmesan wafer and beignet was a brilliant addition.

Crispy Breast of Corn-fed Chicken ($27)
sage and onion stuffing, carrot puree and madeira jus.

My apologies for not providing a photo of this dish – my phone’s camera was playing up :( Which is rather annoying, because visually this dish was mouthwatering. Thankfully it tasted the same way too.

Unlike my previous review of Outback Steakhouse – where the chicken was way too dry – the chicken in this dish was absolutely delectable. So juicy and bursting with flavour! Despite the $27 price tag, I highly recommend you try this dish.

In fact, considering The Australian Youth Hotel is a pub, you’ll be really surprised at the quality of food this place offers. Almost everything I have tried here has been delicious. I guess that’s why they can charge a premium for food.

In terms of ambience, The Australian Youth Hotel has a traditional, old-school pub feel when you’re inside the bar area, and a beautifully rustic, country manor feel outside in the beer garden and restaurant. They even have a wicked wrought iron spiral staircase! Some advice, take your time navigating this if you’ve had a few :)

Now I can’t finish off the review without commenting on the level of service at the pub. While the staff here are very warm and friendly, during busier periods (which is always) they can be a little slow. And when I say little, I mean you won’t get your food for at least half an hour after ordering. So if you’re here for a quick lunch, good luck to you, however, if you’re chilling with drinks, then it’s all sweet.

Overall I rate The Australian Youth Hotel very highly when it comes to pub food. Even referring to it as ‘pub food’ doesn’t do it justice. So if you’re ever in the area and looking for a place to share a great meal and drinks, I do recommend you give this pub a try.

• Food 8/10
• Ambience 7/10
• Service 6/10
• Value 6/10

• Name: Australian Youth Hotel
• Website: http://www.australianyouthhotel.com.au/
• Phone: (02) 9692 0414
• Location: 63 Bay Street. Glebe. NSW. 2037.
• Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday (Lunch): 12.00 noon – 3.00pm
  Monday - Saturday (Dinner): 6.00pm -10.00pm
  Sunday: 12.00 noon – 9pm
•