Those in the know will tell you that wandering down a random alley off Sydney’s Crown St will lead you to a number of great hidden boutique bars. With our ear to the ground for that sort of thing, we were eager to check out the latest such bar to spring up in the Darlinghurst area – The Shady Pines Saloon.

Not entirely sure what to expect, we had heard rumours of the wild west theme and thought it was definitely going to be either hit or miss, but worth the spectacle all the same. Gathered outside the inconspicuous entrance of the Saloon was a small congregation of cooler than cool looking peeps, oh great we thought ready to enter yet another too cool for school bar where relaxing is not on the menu.

To our pleasant suprise, Shady Pines is everything we wanted out of a new local bar. It’s carefully worked interior is dimly lit and traditional with loads of wood and a splash of old day memorabilia scattered throughout giving a genuine warm and welcoming feeling. Drinks are not too pricey either considering the area, beers around the $6 mark and whisky cocktails around $17 go down nicely.

Our overall verdict on Shady Pines Saloon? It is fun but not too OTT. Busy but not overcrowded, cool but not pretentious. Johnny Cash on the stereo was just the cherry on top… we shall return soon!