Newtown Hotel is the kind of corner pub that feels like it’s seen everything – and is still very much up for more. Inside you get indie‑leaning bar vibes, pool tables, cheap but decent cocktails and a crowd that runs from baby gays to seasoned locals, all spilling between the street‑level bar and that famous first‑floor balcony over King Street.

The weekly lineup leans hard into camp: trivia and games nights, regular drag and trans king & queen shows from mid‑week through the weekend, plus Sunday piano sing‑alongs where a resident queen leads the chorus. Expect an easy mix of locals, students and nightlife refugees from Oxford Street, with DJs and drag turning the place into a de facto queer club on busy nights. It’s dog‑friendly, happily scruffy at the edges, and rarely feels like it’s trying too hard.

When you need fuel, there’s classic pub grub and pizzas up front and a Korean kitchen out back, so your schnitty‑lover and your gochujang‑obsessed mate both win. Grab a balcony table for golden‑hour beers, then wander down to Erskineville’s Imperial Hotel for a late‑night drag dungeon, or bar‑hop King Street’s other queer‑friendly spots. Newtown Hotel is less about polish and more about community – a reliable Inner West living room with a very theatrical streak.