Rooftop bars are the cool thing right now. They’re up there with pulled pork sliders and boutique beer labels. But, I have to say, Sweethearts Rooftop BBQ has a few endearing qualities that make it stand out among Sydney’s other slick, sexy rooftop offerings.
Shrimps on the barbie with garlic butter & Paul Hogan
Sweethearts is brought to us by the team behind hipster hangouts, The Winery, Gazebo, Cargo Bar and Bungalow 8. Knowing this, I dressed the part, complete with a silk top and my highest heels. I arrive at Kings Cross, before the doors of Sugarmill, at an hour when no one should ever really be found here (which, for the record, is anytime before 10.00pm). Eager to leave the Darlinghurst Road sidewalk and find a seat to rest my already-sore feet, I start up the stairs. One level, two levels, three levels. Am I in the right place? “Keep walking,” say the signs. “Stop walking” says my now-clinging, slightly wet silk top… Aha! Finally, 20 floors up, I emerge from the dingy, airless, winding stairwell, and the urban oasis that is Sweethearts is revealed before me, complete with a pretty vista of the city skyline. Why is Sweethearts unique? Well, because it really is on the roof. It’s so on the roof that I would suggest wearing your Kathmandu hiking boots to get there.
Crispy lamb short ribs with honey, chilli, caramel and lime
After such a trek, you really deserve a drink. A range of Australian and New Zealand wines are offered on tap. Then there’s some fancy drinks such as Little Creatures Pale Ale shandies, wine spritzers, pitchers of sweet lolly-water and spiked cider slushies. Due to dehydration, brought on by the stair-climb, drinks disappear quickly. Responsible drinkers know that lining the stomach is the right thing to do (particularly if your friends are more likely to pitch you off the roof than carry you back down the stairs) so the food menu is a welcome distraction. For us, a pile of salmon belly, chicken and beef skewers are the first to go down the hatch. A shot of chilli caramel or harissa aioli (one condiment per skewer included in cost) adds excitement to the otherwise simple grilled meat skewers. I’m sure the salmon isn’t belly but the skin is crispy enough to see me withhold my complaints. A dish of grilled watermelon, fetta, mint and pita croutons hardly tastes like rabbit food (the heading under which this dish appears on the menu) while a simple side of steamed green beans is just that – steamed green beans. The food doesn’t reinvent the wheel or attempt to push any culinary boundaries but the staff at Sweethearts are friendly, the music is upbeat and there’s just something cool about sitting on top of a building as the calamity of Kings Cross plays itself out below.
Anna Lisle
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