Sydney Town Tavern, Down Under in the FiDi

Sydney Town Tavern
531 Commercial St., Financial District
Phone: (415) 433-1949
Web: sydneytownsf.com
Status: Open

After longtime FiDi watering hole Gio's closed a month or so back, the folks behind nearby Irish Bank Times swooped in and transformed it into Sydney Town Tavern, a new gastropub. (The moniker derives from the Barbary Coast's original nickname, which it got thanks to the numerous Australian convicts arriving on its shores in the early days.) The space has gotten a makeover to look a little more rustic-chic (hello, exposed brick walls and reclaimed-wood paneling), and the stuffed leopard is no more, but the mission of after-work drinks and nibbles remains.

On the food side, bar bites include standards like truffle mac and cheese, fish and chips, roast chicken, meatballs, and charcuterie and cheese plates. (At $10-15 for basic appetizers, it's definitely an expense-account/business-traveler kind of joint; check out the menu here.) There are 12 draft beers from the likes of Speakeasy, Firestone Walker, Deschutes, and Rodenbach, as well as a full bar. The five TVs are tuned to sports, and there are plenty of bar tables for sitting and noshing. Hours are 11 am-midnight Monday-Wednesday, 11 am-2 am Thursday and Friday, and 4 pm-2 am Saturday; they're closed Sundays.

· Sydney Town Tavern opens in downtown San Francisco [Inside Scoop]
· Sydney Town Tavern [Facebook]