Empire Hotel

On the Parramatta Road edge of Annandale, the Empire Hotel plays the role of the all-hours local — a pub that has quietly grown into a small hospitality complex without losing the feel of a neighbourhood boozer. The front bar pours late, open until midnight early in the week and pushing through to 3am from Wednesday to Saturday. Behind it, Empire Kitchen handles the food and slings Dale's pizzas, while Double Happy runs as a distinct venue in its own right, and a handful of rooms upstairs turn the place into somewhere to stay as well as drink. It is unpretentious inner-west territory: a spot to fall into after work, order a pie, and let the night run longer than intended. The kitchen sends out through Uber Eats for those staying home, but the Empire is at its best in person, doors open and Parramatta Road humming past outside.