KEY POINTS:
Once upon a time they were a place for drinking, fighting and eating pies. And listening to a spot of Akka Dakka - that's petrolhead slang for Australian rock band AC/DC.
Now you can get a cocktail or two, a substantially fancy wine list and a well cooked
steak on a king-size bed of potatoes while OpShop and Fat Freddy's play soothingly in the background. My, how the humble pub has changed.
Not that The Ivy, in Kingsland, is officially a pub. But it's certainly a nicely decorated bar that, like Ruby and the Kingslander just up the road, is gagging to take advantage of all those trendy, upwardly mobile, thirtysomething Kingslanders, who need to socialise so they can meet a potential partner with whom they can then get one of those nice old villas to do up.
And it's also a restaurant, or so the signs say. Although walking in, it doesn't feel much like one. The seating feels more like it's in the middle of, well, a bar.
Never mind. Let's dig in. The menu offers a variety of rather exciting taste combinations. Surprisingly, when the first course shows up, it doesn't look half as exciting as the menu promised. Standard pub presentation that occasionally verges on the careless - courgette shaped like a flower, anyone? - doesn't do any of the dishes we try tonight any favours.
But the portions, oh my! They're huge. An entree size portion of bruschetta means at least six pieces of toast with tomatoes and grilled cheese on a long plate.
The mains are even more threatening. A massive piece of steak glowers at us from atop a mountain of potatoes and mushrooms.
And if one of us accidentally fell asleep and slumped forward into the giant bowl of mushroom risotto, the likelihood of drowning is extremely high.
If we wanted to squeeze dessert in, we were going to have to leave food behind. Which actually turned out to be a bad idea as the sweets were the most disappointing items all evening - a rich chocolate cake and interestingly citrus-flavoured brulee, both of which could have done with more warming.
All up, the flavours at Ivy are as big and burly as the portions. This is no dinner for the wan and wilting foodie who prefers delicate flavours and degustation menus with matching wine.
Rather than concerning themselves with the perfect olive oil or the ultimate vine-ripened tomato, The Ivy opt for a fancy and flavoursome version of cheese on toast for their bruschetta and lots of it.
The mushroom risotto is bold with big, fleshy mushies hiding in its flavoursome sludge.
The steak is perfectly done and the creamy potatoes and pumpkin underneath are just like granny used to make.
At its best this is good solid pub food, with a modern twist.
And the locals seem to treat the place appropriately, wandering in casually, in T-shirts and jeans, for a quick steak and a drink, rather than dressing for a special occasion.
Address: 463 New North Rd, Kingsland
Phone: (09) 815 1535
Open: Tue-Fri from 11am until late, Sat and Sun from 10am until late
Cuisine: Gastro-pub
On the menu: Pumpkin, rosemary, pinenut and rocket pizza, $18; aged organic steak fillet with potato and pumpkin galette and roast mushrooms in a red wine sauce, $25; kaffir lime and orange brulee $9
Vegetarian: Several options plus pizzas
Wine: Huge range plus cocktails
