If you’re a fan of Sydney’s dive bar scene and are heading to Shady Pines Saloon every weekend, take a quick hop and a skip to Flinders St and head to The Flinders Hotel. It’s a bit more relaxed than Shady, but crammed with so much more...stuff. With lights zigzagging the ceiling, kitsch collectables and memorabilia lining shelves, crass posters, stacked Aussie retro beer cans, graffiti and carvings covering the wooden bar bench, it’s hard not to be looking at a lot of things at once in this bar.

Flinders embodies the New Orleans’ vibe; nice and relaxed, quality and fun while being cool, collected and unpretentious. They have a ‘No Frills’ approach to their drinks, which is refreshing in the city – no fancy cocktail glasses, but that doesn’t mean their content is downgraded, their drinks are still high quality...and strong if you choose the right (or wrong) ones.

If you’re a brave cowboy try the pickleback which is a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. Yum-o. Or if you’re a meat-loving ranger take your turn at a Backscratch. That's a shot of whiskey and a side of pork scratchings. If pickles and pork scratchings aren’t your idea of delicious bar food as you scull your chaser beers after these shots, then don’t fear...there are sausage rolls. And if that doesn’t please you, then luckily enough a bistro is opening upstairs in the coming months. Ex-Tetsuya's chef Thomas Lim will be serving up an after-dark menu of sliders, dogs and buffalo wings as well as a boutique hotel being added to this eclectically decorated downstairs bar. Giddy-up.