P.S. If you leave without a story, you did it wrong.
There’s something about The Marly that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into the best kind of mistake.
The kind of place where the floors have absorbed decades of spilled drinks and the walls hum with the ghosts of a thousand messy nights.
This 1860s relic has survived lockout laws, gentrification, and more band breakups than your ex’s Spotify playlist – and it’s still standing, stubborn as ever, right in the heart of King Street’s beautiful chaos.
Friday nights here are pure electricity. The stage – squeezed between the pool table and a crowd of tattooed regulars – has seen more rising stars than the Sydney Opera House, but with none of the pretension.
You might catch the next big thing between pints of $15 jugs, or you might find yourself screaming along to a punk cover band at 1am. Either way, you’ll leave hoarse and happy.
Picture this: a sun-drenched beer garden perfect for hungover philosophy, a retro upstairs bar that feels like your cool aunt’s living room (if your cool aunt served espresso martinis), and a basement that transforms into Newtown’s worst-kept secret after dark. That’s the Marly.
Tokyo Sing Song pulses with beats until 3am, where the dance floor is equal parts euphoria and “how did I end up here?”
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Dogs get treated like royalty (there’s literally treats behind the bar), the LGBTQ+ crowd turns trivia nights into legendary affairs, and the history here could fill a book – from biker gangs kept in line by legendary publican Doris Goddard to punk riots that probably still echo in the bathrooms.
This is where you come for free pool on Mondays, balcony views of King Street’s beautiful mess, and nights that start with “just one quiet beer” before spiralling into 3am kebabs and new friends you’ll swear you’ll keep in touch with (you won’t).
The Marly doesn’t just welcome you – it adopts you. And like all the best adopted strays, you’ll keep coming back.
The Marlborough Hotel
📍 145 King St, Newtown
📞 (02) 9519 1222
🌐 marlboroughhotel.com.au
