I used to love the Erko, it was easily my favourite pub in Sydney, purely based on its inner west charm, character, classic Aussie pub food and local vibe. I’m not sure what they have done to this place but they have ruined an absolute gem of a pub 😔 the renovations have ripped out all of the charm and left the place feeling sterile and awkward. The menu is highly over priced and all the pub classics are gone. My partner got the risotto and it was honestly inedible. We don’t like ever having to send anything back and would just get on with it but it was so disgusting that I had to say something. I asked for the steak medium rare and it was over cooked and came with lots of cos lettuce and about 4 chips. I was so hungry that I ate it but it was not worth the price whatsoever and the portion size was very small for what you are paying. Why change something that did not need to be changed. I’m not sure what has happened here but it’s really sad to lose a pub that felt like it had history, character, inner west classic Aussie charm and that local vibe which made it feel like home. Now it’s sterile, no atmosphere, over priced and very poor food. I’m dumbfounded!

Such a strange decision to completely change and remove all vibe and charm from one of the best pubs in the area. Staff are now unfriendly and don’t seem interested in even serving us, let alone exchanging pleasantries. The new pretentious menu is bizarre - not what the average pub goer is looking for. Couldn’t agree more with other reviews that it feels like a prison canteen, the new set up and decor is shocking. Even the music system seemed broken and extremely quiet, staff seemed not to notice, or care. Would really be interested to know why they decided to make such major changes, at face value it seems like a disaster. It’s no wonder the Rose seems so much busier nowadays.

We used to love coming to the Erko for lunch with our daughter. They did kids eat free on weekends and the food options for us were alright as well especially as we usually like to share a few things. Now there is a new spring menu, very limited options for us, super expensive and even the kids tomato pasta was super rich and had peppercorns in it, which did not go down well!

Ordered the beef burger and it was cold in the middle and far too pink, staff proceeded to gaslight me and claimed that it was cooked ‘medium rare’, do not go to this pub until at least one member of staff has attended a basic culinary school.

This place it’s not worth it at all. One of the managers it’s one of the rudest people I have seen in Australia he clearly doesn’t know anything about customer service. He is not kind at all and try to humiliate people. I definitely won’t come back!

Super friendly venue with great food and excellent atmosphere. We sat in the undercover court yard area for my son's 18th birthday. The staff are wonderful. Fast, efficient and thoughtful service. Food was great and you can order direct from the table. That you for making my son's birthday a relaxed and memorable night.

I had a 4 night stay here in early November and did not have a pleasant experience at all. On arrival the staff didn’t have our booking and told us they had no rooms for us, after waiting a short while for them to find out booking details a room suddenly materialised for us. The room itself was fine - generally clean but incredibly basic and small. The bed linen did not fit the bed correctly and kept sliding off. The bathrooms were un-clean and there wasn’t enough toilets for the amount of guests and there was no supply of toilet roll at points throughout our stay. The bath/shower was incredibly old and dirty and I couldn’t even bring myself to stand in it. It states on their website “Fresh towels, linen, and toiletries are supplied as well as tea, coffee, and biscuits. For you comfort and convenience the accommodation rooms and facilities are cleaned daily.” Throughout our stay of 4 nights our room wasn’t cleaned once, we had no fresh linen or towels and there was little evidence that the bathrooms had been well cleaned. To top off, it was quite noisy with music being played loudly in the pub on some nights until 12am - not what I was expecting from a pub that called itself a gastro pub. The only redeeming point is the location - it is within close proximity to train stops and a nice area of Sydney. Appears cheap but in my opinion not worth the money.

My friends and I have been regulars at the Erko for a number of years... we dropped in last night, and were surprised to see the new menu. I know it's a good thing to update a menu - but sadly some of our favourites were removed. A pub without nachos??? Anyway, we tried some of the new options - and they were super hit-and-miss. I had the lamb with lentils, which tasted nice, but presented badly (so much brown). My husband had the 'risotto'... which came out looking, and textured, like soup (bizarre, bright green, soup)... but he said that the rice itself was still chewy. He couldn't stomach it. We also had the issue where the friend we were eating with had finished his meal before ours even came out. When we questioned the delay (and then followed up, as the waitress we asked didn't seem to place much importance in responding) - we were told the kitchen staff were all new and that's just how it was. Overall, it was an extremely disappointing night. And given the number of local pubs nearby, we'll be going elsewhere.

This place was such a vibe in a positive way. Really laid back and cool. Great service and a huge selection of on tap beers.

I used to love this place, it’s a classic Sydney pub, but the food has progressively worse and worse and after our meal last night we won’t be going back. Our table ordered a few schnitzels all of which were burnt, tasteless and tough. A tiny serving of watery gravy, and no Tabasco sauce available. $25 for that!! I give 2 stars because the staff are friendly and welcoming, but honestly paying $81 for a midweek pub meal and 2 drinks and getting served that standard of food is appalling. We’ll stick to the Raglan or perhaps the Rose.

Love this place! It’s so friendly and inclusive. It’s dog friendly indoors and outdoors. They have a proper dog menu as well. The kitchen and waitstaff were really attentive to any intolerances I had and made adjustments without making me feel like I was a burden. The burger, lamb shank and barramundi were very tasty dishes!

Steak was tougher than old boots. Medium rare came out like it had been near the surface of the sun. How hard is it to cook a decent steak.

We visited with family and ate in the patio— the best surprise was that they had a puppy friendly menu! Of course we indulged our dog so all parties were happy.

I miss the old Erko! We used to go there all the time. The recent “renovation” has removed all the character and charm and left the pub with all the charisma of an airport lounge. The music is being played stupidly loud, seemingly in attempt to manufacture a vibe to compensate for all the personality that has been removed from the place. Food is passable, but plenty of nearby pubs with much better food (eg the Impy and the Cammy). We will try it again after the NEXT renovation 🤦🏼‍♀️

I had lunch with a colleague on Tuesday and loved the new menu. The hummus with yesterday's toasted bread was delicious and I love that they're thinking about waste with this one. The two absolute highlights for us were the octopus with chickpeas and roasted tomatoes as well as the lamb with lentils - both super delicious. We shared dishes so that we could try more of them and thought the portions were really great. The dining room was about half full and service was excellent, we thought that our food came quite quickly. I'd definitely visit again.

Great location and vibe, dog friendly but very ordinary food which is a pity and let’s the place down. We’ve been regulars for many years and due to the good points we overlook the average food which time and time again is totally underwhelming and expensive. Tonight we had a chicken burger and bacon cheeseburger. So bland and tasteless we left most of it on the plates. $81 for that and two drinks. The Rose has recently upped its game on food and we will go there from now on to eat.

Haven't been back to The Erko for a while but when we read about the new menu changes, we had to come in an take a look. The menu was absolutely fantastic and the selection of wine and beer were great. Will definitely be returning and looks like we've found our new local.

I have been here about 15 times over the past 2 years for dinner. I had raved about it to my friends and family and it was my favourite place for a while. However I noticed in the past 5 times that the food has not been as good as it had been previously, and particularly tonight it wasn't very good at all. I also did have an unpleasant experience tonight where the manager was pretty rude over an order mistake. Sorry to be negative but that kind of experience can put you off a place and I'm not sure I'll be coming back or recommending it anymore. It could be related to staff shortages, I just don't want to get rudeness when I go out for dinner.

Great vibe and fully dog friendly, which is great. The brisket burger and the parmi were both good - also a nice selection of beers as expected. Would definitely go back. No smoking, which is also great!

Loved the dog friendliness of the place. The fact that doggos are allowed inside as well as the courtyard is a bonus. Great vibe

We were so disappointed tonight. It’s a great venue but the food tonight was ordinary. The schnitzel was ok, but the fish special was awful, fish portion small, and a soggy fennel slaw. Just fennel. The roasted potatoes were cold along with the lamb dish. Lentils and peas were cold. Very disappointed ☹️

Best pub in the inner west. The bar staff are lovely, the atmosphere is great and it’s a perfect location. Highly recommend.

Room was top notch . With tv. Excellent bar with craft beers. Bathrooms a bit dated but clean( bath tubs need replacement) . ..... Very Good overall.

A very disappointing stay. We arrived just before 10 am. The manager saw us but ignored us. When the door finally opened, I asked if there was a possibility to check in early (would have paid extra) but it was not possible. We walked around the area until 2 pm, came back and were showed to our room, “Frankie” (we paid for 20 square meter room with a double bed). This room was 2.5 x 2.5 meters - not kidding. The bed was the smallest ‘double’ I’ve ever seen. When I said ‘this bed is tiny’. The manager replied, ‘no it is queen’. Not sure if he found the situation funny, since my partner is taller than 2 meters and was there. Exhausted, we just needed to rest - both of our feet dangling off the bed. This is when I noticed the draft coming from the gap in balcony door and entrance door! For such a tiny room (with a pad locked balcony door overlooking the untidy balcony), I was astonished at how cold it was. It was colder in our room than outside (and got to 6 degrees at night). We asked ‘reception’ for a heater that evening but we’re told to use extra blanket and that, yes some rooms have drafts. Were told that their ‘smart TV’ only is a TV and can’t connect to internet. There were only two showers and toilets for 30+ ppl. It was a sleepless night, the most uncomfortable bed that had me in tears. I got sick. My partner and I waited till ‘10 am reception time’ to double check we can cancel the second night (as per terms and conditions). Food & drinks: thankfully I didn’t eat there. After we got 2 ‘Bloody Mary’s’. Asked if possible not to add Worcestershire Sauce. Bartender takes out a 5 l tub of Aldi/Costco sauce and says it’s all premixed and this is their ‘special’ recipe. And if I don’t want that it’s not a Bloody Mary. I said ok. My partner has their ‘original’ and said it was the worst he ever had. I had a vodka tomato juice that tasted like pure lemon juice, topped with mouldy cheap olive and a slice of cucumber. They made us pay $40 just for that even before we tried it. Overall - not a great experience. And I’ve stayed in budget places before. Update: The management did honor their statement though and I have received a full refund. Thank you. Perhaps another thing to mention - please double check QR code in the rooms as the ‘food’ option in the menu connects to toothbrushes etc…

Have a pub crawl here. Great atmosphere. They entertained the crowd with a raffle. Meat trays, veg trays and fruit trays lol!? Food and drink here is on the expensive side. I ordered and main, side and a beer and it was 50 dollars. Raspberry beer was very tasty though. Lamb shank was so tender and flavorful. Served with à beautiful bier jus, mash and kale. Great dinner! Chips had rather acidic aioli which is strange. Overall I had a good time here.

We were given a table at 5.30pm that had previously been booked at 5pm for patrons that never showed up. We were half way through our dinner an hour after when the people who originally booked the table showed up and wanted the table, the staff asked us to leave even though they showed up over an hour late!! I find it terrible that they would kick patrons out for patrons who showed up late with no reason. very poor service.

Lovely pub, we just had beer and snacks, but they were great! Also very dog friendly, and the bar staff periodically walk around and give water to the pups, very sweet :D

One of the few pubs that hasn't been ruined in the area. Original brick and tile, dog friendly boozer with great taps.

Our first time at the Erko after wanting to visit for some time. Food was delicious, we had the fish, steak and salad. All super fresh & well presented. It’s a cool old pub. Love the art deco style and genuine pub feel. Service was friendly and plenty of dogs to pat. We will be back! Keep up the good work 👍🏻

We love the venue and the dog friendly environment but what has happened to the food? The fish dish for $32 was a small piece of fish with a lot of fennel on the side with nothing else. What was the chef thinking as they sent the food out?

How the hell do people give this a high rating, they tried to serve us flat sparkling, opened a new bottle when they finally found a bottle opener( took about 4 mins) didn’t even reach the lines and it also tasted flat. Needs a refurb, patching here and there, should have stayed on the Main Street of Newtown pubs. We

Excellent pub with a fabulous new GM. Best chicken wings in Sydney. Great range of gluten free drinks and food. Quality pool table. The Erko is coming back from Covid with a vengeance. Thanks, Miles. One of the best pubs in the inner west

Great little pub. Decent food and drink. Dogs are allowed which is okay. I don't mind dogs but the way that some owners just let them wander around, yap and generally make a nuisance is mildly annoying. Can't blame the pub for that tho.

Your typical pub in terms of food and drinks. Iconic building and really dog friendly. They have trivia nights and other events, in a good day, it's an excellent place to eat outside and relax while you enjoy Erskineville.

Cool place and you can bring your dog... how good is that... the music was awesome and almost identical to our Spotify car play list. What more can you want? Close to King St and best kebab place in town just across the road... all the boxes ticked.

MISSY THE CAT RETURNS! Very solid little pub this. It has potential for greatness. I'm not close enough for it to be my local, but now that I'm back within range The Erko will be my local for whenever I'm in this corner of Sydney. The team (including the manager) give the vibe of being the sort of people who'd naturally fit into the pub as patrons. That's as it should be. What experienced pubgoer doesn't prefer an enthusiastic local over a bored 'professional' staffer just going through the motions. The venue itself is tremendously charming. You can see it was an old school barn at one point (naturally enough, being half way between the Newtown and Erskineville train stations). Plenty of history and shabby chic, rather than being polished into nothingness. Well done. Tables out front and out back give you the beer garden option when you want it. Four well-deserved stars for now. Will consider bumping it up after a few more visits. ============== Missy The Cat Star Ratings: 5 - a place of rare genius that merits repeated return visits 4 - a strong effort with no major shortcomings 3 - a solid, worthy effort with perhaps one important thing to fix 2 - several important things wrong, but at least one important thing right 1 - can't be given a zero, doesn't deserve a dollar (as of review date)

Great old fashioned inner city pub with good service and a great beer garden. Food was very good and a reasonable price. Will certainly return.

Great laid back pub! And it was DOG FRIENDLY! (Alas Tilly was housesitting while I was away working) Young families catching up together for dinner and raffle. Awesome vibe. Fabulous whiskey selection, and the staff were friendly helpful and fun.

Nice chilled atmosphere plenty of dogs and neighbourly feel. I had the cauliflower steak which came with a small salad- it was nice enough but the portion was small and at $25.50 more like an appetiser - it needed some more vegetables- I was still hungry

Look I am goin to be honest... I m from Western Sydney born n bred so to head to Erskineville, I m way out of my depth... The demograph out that way is completely different to what I m used to out West n that is on my own ignorance... The patrons were different from what I m used to, but pleasant nonetheless... Staff again were different to Western Sydney bar tenders but were awesome! I can not fault this pub hence the 5 ⭐️ rating!!!

Nice pub, atmosphere and location however I wouldn't really recommend staying there. For $125 aud per night you get a tiny room and a shared bathroom with a peeling bathtub. They didn't even put the doona in a doona cover instead just they put a sheet on either side?? The phone service was very friendly when I first booked, but when I checked in, the receptionist literally ran down the hallway while talking to us as if his pub with 5 people in it was extremely busy. Nice wall colour. I suppose a good 'budget' option.

Love The Erko, especially being a local. But unfortunately my review is not great. Service is fantastic, location is the best, but prices and portions of food is just ridiculous. I ordered the lamb shank slow cooked for $35. But what I got is definitely not what I paid for. It's a Pub not a 5 star hotel restaurant. The portions were just sssssoooo small especially the lamb. Everything was on such a big plate. Very ver disappointed and disappointing. I think The Rose will be better. Sorry guys but this time you've let us down

Clean and well maintained, good price, great location close to the heart of Newtown and has a very nice bar downstairs. Perfect for our night out at the Enmore.

Nice atmosphere. Great beer garden. Sweet $20 jugs of beer. Chicken schnitzel no sauce no chips(what instead can you offer) was fairly ordinary. Lamb shanks came as a beef steak of fair quality.

A great, dog-friendly pub with a dog menu and dog wall of fame. Out Greyhound Jude particularly likes the carpets and the old boys who are always ready with a pat. Great chicken burger, too, and quiet enough to have a conversation.

Friendly pub with a relaxed vibe. It's got a local feel with plenty of dog owners and their pooches inside. Good burgers as well. Highly recommended.

Cool pub, handy location, staff are generally spot on and good beer selection. Food is better than average pub fare. Been multiple times. Recommended.

My partner and I love staying at the Erko. The bar has such a great vibe. The staff are always friendly and helpful and the rooms are clean and comfortable. Thanks for having us 😊

friendly staff, good selection of beer. small vip lounge. Great beer garden.

Came here for a bit of a date night which we were really looking forward to. Good location, very easy to find. Loved how dog-friendly the place is. However, customer service seems to be lacking (letting another couple sit on a table we booked IN ADVANCE and completely forgetting to move us to another table about when the time of our booking came, and a waitress picking up my husband's plate with an attitude - no acknowledgement, not even a "hi, how's everything?"!). Glad we had the option to order online, then. Food and drinks were served promptly but the food was average. I felt ripped-off with a small steak that cost $35. Husband enjoyed his parmy but there was no ham. Chips were nice but for those prices, it was a bit of a let down. Overall, we found our experience quite average and customer service needs work.

Pretty cool pub. Big screens to see the sport. A good choice of beers on the pumps. Nice food options. I had the $16 burger on a Friday night.

Really great atmosphere, food excellent. But the women's toilets...the one with the windows that opens out onto the smokers area....the whole space was full of cigarette smoke. Sorry, but it was discusting.