The bottomless brunch circuit in Sydney has many heavy hitters, but none as exciting as the new entrant: Boozey Brunchey at Holey Moley. A combination of mini golf, pub food and bottomless booze promises a fun time had by all.
It is a lazy Sunday morning where I join my fellow diners for a spot of mini golf and bottomless brunch. I've been looking forward to this meal because rather than the very civilized smoked salmon scrambled eggs and glass of bubbly you get at most bottomless brunches, the Holey Moley offering includes a choice of specialty cocktail on arrival, 2 hrs of unlimited tap beer/cider and wine, a choice of 3 pub grub food items, bottomless waffle fries and all the mini golf you can handle. Did I mention that all of this is covered by the princely sum of $50? I spend more on a manicure! #nailedit Newtown is such a cool, grungy area of Sydney that Holey Moley fits right in with a vibe that I can only describe as carnival-golf-dive-bar. I can't help but feel like a big kid, spying out the themed putt putt experience that lies ahead.
In a group of 4 today, there are enough of us to try the entire menu, including cocktails which arrive first. Squeals of delight erupt from the men (relax fellas) when we see the Shark Bite, served in a ceramic shark shaped vessel, housing Pampero white rum, Malibu, blue curacao and coconut shaken with pineapple juice complete with miniature rubber ducky floating in the seas within the sharks mouth. I'm not a lover of this one, mostly due to my coconut aversion but everyone else likes it. Just on that, I know it's hard to believe that a Thai doesn't like coconut since it features so heavily in Thai cooking and the truth is, I like it in curries and basically all savoury dishes but I don't coconut in sweet preparations: desiccated coconut, coconut desserts but I quite like a fresh coconut juice! Who says I'm shallow and uncomplicated? #itscomplicated #mysteriousgirl
The other cocktails are a Nutty Espresso Martini with Smirnoff vodka, hazelnut liquer, espresso coffee with shavings of Reece's peanut butter cups and a tequila and Midori mix topped with jelly baby garnish. The espresso martini is my favourite, with just the right amount of kick from the alcohol and coffee tempered by the sweetness of the chocolate shavings on top. With tummies grumbling, we are all very happy to see the food arrive in quick succession, each dish prettier and more whimsical than the last. Take the Krabby Patty Burger for example, the potato bun is coloured a vibrant hot pink which surprises and delights. The burger itself is great! The patty is juicy and tender with hints of onion through it, the crispy fried onion ring adding a welcome crunch in opposition and the fresh salad ingredients brightening everything up. I really really enjoy it. I can't help but notice that all the dishes have been created with fun and flavour at the forefront, this is echoed through to the vibrant and vivacious house staff who seem to be in a party mood along with us. I know my kids would love to come here for the exciting food and the mini golf, and after seeing a kids party happening in the back courtyard, it seems that it is a kid appropriate venue during the day where parents and kids can have a great time.
Not only is the presentation of the food filled with joy, the interactivity aspect is very clever. Both the popcorn shrimp and fried chicken ribs are accompanied by matching sauces in syringes where the lucky chosen one of the table *me* gets to squirt its contents all over the dish (insert dirty joke here). The popcorn shrimp is crisp and flavourful in the batter, but I feel like the size of the prawn being very small lets this dish down. Had the prawns have been larger, the prawn flavour maybe would not be lost up against the fried batter. The chicken ribs have great depth of flavour and the acidic hot sauce is the perfect accompaniment, cutting through the fried oiliness that can sometimes be overbearing.
“Lets take a second to talk about waffle fries. It's like a potato wedge and a french fry had a perfect little baby, combining the seasoning of the wedge and the crispness of a fry. As part of the bottomless brunch deal, these beauties are unlimited and man, are they good! I wish for some barbecue sauce to go with these puppies but there happens to be a large crowd at the bar and I decide it isn't worth lining up for."
After cocktails, we move onto beers and wine which are able to be taken throughout the mini golf course with little shelves placed thoughtfully at each tee so you can concentrate on putting. There are heaps of putters available in varying sizes for us more serious golfers- I wish my golfing talent matched my trash talk- and we work our way through the mini golf course. The themed holes contain lots of hazards to keep it challenging enough for adults yet easy enough for kids. Upstairs is a second bar and the back 9 holes if the first 9 don't satisfy. There are heaps of photo opportunities throughout the course and the venue including fluorescent angel wings, Simpsons couch, Finstones car and E.T. push bike.
For an afternoon filled with fun, whimsy, laughter and tasty food, Holey Moley is a great choice of venue and the bottomless brunch is definitely the way to get the best value out of the experience. Perfect for parties or groups of friends, my two boys will love this so I am keen to bring them back for lunch and golf!
Holey Moley Newtown 387 King St, Newtown
*I dined here as a guest of Holey Moley and Rafael Ruiz from Travel & Lifestyle, but all opinions remain my own