📍Sydney's Five, New York City

If I know I will go out, I like to eat before I go. I don’t want to hunt for high-quality late-night food or make drinking choices with my stomach. I had one such night in late December. I wasn’t meeting friends until 7:00 p.m. so it was still quite early. There was plenty of happy hour to be had. I walked into a bar in the East Village called Sydney’s Five. It hadn’t been on my list but was in front of me.

The space had a mostly empty, long bar right in the front and a handful of tables in the back. There were 3 people at the front part of the bar. Two were sharing what the third should do with their time visiting New York. Those two came across as regulars. One person about halfway down the bar noshing on some fries and a martini. This seemed like the right place for my quick bite.

I got the happy hour menu and faced a serious choice. On one hand, a Burger and beer. On the other, a Lamb Burger and beer. Both sound amazing, how should I choose? I typically like to ask what the bartender likes and that’s what I did. She said both were good but she prefers the Lamb Burger. I was at a toss-up before asking so I was happy to take the suggestion and run with it.

The beer was ready first, unsurprisingly. I had options but I chose the Sunday Lager. It’s a light beer but really, I would call it an easy beer. You sip on it. You enjoy it as “beer”. It’s inoffensive in the way a good light beer should be.

The burger didn’t take long. It comes on a brioche bun with gouda, mint jelly, and a red onion. The lamb was so hot it nearly burned me but that’s not a complaint. I took a bite and the juices came rushing out. There was a deep earthiness to the lamb. I’ve been told that’s due to higher fat content. I like that grassy taste in my lamb, so for me, it worked.

Often you’ll find Lamb Burgers come with feta but using gouda was interesting here because of that rich meaty flavor. The creaminess of the cheese provides a nice contrast. The red onion was good for textural contrast. The mint jelly was more sweet than minty. Alone it might have been too much but with the lamb, it pairs well. I took this down too quickly to see if the bun would hold up over time so for me it did the job.

Also on the happy hour was their martini. While I came for a bite, who am I to turn down a martini? I chose their version of the Vesper to keep it light. It had Gin, Vodka, Lillet Blanc, Orange Bitters, and a Lemon Twist. Nothing too out there. This one was a bit citrus-forward and light. I appreciated it as a pre-going-out drink.

The cookie was a nice surprise. I didn’t order it. I’m under the impression that everyone gets one after food. It came warm. I ate it in two bites. Off to drinks with friends.

📍Sydney’s Five
103 1st Ave., New York, NY 10003

If you enjoy reading these as much as I enjoy sharing them, please consider buying me a coffee. I might just write about it. ☕ Buy me a coffee.