Featuring drag shows, DJs, DNA model searches and other miscellaneous scantily attired men, this is an Oxford Street institution for Sydney's gay community.
Stonewall is the focal point of Oxford Street's golden gay mile, the lodestone that draws thousands of bright-eyed partiers from the local and international gay community.
The three-story monolith adopts a trash and treasure style, with the sedate (well, when it's empty anyway) decadence of the first floor cocktail bar contrasting with the transitory litter of kooky knick-knacks in the public bar.
However, while the sight of a scantily clad mannequin spread-eagled on the wall might hold one's gaze for a moment, Stonewall offers plenty more distractions. There's entertainment most nights, from karaoke on Tuesdays to the semi-anonymous hook-up service of Wednesday night's Male Box (where patrons are allocated identifying numbers, to which interested parties can address their messages of lust). Friday night's drag show, Havana Gay Old Times, promises an outrageous display of feathered headpieces, sequins and pencil-thin eyebrows.
Drinks are almost incidental with all the other sensory stimulation Stonewall offers, but those lining up at the bar can expect a standard range of bevvies, made sweeter by the weekday happy hour from opening till 7pm.
The queues at Stonewall can be out of control, with the line of partiers stretching down the block on nights such as Mardi Gras. It's worth cosying up to the management in the hope of being nominated for a queue-jumping VIP card, especially if you become one of the many who are incurably addicted to Stonewall's riotously trashy and utterly fabulous parties.
Shelley Tustin
