For a bar with cocktails in teapots and rugs on the wall, this four-story boozer is actually quite normal.
When the words "converted terrace" are applied in the description of a King Cross bar, images that spring to mind are of narrow, ankle-breaking staircases and fringed lamps that provide about as much light as that cigarette you're not supposed to be smoking.
Challenging the hole-in-the-wall epidemic taking over Sydney's east, World Bar sits tall and sprawling in the midst of that neat little row of boozers just off the Cross's main drag.
Upstairs you'll find a tiki-tinged poolroom, complete with wall-mounted furry rug, which one can only assume has seen hours of adoration from late night sensation-seeking revellers. The adjoining balcony provides a lookout for laughing at not-quite-cool-enough kids gas they're barred from swank-fest Hugo's across the road.
Downstairs, to the back you'll find club den with it's own bar - a favourite for private parties and the odd live gig. The front bar pours out onto the front patio, which is equally as refreshing if you're soaking up a balmy summer evening, or looking for a moment of respite from one of the many club nights (there's something on every night of the week, be it indie, hip hop or house).
Finally, we must mention the teapot cocktails. With a happy hour from 9pm, you can get your favourite shot served in quaint crockery. Nothing cures a night of debauchery like a tea party.
Claire Ward
