Bay and Bridge

The former Chequers Inn seems to have settled into its new, more polished, persona since its make-over a year ago.

Taking its new name from the road crossing that it has overlooked since 1861, the Bay & Bridge has tried to distance itself from its former colourful reputation, without alienating its regular customers ... often a tricky task. However despite the swish web-site and fresh interior, there's no hiding the fact that this remains a gambler's den at heart, with sport on all four walls and now a pokie license application underway.

Much like the Clare Castle, the bistro to the side attempts to entice other types of leisure spender with a slightly more refined environment, but unlike the Clare, this is in the heart of Bay Street, so there's a lot more competition. As big Tony Leonard from 3AW concluded, it's hard to see a compelling reason for non TAB punters to walk away from nearby boozers like The Rose or the Prince Alfred (the Bay & Bridge shared the lowest score for last year in the station's Pub of the Week segment ... but then they didn't review The Rex).

Beers on tap: Carlton Draught, Pure Blonde, Asahi, Cascade Light
Parma: $23 ($16 at lunch and on Wednesdays)
Gastro: No
Tradie vs Yuppy: Don't be fooled by the makeover this is still very much a working-class pub