Lazy Thinking

Taking over the New Canterbury Road digs formerly home to the Sausage Factory, Lazy Thinking is a jack-of-all-trades bar, restaurant, record store and live music venue. The bustling Inner West spot is the passion project of Jim Flanagan, one of the former owners of the space's previous residing brewery.

Flanagan places the spotlight on all things local here. The beer is from Sydney craft brewers, the records are exclusively from independent Australian musicians, and the food is built on local produce. Each Sunday, Lazy Thinking Live spotlights exciting artists coming out of the Sydney underground — bringing intricate folk singers or ranging punk bands to Dulwich Hill.

"Independent musicians and the arts community more broadly were priced out of Newtown and Enmore a long time ago," says Flanagan. "They go out there, do shows there because of the large number of venues, but they don't live there. I love Newtown and Enmore and also go out there all the time. It's just not where the music and arts community lives anymore."

"[The Dulwich Hill area should] be full of small venues constantly showcasing the work of its myriad residents. That's what we're looking to start with Lazy Thinking Live."

At all times, you can indulge in some bar snacks riffing on lesser-known street foods, including syrup-glazed anchovies, elevated sausage sangas and raw milk cheese with kimchi and blood orange. But if you want to settle in for a full meal at Lazy Thinking, head in on the weekend when you'll be treated to a set menu.

The mini banquet runs through sourdough, olives, anchovies and mirin-dressed zucchini flowers, as well as heftier menu items like skinless pork sausage, Tasmanian scallops and lamb arrosticini.

The drinks list is just as fun to flick through as the records here, with a far-reaching slate of craft beers available on tap, a selection of solely minimal-intervention wines and a handful of playful cocktails. On the weekends, you can opt for the boozy drinks package, which gives you access to the full suite of tap beers and wines by the glass.

The result is an exciting addition to New Canterbury Road, which is focused on fostering community. Lazy Thinking offers Sydneysiders a new space where you can drop in for a catch-up over an interesting wine and some olives, settle into a boozy weekend lunch, or discover your new favourite independent Australian band.