Where to find Irish spice bags in Sydney
Find out where to start your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations this year with this addictive Irish comfort food.
Updated ,first published
When you think of traditional Irish food, you may think of a healthy and hearty stew served with a comforting cola ball. But the humble spice bag has been taking Sydney by storm lately and the excitement is only growing.
Born in Chinese takeaways in Ireland, the holy trinity of hot chips, fried chicken and classic Irish “curry sauce” combines with sautéed red peppers and onions to become a dish best served with a pint of Guinness with friends, or equally curled up on the sofa the next morning. If you want to try one this St. Patrick’s Day or any time of year, here’s where to fix your spice bag.
Shea’s, Clovelly
Long-running Irish bar and restaurant Shea’s serves a condiment pack heavy on buttermilk-fried chicken, accompanied by deep, rich sauce coating long, thin chips. They also inject some wok hei (meaning “breath of the wok”) into the seasoning bags by wok-throwing the ingredients rather than making them in a bag or bowl. Shea’s spice bag is normally $26, but every Tuesday the spice bags and 4-in-1 (curry rice dish) are only $20.
211 Clovelly Road, Clovelly, sheas.com.au
Mercantile Hotel, Sydney
The historic Irish pub in the heart of The Rocks serves a range of Irish classics, including a generous seasoning packet with thick-cut fries and McDonnells curry sauce thickened with extra butter. It goes for $26 and can easily feed two people. While the heritage bar is undergoing refurbishment, the Merc has opened four doors down the road in a terrace aptly named 4 Doors Down.
35George Street, rocks, themercantilehotel.com.au
Big Dave’s Chipper, Maroubra
Serving Irish fast food favorites and imported Irish snacks, this old-school place is famous for its spice bag. A favorite of Irish chef Colin Fassnidge and also enjoyed by Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy and British social media personalityJohn the Great“Fisher. The enormous portion is $20 and is the perfect sharing meal for heading down to the beach.
779 Anzac Parade, Maroubra, instagram.com/bigdaveschipper
Taphouse Sydney, Darlinghurst
A departure from its regular menu of Cantonese classics, this lively pub has upgraded its seasoning pack of wok-fried veggies, homemade curry sauce, and crispy salt-and-pepper chicken for $26. From Saturday, March 14, through Tuesday, March 17, you can enjoy the spice bag with a $12 Guinness or check out the $34 feast, which includes a large serving of McDonnells curry sauce for dipping.
122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst, taphousesydney.com.au
Paddy Chans, Kensington and Newtown
If you’re looking to try a spice bag that’s as close to the Irish one as possible, look no further than this cheap and cheerful chain. The largest serving of sauce on this list accompanies thick-cut chips and fried chicken balls. The classic curry sauce is mild, you can also choose other sauces such as satay, sweet sour, black bean or sweet chili. The regular spice box costs $21.50 and is generously portioned, making it one of the best value offerings in Sydney. If it’s good enough for the Irish actor Paul MescalIt’s good enough for us.
Various locations, instagram.com/paddy.chans
Friend in Hand Hotel, Glebe
Here’s Sydney’s best spice bag deal. While spice bags at some venues in Sydney top $25, you can get the good stuff for $18 on Monday nights at this old neighborhood bar. Normally, Friend in Hand’s condiment bag is $22.90, which is still a great value for the bag filled with crispy chicken and fries. The $18 bottle will be available on St. Patrick’s Day, Tuesday, March 17, as well as $10 Guinness.
58 Cowper Street, Glebe, friendinhand.com.au
Bondi Grand Hotel, Bondi Junction
Irish phenomenon Riona Magee (@belfastfoodiegirl) Rated the spice bag at this Irish pub as the most authentic spice bag in Sydney. Like Shea’s, they add all the chips, chicken, and peppers together at the end, adding some extra heat in the wok. It costs $26 and you can try one for yourself at the annual St Patrick’s festival on Tuesday, March 17.
89 Ebley Street, Bondi Junction, thegrandbondijunction.com.au
Sydney Park Hotel, Newtown
Sydney Park Hotel, at the south end of King Street, offers the classic seasoning pack with classic curry sauce for $25. If you prefer chicken and fries with your sauce, the best menu tip here is that you can order extra sauce for $2. Not only can you add it to your spice bag, but you can also add it to other mainstays on the bar’s menu.
631 King Street, Newtown, sydneyparkhotel.com.au
Green Room Broadway, Chippendale
The newest addition to Sydney’s Irish food scene is this bright green, gamble-free pub on Broadway’s high street. This spice bag is an epic 32-piece prize winner reddit series A Reddit user started rating every spice bag they could find in Sydney. With huge, crispy pieces of chicken along with a large enough dollop of smooth curry sauce, it’s easy to see why it wins. It costs $21, but if you visit on a Tuesday, you can try it with a $10 pint of Guinness for $20.
166-170 Broadway, Chippendale, greenroombroadway.com
Chippo Hotel, Chippendale
Vegans aren’t left out of the spice bag fun at Australia’s first 100 per cent vegan bar. Chippo’s plant-based spice bag has all the crunch and flavor of the original. Mama B’s “fried chicken and” seasoning bag is $19 and replaces the chicken with bites of crispy seitan, a meat substitute made from gluten.
87-91 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale, thechippohotel.com.au
Isabel Cant Isabel is Good Food’s social media editor. Before joining Good Food, Isabel worked as a freelance journalist. She was also previously a social media producer for Endemol Shine Australia and worked on MasterChef Australia and Dessert Masters.
