Iconic Sydney dive bar hits the market after years left vacant
An iconic late-night dive bar in Sydney’s Inner West is up for sale, ending years of uncertainty.
The Oxford Tavern in Petersham has sat vacant for the last three years after the previous tenants decided against extending the lease.
Bar group Odd Culture took the reins of the popular pub in 2019 following a refurbishment, reopening the venue a year later in 2020.
Under the team’s stewardship, “The Tav” gained a renewed reputation as an inclusive local venue famous for its slushies, pickleback shots and American BBQ smoker.
The venue pivoted to takeaway during the COVID-19 lockdowns, which the group said was a “saving grace for us and a lot of people in the [hospitality] industry”.
However, by 2023, the team behind Bar Bruno, Odd Culture, The Duke of Enmore and The Old Fitzroy Hotel stepped away from the venue.
“We’re proud of everything we’ve put into The Tav,” the company said in a statement at the time.
“It’s been a wild ride, but the time has come to end this chapter.”
Since the hospitality company left, The Tav has remained closed, with its famous beer garden tables and chairs stacked and left to gather dust.
The venue is now being sold on behalf of Cameron Gray and Adam Shepard of HM Advisory in their capacity as receivers and managers.
Sam Handy and Blake Edwards of pub brokerage HTL Property are managing the sale.
The hotel holds a 3am liquor licence and sits on an expansive 734-square-metre landholding.
“The Oxford Tavern presents as a compelling entry-level pub acquisition for any hoteliers, bar operators, craft brewers, distillers and/or restaurateurs seeking a metropolitan Sydney trading opportunity,” Edwards said in a statement.
“The price guide we’re offering represents underlying land and building value alone, and there is subsequently no goodwill value being apportioned into pricing.”
Handy noted the owners have received unsolicited approaches from developers seeking to take advantage of the new Transport Oriented Development (TOD) planning framework.
“We’re subsequently anticipating a keenly contested campaign with interest from a broad spectrum of buyer segments,” he added.
Under the TOD provisions – which apply to sites located within 400 metres of both train stations and/or shopping centres – the venue is eligible for development up to six storeys.
HTL Property stated there is also a “strong likelihood” approval for up to eight storeys could be secured for the site, subject to detailed planning and design.
The popular Inner West watering hole has operated as one of Sydney’s late-night dive bar icons over the last decade.
The business was acquired by the Drink ‘n’ Dine Group in 2012, who reinvented it as an American barbeque-themed diner with a bar, bistro and large outdoor beer garden.
The business was then acquired by Melbourne-based Dixon Hospitality Group in 2016, which on-sold the leasehold to the Odd Culture Group in 2019.
The Oxford Tavern listing follows a raft of recent inner-city pub sales, with the nearby White Cockatoo, Newtown’s Court House Hotel, and Annandale’s Empire Hotel all hitting the market recently.
Last month, popular Sydney venues including The Clock in Surry Hills, The Bank in Newtown and The Sackville Hotel in Rozelle were offered up for sale for the first time in decades.
The Oxford Tavern is being sold via expression of interest, closing at 4pm on July 23, 2026.
