In May 2017, when I stopped by the Unicorn with my pal Trevor, it was on the back of some great reviews and a quite different menu. This time my friend James suggests that we have to try the place advertising Sydney’s best schnitty. We arrive early, just in case on a Saturday night, it is too busy to get in. It’s wild. Upstairs is packed with the retro music so loud that to enjoy it, you’d have had to come specifically for it. But downstairs is a little too empty, so it’s lacking atmosphere and the outdoors area is a mix of smokers and people sitting on the ground.

We split a jug of Young Henry’s Newtowner beer ($20; in fact, we go through another one of these). While there is still an appetizer on the menu with Jatz crackers, the menu has swapped up its fish dishes for standard (or so you think) pub grub, heavy on the meat. Our choice really is between the chicken scnitty and the chicken parma, but as James said, why would you have a schnitty when you can have the parma?

The ordering process at the bar is chaotic. It’s tiny. James says when he orders he gets attitude from the bartender. I get a nice one, but his tablet won’t work properly. The system is that you point in the general direction you’re sitting, which eventually means the waiter (a very cool-looking women with multiple colours of hair) comes in the vicinity asking if you’re Bob, Dick or Harry. It must be as frustrating for them as for us; everyone orders the same thing; they have to go to each table and ask as it comes out.

But voila! It was worth it, and we both agreed that very possible, this chicken was among the best we’ve had. Served on a modest bed of the crispiest fries possible (good that it was modest, this is such a huge piece of chicken, it was almost too much for me). They’ve left the wing on, cleverly, and the rest is, I’d guess, a half of chicken, pounded down and stretched out, super crisp and tasting very high-quality. Which, for $29, you’d want.

The parma topping was a delicate mix of sauce, ham and cheese, not too much, not too little, broiled to perfection James commented that the difference for him is that the whole thing tasted smoky, in a good way. I just thought it was pretty amazing: crispy, meaty, fatty, savoury and yes, tasting like an elevated version of the classic Australian dish and possible the best chicken parma I’ve had in Sydney.

Our only suggestion would be a pretense of a vegetable: maybe a few rocket leaves would have been a good garnish for this plate of protein and carbs. I see from the photo that there is actually the suggestion of green from some herbs, but that effect was rather lost in the sea of melted cheese.

3 stars for the food quality (surprisingly because it’s apparently Mary’s burgers!!) but definitely 5 stars for the staff. They are all exceptionally friendly, polite and efficient. The old world charm of the main pub area is a real plus, though the beer garden could do with a big make over. All in all one of the better non-scene pubs in the whole area. If you want real people in Paddington then you’ll find them here.

The schnitzel here was large, juicy and tasty. Apparently these guys are also owned by Mary’s Burgers so you also have that option. Great atmosphere, recommend checking this place out with friends!