Maple Bar, which was previously just the upstairs section at Treehouse, is aimed at an older crowd than its downstairs counterpart, and has been given a makeover with dark, elegant features and a big gold chandelier.

Maple Bar not only has a semi formal dress code - cocktail dress for the ladies, smart shirt, pants and dress shoes for the gents - there's also house rules, including that everyone has to bring their manners, and men aren't allowed to approach women.

For the men, the rules stipulate that if a woman does in fact approach you, "treat her as your would your mother".

The new rules generated plenty of debate not just in the office, but across social media. Here are Michael Gorey and Karen Hardy's takes.

I would rather visit a lesbian pub than the Maple Bar. At least in a lesbian pub I can talk freely to the women and we can get happily merry together.

Apparently the Maple Bar is opposed to people enjoying themselves.

It's against the house rules for men to approach women, and if a lady does chat to a bloke, the gentleman has to "treat her as you would your mother".

I make it a personal rule to never drink with my mother. She already knows most of my embarrassing childhood foibles and I have no wish to be reminded of these or discuss them with anybody else.

It's insulting to imply that the only woman a man can treat well is his mother.

Most of us don't need to be told that good manners is a prerequisite to interacting with the opposite sex. Yep, I've heard horror stories of guys who make inappropriate comments on dating sites and send unwelcome images, but most of them don't get very far.

I suspect the Maple Bar will do well for a few weeks or months while there's curiosity value.

But men will grow tired of being watched by the fun police and take their hard-earned dollars to somewhere less obsessed with a pseudo-feminist agenda.

Perhaps it's meant to be a women's-only club by stealth, or an imitation of the Bumble app where women make the first move.

That's fine, but don't impose artificial codes of behaviour. Let people mingle freely and express their true personalities.

The first thought that popped into my head when I read about the new Maple Bar was well who would ever want to go there? Men can't approach women? I have to wear cocktail dress?

Maybe I'm the type of girl who'd have more luck getting approached at a Raiders game while I loll about in my trackie pants, or at Kambah Pool while I loll about in my birthday suit, but surely this concept is taking things to the extreme?

Maybe it's because I haven't actually been hit on in a bar since I frequented the old Private Bin a few doors down in the Sydney building from where the Maple Bar's more salubrious digs are up above the Treehouse Bar, but is going out so fraught with danger today that such things need to be policed?

And the idea that a man would have to treat me as he would his mother if I dare approach him. What does that even mean? Hand over two loads of washing and mow my lawn?

I like the idea that the bar is aimed at an older crowd. Maybe I'm wrong in this interpretation and older crowd in bar parlance is actually people in their 30s, but surely by the time you reach any definition of "older" you have the smarts to deal with unwanted approaches, even wanted approaches.

All I can say is fellas, if you see me out and about, feel free to approach me. The only trouble is I'm more likely to be in aisle seven at Dickson Woollies than in a bar that doesn't allow nature to take its course.

In the journalistic tradition of fairness, the reporters have promised to actually sip a cocktail at the Maple Bar before passing final judgement. Michael promises to not approach anyone. Karen can't do that.