The 25 Best Pubs in Sydney
From century-old locals to new and reimagined favourites, these are the venues that define Sydney's pub culture.
The 25 Best Pubs in Sydney
From century-old locals to new and reimagined favourites, these are the venues that define Sydney's pub culture.
The Sydney pub scene has undergone something of a revolution over the past decade, with countless historic watering holes refurbished and revitalised rather than left to just fade away. Some have stripped back the old-school pub vibes in favour of sleek, creative design, while others have changed just enough to keep the roof from caving in — lovingly preserving beer-stained carpets, wood-panelled bar tops and decades of character.
This list of the 25 best pubs in Sydney includes a little bit of everything: old and new, sprawling beer gardens and roaring fireplaces, chicken parmies and caviar, and just about everything in between. Read on to see if your favourite local has made the cut — and to potentially discover a local treasure that's been hiding right under your nose.
Recommended reads:
The Best Bars in Sydney
Sydney's Best Beer Gardens
The Best Sydney Restaurants
The Best Wine Bars in Sydney
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25
Built in 1921, this heritage-listed hotel has had stacks of its features restored to their original state over the past decade or so, including the fireplaces, bars themselves and almighty rooftop space — our favourite part of this city pub that’s long been a go-to in The Rocks.
Bird’s-eye views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House from the top level and a retractable roof make it a top spot to hang no matter what the weather throws your way. Like many popular Sydney pubs, The Glenmore has refined its offerings without losing its old-world charm. It remains an excellent part of the Rocks’ drinking and pub grub scene.
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24
The Watsons Bay Hotel has been an eastern suburbs stalwart for over 190 years. And with that beachfront location and view, is it any wonder? The up-market pub’s major drawcards are its sprawling outdoor seating, an elevated seafood-focused dining menu and a view so palm-tree perfect it could be a postcard (in fact, it probably is).
The offering includes a very good cocktail selection, several event spaces and boutique hotel accommodation that takes advantage of those dazzling harbour views. But at its heart, this place is a pub. And that’s what works so well. The order-and-pick-up-at-the-bar setup keeps the atmosphere busy and buzzy, the crowd is laidback and lively, and, like all great coastal venues, it coaxes you to settle in and take it slow under the sunshine.
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23
Odd Culture, the team behind The Old Fitz, has brought this Inner West pub to life with a regular program of live music and a top-notch pub menu. The kitchen turns out fun snacks and pub classics — including a great lineup of pizzas — while booze-wise there’s a tight Australian wine list, plenty of independent local brews on tap and the famous picklebacks, which come with a no-nonsense housemade brine.
The Australian-meets-American dive bar atmosphere extends to pool tables and Big Buck Hunter in place of gaming machines, plus a daily after-midnight happy hour where drinks start at $7. Enjoy it all in the moody al fresco beer garden out back or in the main bar up front, which is centred around a sleek, two-tonne polished-concrete bar clad in spotted gum.
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22
Since its Merivale-led reincarnation, Oxford Street stalwart The Paddington has captured the hearts of patrons with its casual-but-slick atmosphere and reliably excellent menu. First things first: plan ahead. When it’s busy — which is often — tables are hard to come by, with the dining areas regularly full, a steady flow at the public bar downstairs and the upstairs cocktail bar humming most nights.
When it comes to the food, old-fashioned pub fare this is not. Start with a warm baguette and whipped butter or a half-dozen Sydney rock oysters, then move on to a spicy mayo-topped lobster spring roll before tackling the signature rotisserie chicken. Chef Ben Greeno’s free-range Bannockburn chooks are brined and spit-roasted on custom-built rotisseries, and served half or whole with gravy, fries and side salad. Stop by after 10pm on a Friday or Saturday to enjoy a late-night menu headlined by succulent roast chicken and gravy roll with confit garlic.
Image: Byron Martin for PADDO(Collective)
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21
The Lansdowne has lived many lives since it first opened its doors in 1925, but one thing has never changed: it remains one of Sydney’s best spots for live music. With a weekly lineup of rock and indie acts from near and far, the Chippendale stalwart continues to play a vital role in the city’s gig scene — and earns a place on this list for that alone.
Beyond the music, a bright-blue rooftop bar perched high above City Road makes for an easy weekend catch-up with mates. Revamped in 2023, the openair space features retro beach umbrellas to shade you from the sun’s rays, as well as the full suite of pub classics and drinks from downstairs. Taken together, the breezy rooftop and consistently impressive gig programming make this one of Sydney’s best pubs and one of its most enduring live music venues.
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20
Located within walking distance of Allianz Stadium and Sydney Cricket Ground, this fixture of Woollahra has been a natural pre- and post-game favourite for decades. Since it first opened in the 1880s, the building has undergone many renovations, but its latest glow-up, completed in November 2024, retains the classic pub feel while bringing in many modern touches.
There’s something different for punters to discover on each of the pub’s four levels. The ground-floor Brigade Bar remains a stalwart feature of the venue, while the first floor is home to the laidback Brigade Bistro. On the second floor, you’ll find the intimate Brigade Lounge, a stylish walk-in cocktail lounge — but arguably the most coveted seats are on the openair rooftop terrace. The stunning city skyline views from 83 metres above sea level are reason alone to visit, but you’ll stay for the playful cocktails, colourful beach-style umbrellas and terracotta furniture that transports guests to a Miami pool club.
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19
With a history stretching back to 1880, The Oaks is a bona fide North Shore institution. A major renovation in 2019 saw the pokies get the boot — in their place came a sleek cocktail bar with outdoor terrace, a buzzy grill complete with on-site butcher, a lively sports bar screening games every day of the week and a 1950s-style boutique bottle shop.
There are plenty of spaces to settle into across the cavernous venue, each with its own look and feel — but the incredible beer garden, centred around a mightily imposing, fairy-light-illuminated oak tree, is one of Sydney’s best. A regular events program spans everything from trivia and stand-up comedy to a much-loved weekly Sunday roast, cementing The Oaks as a true all-rounder pub.
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18
This waterfront drinking and dining den has stood the test of time. North Bondi RSL has held on to its loyal local patrons with reasonable prices, classic meat raffles and honest community engagement, while also winning over visitors with free live music nights and a kitchen open from 8am through to dinner, seven days a week.
But let’s not mess around: the undisputed drawcard here is that uninterrupted beach view. Pull up a seat on the balcony with a cold beer in hand and it’s easy to lose an afternoon watching the waves roll in from what feels like right on top of them — proof that sometimes, the simplest pub pleasures are the best.
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17
North Sydney’s historic watering hole revealed a smart new look in 2025, alongside a year-round live music program that’s bringing fresh life to one of the Lower North Shore’s oldest pubs. Named for local legend William ‘Billy’ Blue, the reborn Commodore balances heritage-steeped personality with polished interiors of timber, steel and brass, with maritime nods and historic curios dotted throughout the venue.
Music is at the heart of the experience. Expect weekly live sets on the front-bar stage and sun-drenched terrace, as well as the odd acoustic or songwriter session soundtracking the main dining room. There’s also a moody, cellar-style sports bar that shifts from an elevated game-day destination into an after-dark, late-night music den, while a crowd-pleasing menu covers everything from wood-fired pizzas and chicken parmies to seafood sliders and a standout shepherd’s pie.
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16
The Dolphin Hotel made a big splash on the Sydney pub scene when it reopened in 2016. Its striking contemporary interiors — complete with monochrome, Haring-like illustrations and sculptural textures across walls and ceilings — signalled a bold new direction for the modern pub, pairing design-forward confidence with serious Italian cooking and a welcoming, neighbourhood feel.
Today, that offering plays out across three distinct spaces. The Dining Room delivers refined yet approachable modern Italian, with top Australian produce showcased in polished share plates, housemade pasta and protein-led mains. The Public Bar keeps things casual with easy-drinking cocktails and a considered wine selection, which can be enjoyed across multiple seating areas spread over the venue’s three levels. Pair your pour with a pie from in-house Delfino Pizzeria, where former Bella Brutta Head Pizzaiolo Sasha Smiljanic dishes up hand-stretched Neopolitan pies made with a blend of imported Italian flours and premium toppings.
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15
A Dowling Street stalwart, Woolloomooloo’s Old Fitz has undergone many a transformation over its time, but it’s still a proper pub at heart. The one thing that remains consistent is the familiar yet elusive je ne sais quoi of any great local: the feeling that you’ve made a good choice as soon as your shoes hit the carpet, you perch your elbows on the bar and spot a tap beer mid-pour.
The old favourite sports 16 taps pouring a rotating lineup of brews, with weekday happy hour on selected beers from 4–6pm, alongside a considered wine list showcasing Australian and European varietals and a short cocktail list of jazzed-up classics. In the kitchen, Odd Culture Group’s Head of Pub Kitchens John Hockey oversees a menu where classic French bistro influences meet old-school English pub cooking — elevated, comforting and ideally suited to a long session at the bar, unless you’re ducking downstairs to catch a show at the on-site theatre.
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14
Merivale added this dog-friendly pub to its collection of venues in 2017, preserving what had long made it a beloved Marrickville watering hole while breathing new life into it. The Vic is as easy-going as a pub can get, with a strong sense of community, a family-friendly atmosphere and classic pub fare — with a couple of modern tweaks here and there — done right. Enjoy the drinks and dishes as you listen to live music or challenge your mates or fellow punters to a pick-up basketball game on the outdoor half-court.
If you’re stopping in late on a Friday or Saturday, a stellar late-night menu is served until 1am. Get around toasties, a spice bag or even a kebab before you either call it a night or kick on until morning.
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13
On the edge of Chippendale’s Central Park precinct lies The Lord Gladstone. Run by longtime custodians Benny Johnson and Mitchell Crum, the pub balances its old-school bones and enthusiastically laidback vibe with a lively calendar of live gigs and parties, alongside rotating art exhibitions and event pop-ups in the upstairs gallery space, Goodspace.
Comfortable in its skin, this is a pub that neither chases design-magazine trends nor the flavour of the month. From the graffiti-strewn courtyard to the tartan carpets in the front room, The Lord Gladstone remains an approachable, unpretentious old reliable.
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12
Part pub, part wine bar and part romantic diner, The Waratah is a jack-of-all-trades venue housed within a two-storey Darlinghurst hotel. Located on the corner of Liverpool and Victoria Streets, it offers a choice of different zones to settle into. Downstairs, you’ll find the walk-in-only public bar, an easy-going spot for drinks and snacks, while upstairs, an intimate dining room features a semi-alfresco area and breezy balcony tables.
The menu leans heavily into Australian nostalgia, filtered through the lens of contemporary Sydney dining. Expect inventive snacks like a double serve of scallops — crispy golden potato scallops topped with raw scallops and served with tartare sauce — alongside small share plates and generous mains that spotlight native ingredients like Davidson plum, saltbush and bunya nut. Cocktails follow suit: the rotating ‘Drinking Australia’ list takes a deep dive into a different local region and its produce, cementing The Waratah as a thoughtful — and distinctly Australian — all-rounder.
Image: Jason Loucas -
11
The historic RSL on the Rose Bay waterfront unveiled a top-to-toe Merivale-led renovation at the very end of 2025, and it’s already one of the Eastern Suburbs’ most exciting local hangouts. A year-long restoration has seen the venue’s interiors and kitchens refreshed and expanded, with the expansive venue now home to Mike Eggert-led Totti’s spin-off Notti’s, a 1950s jet-age-inspired cocktail and record bar and a sprawling, dog-friendly courtyard complete with an Airstream bar, pickleball and basketball courts and beach showers to wash off if you’re coming straight from the sand.
Rooted in more than 75 years of local culture, Club Rose Bay still honours its RSL heritage with a newly created memorabilia hall, as well as a daily reading of the Ode of Remembrance followed by a minute’s silence at 6pm.
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10
The storied corner pub and haven of electronic music reopened at the end of 2022, bringing packed dance floors and its 24-hour license back to Chippendale. The ground-floor main bar and beer garden operate as a friendly neighbourhood haunt, serving beers and cocktails alongside pizzas and hot sandwiches. Upstairs, an intimate lounge brings house-party energy, while the rooftop delivers skyline views and regular entertainment. And when the weekend hits, a boundary-pushing music program takes over the dedicated club space, with late-night parties running until 5am.
Completing the Abercrombie ecosystem is Bar Freda’s, the revived creative hotspot housed in the neighbouring terraces. Across two levels, you’ll find a cosy red-hued bar pouring minimal-intervention wines and playful cocktails, a lively Euro-leaning dining room and an intimate club space. Together, it’s a multi-headed venue that balances laidback local appeal with some of Sydney’s most exciting late-night programming.
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9
Inside a mock Tudor-like building on Jersey Road in Woollahra, a rabbit warren of adjoining rooms awaits. The maroon-carpeted floors sink in all the right places, historied hollows ploughed by a steady stream of drinkers. Much of the pub’s lovingly retained old-world charm remains — from the wood-panelled front bar and lounge-like dining area complete with fireplace — alongside newer additions like an intimate whiskey den, a sun-washed dining atrium and a moody (and air-conditioned) basement bar.
The menu strikes a confident balance between classic English and contemporary Australian pub fare, with pan-fried barramundi and steak frites sharing the stage with scotch eggs, lamb’s fry and bacon, and lamb curry, plus one of Sydney’s best Sunday roasts served weekly. It’s all about quality without the fuss — exactly what you want in one of Sydney’s best pubs.
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8
The Harbord Hotel, a proper coastal mainstay, returned to the Northern Beaches back in 2021 following a mega makeover. Occupying the new-look ground floor is a sprawling main bar and breezy dining room, where you can tuck into well-executed pub classics with a coastal spin. Upstairs is Bombies, a vibe-heavy bar and live music venue that brings laidback 1970s beach house energy and a lively late-night buzz to the former caretaker’s residence.
Located just steps from the beach, The Harbord Hotel also plays into its suburb’s claim as the official birthplace of surfing in Australia — with surfboards and surfing memorabilia strewn about the whole Sydney pub. Grab a few pints on the terrace, breathing in the salty sea air while watching local surfers rock up straight from the beach.
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7
This pokies-free Marrickville venue received a good spit and polish back in 2013, turning it into a fantastic family-friendly pub and boutique bottle shop. It’s received a few small updates since then, but The Henson retains much of its nostalgic charm.
Inside, you’ll find a billiards table and darts board in the front bar, a vintage arcade room complete with a KISS pinball machine, a bottle shop and TVs showing rugby, footy and cricket matches year-round. With all these indoor additions, it’s great for winter hangs — but come summer, the verdant beer garden fills up with locals taking advantage of the sunny days and long balmy evenings.
Image: Alana Dimou
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6
Fortune favours the brave — and those willing to slip down a dark, nameless laneway off Clarence Street in search of a stiff drink will be rewarded handsomely. The unassuming courtyard you arrive in — shared with sibling venue The Barber Shop as well as The Baxter Inn — is home to The Duke of Clarence, an 1800s-style British tavern hidden in the heart of the Sydney CBD. Step inside and you’re instantly transported, with original furnishings and materials meticulously sourced from across the UK, including floorboards dating back to the 1850s.
Settle into a snug nook with a pint of hand-pumped cask ale or explore the formidable spirits selection, with a back bar that runs to more than 500 bottles anchoring an inventive cocktail list. The food menu leans decidedly British, with pub classics like fish and chips, gammon steak and a hearty daily roast, plus shared starters like a ploughman’s platter or roast potatoes dressed with salt and malt vinegar.
It’s all too easy to lose track of time here, if not the century — and it’s this rare ability to completely transport its guests that cements The Duke of Clarence as one of Sydney’s most distinctive pubs.
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5
Since 1886, The White Cockatoo has been a beloved Petersham local. At this pokies-free corner pub, you’ll find a welcoming public bar and dining room, as well as two leafy, dog-friendly beer gardens that are just as suited to sunny day sessions as they are to lingering evenings.
While The White Cockatoo remains a classic pub at heart — weekday deals include pint-for-schooner Mondays, $5 tinnies on Tuesdays and free meat-and-veg raffles on Friday — the clever menu isn’t rooted in tradition, instead offering thoughtful, well-judged twists on familiar pub favourites. Expect classics done with intent, from porcini mushroom arancini with truffle mayo and yellowfin tuna ceviche with whipped avo and togarashi tostadas, to a deeply comforting brisket lasagne and an excellent chicken schnitty — exactly the kind of food that keeps a local pub busy, and firmly earns it a place among Sydney’s best.
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4
Balmain’s oldest licensed pub entered a confident new era in 2024, reopening after a full-scale transformation that honours its 1857 heritage while firmly positioning it among Sydney’s best modern pubs. Reimagined under Peninsula Hospitality, the sprawling, heritage-listed venue unfolds across three distinct spaces: a classic front bar for beers and sport, a relaxed lounge bar anchored by a central fireplace, and a sleek, light-filled dining room complete with an oyster bar and charcoal grill — each offering its own reason to linger.
In the kitchen, Head Chef Ben Sitton brings experience from some of Sydney’s top tables (including Felix, Uccello and Rockpool Bar & Grill) to a produce-driven menu that’s well and truly a cut above the standard pub offer, with an impressive wine, champagne and cocktail list to match. There are also generous set menus for group occasions, as well as a pared-back bar menu for casual drop-ins. Despite the gloss, The Dry Dock remains a true local at heart, with plenty of room for walk-ins and dog-friendly hangs that spill into neighbouring Mort Street Park.
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3
Popular with students, artists and the rusted-on locals who feel like part of the furniture, The Courty is a beloved Newtown watering hole — and has been since 1859. It’s grungy, relaxed and utterly unpretentious, and also home to one of Sydney’s finest beer gardens.
Inside, you’ll find pool tables, pinball machines and vinyl couches that could no doubt tell a story or two. But the real drawcard at The Courthouse is the beer garden. From the wooden veranda, you gaze down onto a maze of long wooden benches surrounded by frangipani trees and tropical plants which, bafflingly, still manage to grow amongst the spilled beer and cigarette butts. A true Inner West institution.
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2
Since 1880, the Newport Arms has stood as a landmark on the Northern Beaches. In 2015, the property was acquired by Merivale and relaunched a year later as The Newport — and a decade on, it remains a benchmark for big, breezy hospitality done well. The sprawling venue is anchored by one of Australia’s openair waterfront beer gardens, offering sweeping views of Pittwater, generous seating among its treasure trove of fauna and a stage at the water’s edge that hosts live music and DJs on weekends.
Designed to feel like a permanent alfresco food market, The Newport invites visitors to choose their own adventure from a collection of casual food outlets dotted throughout the property. Take your pick from the likes of woodfired pizzas from Vinnie’s, generous burgers and pub classics from The Shack, or fresh seafood platters, fish and chips, rotisserie meats and share plates from The Kiosk — and if the mood is more formal, The Newport is also home to the decadent two-hatted brasserie Bert’s. Add in a solid drinks program that includes a huge tap selection, a lively sports bar for game days and a games-filled gymnasium for kids, and it’s easy to see why The Newport continues to earn its place among Sydney’s best pubs.
Image: Bodhi Liggett.
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1
The Cricketers Arms — known to its fiercely loyal regulars as the Crix — is the kind of local that will make you want to move into the area. A beautiful, character-filled pub with creaking wooden floors, exposed brick walls and a distinctly unpretentious atmosphere, it’s long been a benchmark for what a great Sydney pub should be.
Crucially, the Crix works year-round. In warmer months, the leafy courtyard quickly fills with sun-seekers (and their dogs) parked at timber tables; come winter, a crackling fireplace draws crowds into the cosy, couch-filled lounge. Upstairs, excellent casual bistro Chez Crix delivers French-inspired comfort fare alongside a standout natural wine list.
Get in early, bring a good attitude for the always entertaining bar staff, and settle in for a good long day or night out — because for our money, this is the best pub in Sydney.
Top images: Harbord Hotel, The Lansdowne Hotel.
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