Seven Sydney Bars Where You Can Drink Alone with a Book
Get cosy with a paperback and good plonk at these comfy (and relatively quiet) bars.
Seven Sydney Bars Where You Can Drink Alone with a Book
Get cosy with a paperback and good plonk at these comfy (and relatively quiet) bars.
It may sound like a novel idea, but there are few better places to get lost in a book than a great neighbourhood bar. Think about it — comfy furniture, high-quality wines and all those delicious salty nibbles, plus you won't be distracted by the temptations of home or subject to the shushings of your local library.
But first, let me preface this by saying not all bars are cut out for the task — there shouldn't be big crowds, dim lighting or amateur rock bands playing. Instead, you want serenity, snacks and some seriously good drinks. If you've been struggling to find the right nook, here's our list of the best bars to drink alone with a book.
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Maurice Terzini’s palatial pub The Dolphin Hotel is home to lots of different areas which helps to separate the boisterous drinkers from the relaxed, wine-quaffing crowd. The best place for book readers is the Wine Room, a long skinny space lined with small tables and single spots around a large wraparound bar. The wine list is divided by characteristics, from serious and structured to bright, suave and alluring, which can help you find the perfect match to your reading material. The food menu is also highly snackable with options like the focaccia with sea urchin butter, prosciutto and pickles and spiced sardines on toast.
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If you’re fond of classic literature, lively European wine bar 10 William Street will set the scene for reading perfectly. Owned by three Italian brothers, this Paddington restaurant and wine bar has an impressive list of vinos, with a focus on Italian, French and Australian wines, and a surprisingly large selection of sparkling rosés. The food menu is heartier than most, with honest sized portions of duck pappardelle and grilled drunken quail with pancetta, as well as tiramisu and ricotta panna cotta to help see you through to The End.
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One of the biggest risks to reading at the bar is getting accidentally sloshed, which is why you’re going to require some nibbles, ideally those which can be eaten with one hand. The newly opened Continental Deli in the CBD boasts a host of suitable snacks, from freshly sliced cold cuts to soft and hard cheeses and suitably stuffed Italian sandwiches. There’s also more to the drinks menu than just wine and beer, with the deli bar shaking up a number of sherry and vermouth-based cocktails. Make it super easy for the bar staff and order one of the canned concoctions, which include an Ameri-can-o, Mar-tinny or Can-hatten, among others.
Image: Kitti Smallbone
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It can be hard to appreciate great literature when the only wine available is a lukewarm cask of Coolibah dry white. Because you’re not drinking a lot — or at least you should try not to if you want to remember what happens at the end of chapter two — it’s worth splashing out on some top quality plonk. You’ll find one of the city’s best wine lists at Love, Tilly Devine in Darlinghurst, which sells over 300 tipples, with a focus on biodynamic and minimal intervention “lo-fi” wines. There’s more than one reason to love Tilly Devine, with the venue boasting a finger-friendly food menu and some extremely desirable solo spots by the open front window.
Image: Buffet Digital and Nikki To
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Sitting alone at the bar can make the best of us feel self-conscious, which is why we suggest choosing a laidback and unpretentious kind of place. You’ll find all that and more at The Bearded Tit in Redfern, an unashamedly eccentric bar where you’re unlikely to earn any sideward glances or nosy questions, even if you do have Fifty Shades of Grey tucked under your arm. The drinks list is simple and classic, with a tight selection of wines, craft beers and cocktails, without the distraction of gimmicks and garnishes. There’s plenty of sweet spots to sit, think retro leather armchairs and tall fringed lamps, or if its sunshine you’re craving, head outside to the yellow and white striped “caravan of love”.
Image: Katje Ford
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A riveting read calls for an inspired setting like an empty meadow or babbling brook. If these aren’t readily available, there’s always the bright and comforting Scandinavian-inspired design of Darlinghurst bar, This Must Be the Place. Not your usual dimly lit drinking den, this light-filled venue pairs soft, muted colours with padded banquettes to create a cosy reading scene to rival your living room. The drinks list is a real page turner, with plenty of rosé to match your prose, as well as craft cocktails, including a romantic Backwoods concoction, made from lichen, hay-smoked honey and ginger wine.
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You’ll be in good company at the Golden Age Cinema Bar, where you’ll find most of the frequenters are art film buffs and passionate cinephiles who also love a good story. Housed in the heritage listed Paramount Pictures building, the art deco space reveals tan leather banquettes, dramatic up-lit drapes and flickering tea lights, which create the perfect mise en scene for a page turning session. The bar menu ticks all the boxes, from film-inspired cocktails to charcuterie platters, choc tops and sea salt popcorn for when you’re caught up in the action. For those who appreciate a peaceful ambience, patrons tend to file out when each new session starts, offering plenty of quiet moments for reflection.
Top image: The Bearded Tit, Katje Ford
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