Six Summery Pop-Up Bars to Visit on a Balmy Sydney Afternoon

A basement bar with 150 whiskies and a fireplace, The Doss House is exactly where you want to be during the winter months. But, its new pop-up openair bar is made for balmy summer nights. Running until February 9, The Dock Yard has taken over the historic sandstone courtyards surrounding The Doss House. It’s open from 4pm Thursday—Sunday serving up Furphy and Guinness on tap, Aussie wines and four classic cocktails: negronis, old fashioneds, Aperol spritzes and espresso martinis. Cheap espresso martinis. If you head along from 4–6pm, Thursday–Sunday, you can grab one for just $6.

To eat, you’ll find cheese, charcuterie — including the likes of kangaroo prosciutto and wild boar salami — and ploughman’s boards, hefty sandwiches and sourdough with hummus. The bar is inspired by the many sailors and merchants that frequented The Rocks during the 1800s, so expect nautical theming and knick-knacks scattered throughout, too.

The Dock Yard is open from 4pm–midnight Thursday–Saturday and 4–11pm Sunday.

The unofficial drink of last summer, frosé seems to have stuck around for another season — not that we’re complaining, we love a glass of the frozen pink stuff as much as the next person. This year, though, it’s gotten a serious upgrade at Untied. The Barangaroo bar has launched a pour-your-own frosé bar, called Froze Your Way, with six different slushie flavours: peach riesling, kiwi melon blanc, watermelon, passion pineapple blanc, frozen Aperol and the good ol’ standard frosé. As well as being able to pick your flavour, you also get to pick your own next-level garnishes.

Think pick ‘n’ mix candy, but on top of your alcoholic slushie — a win for and your inner child alike. The toppings you can choose from include jelly beans, lolly bananas, gummy bears, rainbow straps and sour worms, as well as dried and fresh fruit A big glass of frosé (with add-your-own toppings) will set you back $12 — or $7 if you head by during happy hour, 4–6pm daily. Or, if you really want to go all out, you can enjoy two hours of bottomless glasses for $39 from Thursday to Sunday. Talk about a sugar high.

Image: Jasper Avenue

If you can’t afford the time or money for an island holiday this summer — or just can’t be bothered trekking down to Bondi — drop by the East Village instead. The terrace has done away with its spring theming and has transformed into a beach club, complete with palms, festoon lighting, bright colours and frozen cocktails.

A slushie machine has been brought up to the rooftop so you can cool down with frozen piña coladas and frosé while taking in the view of the city skyline. If you want to go full moon party vibes, Midori illusions and blue lagoons will be served in mini buckets — complete with tiny umbrellas. The food menu has been altered to match, and will be serving up oysters, prawn rolls and spicy tater tots. The beach club is now open and will stick around for the rest of summer.

While you’re not exactly close to water here, you will feel like you’re at the beach — and you’re only a ten-minute walk from Cook Phillip Park Pool.

Image: Kitti Gould

This summer, you’ll have another excuse to enjoy a G&T as a heap of gin and tonic gardens pop up across the country. Settling into the outside areas at pubs and bars in Sydney, the gardens will feature plenty of gin and tonic (obviously), as well as DIY garnish stations.

The idea is that you can learn more about different botanicals, then mix, match and experiment to find your ideal G&T combination. That sounds like a task that we’d all gladly accept; however there’ll be tonic pairing menus on hand should you need some pointers.

At the time of writing, Sydneysiders can scratch their G&T itch at the Woolhara Hotel, the Shelbourne Hotel and Reign QVB in the CBD, plus Newtown’s Union Hotel and Websters Bar. More locations will pop up across the country over the summer, with a handy interactive map tracking new venues. The gardens are the work of Fever-Tree, so the company’s tonics will be splashing in your glass.

For its fifth annual summer pop-up bar, the Museum of Contemporary Culture has once again combined two of our favourite pastimes: sipping cocktails by the water and loading up on art and culture. This year, the ground floor terrace has been transformed into an airy, garden-inspired bar with top-notch tequila brand Patrón behind it. You’ll find negronis, highballs and old fashioneds, but all with a summery twist. Instead of using your usual gin or whisky, the bartenders will be shaking and stirring drinks with Patrón tequila.

Margarita-spiced popcorn and tostadas with pork, salmon or traditional mole are also on the menu here — as are those views across Circular Quay and the harbour. Of course, there’s be entertainment in spades, too, with performances, installations, VR experiences for you to check out and tunes aplenty.

The Patrón Pop-Up is open 4–10pm Wednesday–Friday, 2–9pm Saturday, 2–8pm on Sunday.

Bondi’s beachside spot The Bucket List has teamed up with French vodka distiller Grey Goose to bring a bit of French Riviera to Sydney’s coastline. The outdoor space has been decked out with Riviera-inspired decor, creating a chic Euro-summer feel — think beach umbrellas, leafy plants in blue and white ceramic pots and and a pop-up beach shack-like bar in the venue’s outdoor area. Plus, you’ll have top-notch views of Bondi Beach — so be sure to head here for a sunset cocktail (and a photo with Australia’s most famous beach as your backdrop).

Drinks-wise, you’ll find classic vodka, lime and sodas, watermelon or grapefruit spritzes, salted caramel frappes and coconut coolers. Hit up the beachside pop-up on any Saturday for The Bucket List Beach Club, where you can dance from 2pm well into the night. For any other summer events, check out The Bucket List’s Instagram.