The 50 Best Bars in Sydney Right Now — Ranked
Whether you're on the hunt for an extensive mezcal collection, an intimate date-night spot or the best bar snacks around, these are our picks for the best bars in Sydney.
The 50 Best Bars in Sydney Right Now — Ranked
Whether you're on the hunt for an extensive mezcal collection, an intimate date-night spot or the best bar snacks around, these are our picks for the best bars in Sydney.
Curating a list of the 50 best bars in Sydney is no easy feat. This city is full of outstanding places to drink, whether they're up on a rooftop, by the water or hidden in a basement.
But location is just one part of an extensive set of criteria used to create this definitive list. We've spent years drinking around town to find the tastiest and most creative drinks, the best bartenders, places with the friendliest atmosphere and menus that go above and beyond at just about any price point. To rank this list, we've combined this first-hand experience with scores for the calibre of the fitout, the quality of service, the tastiness of the food offering, the energy of the vibe and of course, the sky-high standard of the drinks. But to be clear, the 50 bars on this list are the best of the best and more than worthy of a visit.
Read on to see if some of your favourite watering holes have made the list of the best bars in Sydney and, perhaps, discover a few places you haven't tried yet.
Recommended reads:
The Best Wine Bars in Sydney
The Best Pubs in Sydney
The Best Restaurants in Sydney
The Best Underground Bars in Sydney
The Best Bars in Sydney's CBD
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This New Orleans-inspired “dream bar” from owners Orlan Erin Raleigh and Jon Ruttan (founder and former owner of Mojo Record Bar) boasts a relaxed vibe, a cocktail for every palate and a solid late-night menu that seamlessly serves snacks, share plates and even a full-on steak dinner ($28). It’s dimly lit and moody in all the right ways, while appealing to crowds from suburban dads (self-proclaimed, by the way) to Kings Cross regulars. The narrow space stretches back along the gorgeous bar, lit with speakeasy-style lamp shades and surrounded by 1930s blues posters. Patrons have the option to sit at high tables, lounge in the back booths or take advantage of the best spot in the house and dine at the bar.
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49
Descend into the basement at Dulcie’s and you’ll find yourself swept back into the 1930s, when poets, writers, artists, musicians and dancers ruled supreme over Kings Cross. The bar takes its name from one of the era’s best-known figures: Mary Elizabeth Kathleen Dulcie Deamer. She was Australia’s first female boxing reporter, the founder of the Australian Writers’ Centre, a novelist and journo — and, side note, she attended the 1923 Artists’ Ball wearing a leopard skin dress and a dog’s tooth pendant. Dulcie’s embraces the art deco history of its venue. Think fringed lamps, fancy mirrors, pre-Bridge photos of Sydney Harbour, newsboy caps and suspenders.
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48
This highly lauded New York City import is a tried and true stalwart of Sydney’s drinking scene. The US venue was an architect of the modern speakeasy movement in New York and Sydney’s iteration has been a similar trailblazer for the boom in secret bars in the Harbour City in recent years. Follow the neon psychic sign through the curtain and into its heritage-listed basement haunt. Once through the curtains, you’ll see the bar offering both signature EO drinks and Sydney-exclusive drops. Classics include the Amelia (Wyborowa vodka and elderflower liqueur shaken with fresh lemon and puréed blackberries) and the Ginger Smash (rum and Barbadian sweet syrup Falernum shaken with muddled ginger and ripe mango, then topped with maraschino cherries and fresh lime).
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47
Filled to the brim with lively drinkers and diners, 10 William St seems more like a brand-new opening than an establishment over a decade-old. Since 2011, the Italian eatery and wine bar has been a launching pad for some of the country’s best chefs, with an honour roll that includes Dan Pepperell (who you’ll now find at Bistrot 916, formerly at Restaurant Hubert) to Garagistes founder Luke Burgess, Pinbone’s Mike Eggert and Jemma Whiteman (now at Totti’s and Lankan Filling Station, respectively), Trisha Greentree from Brae in Victoria and Enrico Tomelleri, who’s continued serving Sydney’s best Italian cuisine at Paski Vineria Popolare. The good-looking Italian venue, an old converted shopfront just a few strides down from Oxford Street, has aged gracefully, from the walnut leather banquettes to its green laminate bar rimmed with golden rails.
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46
If you find yourself in the centre of the natural wine, Australiana-kitsch, retro-inspired cocktail Venn diagram, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better Sydney spot to while away a few hours than Enmore Country Club. The good-times neighbourhood bar brings throwback 70s nostalgia and an accomplished crew of hospitality mainstays to the former digs of Cottonmouth Records at 182 Enmore Road. The space has undergone a full revamp featuring fresh wood cladding, brass finishes, custom tablecloths from Defy Designs and a custom resin bar top. All of the little touches harken back to a bygone era of bowling shirts and cigarette commercials. On entry, you’ll be greeted by a brown checked floor mat, and once inside you’ll find retro posters on the walls, old motor magazines on the bench tops and a guest book to sign.
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45
Located just off the Kings Cross main strip on Roslyn Street, Piccolo Bar served as a late-night cafe and nightlife spot for more than seven decades. But, following years of difficult conditions for Sydney’s hospitality industry, the Kings Cross institution closed its doors. Rising from the ashes of lockdowns and lockouts, the inner-city stalwart was saved from closure by David Spanton, who gave the venue a makeover that stays true to the heritage of the bar while freshening it up. Sitting at a small yet mighty 20 square metres, the bar holds just 12 seats indoors and eight outdoors.
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44
Hidden underground in the basement level of the new four-storey Sydney venue Hinchcliff House is a cocktail bar with an affinity for negronis and romance. The dimly lit bar is named after a character from The Godfather and looks to embody the stricken nature of Apollonia and protagonist Michael in the film. Whether you’re swinging by to grab a drink or heading downstairs for a nightcap after your meal at one of the building’s other venues, you’re going to want to start and end with the cocktail list.
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Saved from closure by David Spanton (the Kings Cross hero who similarly revived hole-in-the-wall institution Piccolo Bar in 2021), the former digs of Cafe Hernandez on Kings Cross Road was once a 24-hour cafe, which had been operating on this leafy street for 50 years, serving piping hot joe to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Guns N’ Roses over the years. Worried it would be turned into a fashion boutique or hairdresser after the Hernandez family decided to step away from the venue, Spanton came to the rescue, purchasing the property and transforming it into a bar devoted to fortified wine, fittingly called Vermuteria. Much like Piccolo, Vermuteria showcases a small specialised drinks menu and a range of tasty snacks, with vermouth and sherry at the heart of the booze offering.
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The team behind Love, Tilly Devine have been bringing life into Lankelly Place in Potts Point with their warmly-lit wine bar Dear Sainte Éloise. It’s a well-oiled machine aglow with patrons and staff bustling around precisely. The sophisticated venue is still inviting and peeks out onto the charming laneway, perfect for an afternoon of snacks, wine and people-watching. The long, copper bar is the main feature, adorned with racks upon racks upon racks of wine that showcase the bar’s huge selection — all up, there’s over 350 plus bottles, which have been plucked from all over the world, from Austria to Portugal, South Africa and Georgia, as well as the requisite Australian and New Zealand drops.
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Since opening in 2011, SILY (named after the song by The Avalanches) has settled into a comfortable zone between offering a relaxed neighbourhood bar atmosphere — with a largely Australian-sourced wine, beer and cider list — alongside a more elevated cocktail menu featuring a streamlined yet creative collection of signature drinks. From the simple (such as SILY’s take on hard lemonade) to the sublime (don’t miss the Shirazzle Dazzle, a tart yet refreshing mingle of Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz gin, italicus bergamotto, lemon, apple and prosecco), there’s something to suit every palate. SILY takes a similarly crowd-pleasing tack with its dining options. Gourmet toasties have been a faithful fixture on the menu for more than a decade.
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40
While al fresco watering holes might be a dime a dozen in the Sydney CBD, Cabana Bar is an impressive entrant into the mix. The expansive bar and restaurant, located in 25 Martin Place (the erstwhile MLC Centre), is bringing big resort energy to the city thanks to its openair terrace that stretches over 100 metres and is framed with festoon lighting and greenery. Ocean blue banquettes, wicker furniture and white-washed walls complete the look. The cocktail menu leans in to the resort energy — the signature piña colada is a standout here, while there are five margarita varieties and two 600ml fishbowls to choose from as well.
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It’s said that wine with less chemicals gives you less of a hangover (we can’t make any promises), so, with that in mind, pick from the rotating selection of 25 natural and low-intervention wines from small and sustainable producers. For anyone who isn’t sure if they buy into the natural wine movement, Where’s Nick is a good place to start. The menu by head chef Leila Khazma is Mediterranean inspired. It’s snack-centred with plates made to share. Think a crunchy and rich potato galette with confit artichoke and a creamy pecorino custard. Or, keep it simple with some house-made focaccia with extra-virgin olive oil.
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This wine bar may be small in size and servings – with 20-or-so seats, a snacky menu of delicate share plates and a carefully curated wine list — but Bar Copains is big on many things. Think flavour, heart and coolness (in a way that isn’t intimidating). ‘Copains’ means ‘friends’ in French, and fittingly so. It was born from a friendship between chefs Morgan McGlone and Nathan Sasi – and now it continues to thrive as a neighbourhood joint where friendships bloom over a glass of natural wine and some seriously delicious snacks.
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Taking its inspiration from tiki-obsessed psychiatrist Dr Lawrence Jacoby from cult TV series Twin Peaks, diehard David Lynch fans should will notice a few other nods to the famous director scattered throughout this quirky bar (at least, that’s what my log tells me). The one rule of tiki bars is that you need to go all out. Subtlety be damned. The intimate 60-seater venue has been tastefully decked out in banana leaf wallpaper, a rattan thatched ceiling and carved wooden Tiki figures. It manages to look actually cool rather than too kooky or creepy. The drinks menu centres around ten tiki cocktails, which are mostly rum-heavy concoctions illuminated with bright, tropical flavours.
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36
At beloved Chippendale nightclub Freda’s, you might’ve found yourself dancing with a hoard of shirtless strangers at 3am. At Cafe Freda’s in Taylor Square, patrons are predominantly seated (and fully clothed). Like much of its clientele, Freda’s has grown up — but it hasn’t forgotten how to have fun. As is clear from the name, Cafe Freda’s isn’t a nightclub. It’s not just a cafe, either. It’s a restaurant, neighbourhood bar and creative space, and it still regularly operates as a dance floor. And, like its predecessor, it’s a haven of expression, art and music.
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An old garage down a service laneway doesn’t sound like a spot for a bar, but that’s exactly where this 20-person mezcal bar takes up its residence. Cantina OK! is located down the non-street that is Council Place, rocking forest green garage doors, an extensive collection of tequila and mezca, and no seating whatsoever. There are mezcals from regions all across Oaxaca, Michoacán and Jalisco, as well as drops of tequila, raicilla (an agave distilled spirit from Jalisco) and sotol (non-agave distilled spirit from northern Mexico). If all that sounds a bit intimating, turn to the well-trained staff, who are eager to get into the “nitty gritty” of mezcal drinking with you.
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Named for the Creedence Clearwater Revival song, Fortunate Son is the small bar you never thought you needed but will be glad you’ve found across the road from the Enmore Theatre. It’s full of juxtapositions: it’s styled like an American dive bar but serves champagne, a premium spirits list and a vast menu of cocktails, including a whole page of martini options. There are also toy tab cars on the counter. Most of the space is taken up by the bar itself, with locals enjoying original cocktails and local brews like Young Henrys.
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Speakeasies can sometimes lean too hard on their incognito theatrics, offering plenty of style with not much substance. This is far from the case at The Barber Shop, which ranks as one of the most convincingly hidden establishments in Sydney and yet also commands some serious authority when it comes to slinging gin. With an entrance on York Street disguised as, you guessed it, a barbershop, this secret drinking den has been crowned the nation’s Best Gin Bar by Australian Bartender Magazine no less than four times in the 11 years since it opened. There are more than 700 juniper delights crowding the back bar shelves of this gin palace, sourced from all over the world and including some rare and limited-edition drops.
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Slightly hidden below Clarence Street via a winding staircase, The Lobo is a lot bigger than you’d expect. The deep red and green decor paired with recycled dark wood and floral furniture is delightfully welcoming, while the fine use of space and overall attention to detail makes this week-old newbie seem like a long-loved establishment. And what’s more, the moment you step up to the bar, you’re made to feel like a real regular. With a staggering collection of rums, wines and the usual favourites, there’s more than just your two-bit mojito here.
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A little tough to find, but well worth the effort, the two-level set-up of this bar makes for a charming hideaway, pulling inspiration from the diminutive drinking dens you’ll find hidden throughout office blocks in Japan. The bar’s lower floor calls to mind an old library, complete with stately bookshelves, dapper furnishings and family heirlooms throughout. Foliage creeps in and around the bar like it’s been there forever. The bar’s secluded — and equally green — rooftop space is ripe for sinking beers and carefully created cocktails. If you can get there early, nab a spot at the bar or one of the few low tables before the crowds come marching in.
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Sydney has plenty of wine bars, martini bars and margarita bars, but just one drinking den dedicated to the Manhattan. You’ll find multiple riffs on this classic whisky cocktail on the menu at this stylish lounge bar in the heart of Potts Point, including daily specials. Opened in 2013, this shrine to US cocktail culture takes its name from America’s 32nd President, with decor summoning the kind of Washingtonian art deco opulence that would have been a familiar sight during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office during the 1930s and 40s. The historic building on Orwell Street, located next door to the iconic Metro Theatre, underwent extensive renovations to create a stylish venue with oodles of charm. And don’t be put off if dark liquor cocktails aren’t your tipple. The sprawling cocktail menu has pages of signatures and reinvented classics, grouped by flavour profile to help guests navigate this embarrassment of riches. If you lean the other way and are a fan of the amber dram, there’s an extensive whisky collection for those who prefer their snifter straight up.
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This sophisticated cocktail lounge’s dark wood panelling, deep-pile carpets, velvet loungers and marble-topped bar set a luxuriant tone — a sultry, intimate space where Gatsby-coded art deco decor mingles with Vegas-esque levels of decadence and fun. Overseeing the all-important cocktail menu is Tom Opie, a finalist in the 2024 Bartender of the Year Awards and the recent National Winner of the Stauning Drinks Kollektive. Much like the decor, his approach fuses traditional concepts with contemporary flourishes, delivering riffs on the classics that also showcase a sense of play. The entertainment offering includes live jazz performances, courtesy of a baby grand piano in the main bar area, while a striking, marble-clad fireplace adds a touch of cosiness when the colder months roll around.
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On September 25, 1981, Sydneysiders got their first look at the revolving restaurants inside Sydney Tower. Exactly 39 years later, the restaurants reopened after a $12-million renovation, with new looks, A-plus cocktails and a star cast of Sydney hospitality elite. Part-retro, part-futuristic with circular red and white lounges, gold lights and striking mirrors, Bar 83 is officially Sydney’s highest bar. Some have suggested the bar looks as if it was pulled straight from an episode of The Jetsons, but Loopcreative director Rod Faucheux says the design is a nod to the building’s history and Sydney bars from the 70s and 80s, such as Baron’s in the Cross. As the name suggests, it’s towering above the city on level 83, with views across to the edges of the suburbs.
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Despite taking its name from a raucous, rundown pub in the 80s flick Road House, Double Deuce Lounge isn’t a dive bar. Instead, the CBD drinking hole from the Ramblin’ Rascal team is a refined cocktail lounge with a touch of ’70s porn chic’. No, you won’t find Ron Jeremy lounging in one of the burgundy leather booths. Instead, you can expect loud geometric 70s wallpaper laid with vintage film posters, the likes of Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Curtis Mayfield on heavy rotation and a cocktail list that arrives in a Deep Throat-esque VHS cover.
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Tio’s is unabashedly fun. Head inside this laidback tequila-filled drinking den to find a huge selection of margaritas, ice cold tinnies with fresh lime and salt on the rim as well as a free bag of popcorn every time you order a drink — “Scientifically matched to the flavour of Old El Paso taco seasoning, circa 1999”. Or so they say. Consider yourself a tequila and mezcal connoisseur? Then make your way through some of those on offer — choose from hundreds of varieties of these agave-based tipples. We bet you’ll find stacks you’ve never tried before.
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25
This Mediterranean-coded bar with three outdoor terraces, marble-clad DJ podium and a street eats-style bar menu also created by Peter Conistis is a jewel in the crown of nightlife hotspot The Bristol. Whether you’re wistfully reminiscing about this year’s jaunt to the northern hemisphere or you’ve been enviously scrolling through your globe-trotting friends’ Insta-feeds, a trip to The Rooftop delivers the Euro-summer vibes you’ve been craving. The pretty pastel decor, featuring a sunny pallete of creams, corals, blushing pinks and accents of chartreuse, wouldn’t look out of place on the Amalfi Coast or perched on the shores of Saint Tropez. While the interiors set the tone, it’s the three outdoor terraces that steal the show.
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24
Not content with creating four of Sydney’s favourite venues in Bar Planet, Cantina OK!, Tio’s and The Cliff Dive — plus the beloved OK! sparkling margarita seltzer — Mucho hospitality group kicked off 2024 by serving up an absolute home run with its new hidden underground cocktail lair Centro 86. Described as an “old, fancy Mexican cantina on shrooms”, the tequila-focused bar in the Sydney CBD opening takes the magic of Bar Planet, as well as Cantina OK!’s love of margaritas, and applies it to an expansive 110-seat space. But before you settle in for a few fanciful cocktails, you’ve got to find the bar first.
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Pulling inspiration from Dashiell Hammett’s novel The Thin Man and its fictional sleuthing duo Nick and Nora Charles, this sophisticated rooftop bar is an homage to the Roaring Twenties and the legendary parties thrown by these characters. Among Nick & Nora’s features: an opulent fit-out, lavish art deco touches and a whole lot of champagne. It has room for an impressive 300 people, complete with a sprawling terrace boasting views of Sydney from the heart of Parramatta. But it’s not all flash and no substance here. The back bar selection runs to a hefty 900 spirits while climate-controlled fridges are stocked with over 50 Champagnes from the world’s most celebrated houses. The cocktail offering is also as tight as you’d expect from these pros, with a 30-strong list featuring multiple variations of martinis, sours and champagne-infused sips.
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22
Behind the Betta Meats butchery facade, you’ll find a secret but beloved cocktail bar. It has been around since 2013 and remained a firm Newtown favourite ever since. Owner and ex-Shady Pines head honcho Pasan Wijesana has pulled off the seemingly impossible — soul without kitsch — and given King Street a grown-up bar with a New Orleans edge. On the spectrum of masculine broody, the Earl’s decor comes in at about the ‘thick with bourbon’ mark — you could be forgiven for swearing there is a haze of cigarette smoke in the air. The feature of the bar, is, well, the bar; a goliath amongst bar tops that coolly dominates the space and invites you to take a seat.
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Originally the brainchild of Charlie Lehmann, Dardan Shervashidze and Sebastian ‘Cosmo’ Soto, Rascal certainly boasts a feel reminiscent of other beloved drinking holes. This time things have moved uptown with this basement bar establishing itself in the old Laugh Garage on Park Street. The result? A bar of a very familiar vibe: a dimly lit, fresh-juice-squeezing watering hole, with recognisably boisterous bartenders. Loyalty shows in the all-Australian beer list, accompanied by a no-fuss but modern assortment of wines featuring a couple of whites, a couple of reds, a prosecco and a natural orange wine. The decor is a throwback to childhood nostalgia — chalkboard walls in the bathrooms beckon all those drunken Picasso moments.
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There are just two certainties in life, so the saying goes. However, David Spanton — Kings Cross hospo maven and owner of The Hook — would argue that there are actually three: death, taxes … and oysters. Kings Cross was once famed for the calibre of its oyster bars. Notably, The Bayswater Brasserie shucked endless supplies of the briny morsels for Sydney’s glitterati between the early 80s and its closure in 2010. The Hook — a delightfully kitsch, nautically themed oyster and piano bar in the former digs of the Izgara Turkish grill — is at once an homage to Bayswater Road’s former glory, a love letter to the eternal oyster and a trip down Spanton’s personal memory lane. His decades of travel across the United States, including to San Francisco’s Swan Oyster Depot (“the greatest seafood diner in the world,” according to Spanton) and the oyster restaurants of New Orleans and Boston, have been distilled into The Hook’s quirky personality and yesteryear menu.
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This small bar with a cosmic personality specialises in martinis of every sort. The signature Bar Planet Martini is made with a seasonal gin the team has created with Poor Toms distillery named the Infinite Spirit, served with an olive and citrus from a lemon rind. Always accompanied by a bag of seasoned popcorn, the drinks menu is short but self-assured. You can also make a martini your way with a range of gin and vodka options, or opt for something fruitier. Like the Scorpino for example, which is made from a mix of P&V prosecco, vodka and an in-house gelato based around a different market fruit each week.
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Situated on Kent Street alongside the likes of Papa Gede’s and PS40, this cosy microbar is hidden behind a door disguised as a banh mi cart. If you’re simply walking by, it could easily be mistaken as a spot for a quick bite as you venture through the city. Each detail throughout the moody yet sophisticated fitout tells a story. The space is adorned with vibrant silk lanterns hanging from its ceiling — which have been imported from Hoi An — a replica of the Golden Hand Bridge from Da Nang, and photographs of pre- and post-opening memories along its walls. Take a seat on either the comfortable lounge seating or at the sleek bar, and you’ll be in for a treat.
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The folks at Love, Tilly Devine are excited. They’re excited about their wine, about the future of their neighbourhood, and about their food. The name of the bar is an ode to East Sydney’s past and a tribute to an obscure 1930s brothel madam who performed acts of local charity. The bar is tucked away in a Darlinghurst alley, with open windows and exposed brick walls and cosy to the point that I spotted one waiter go outside into the street and refill somebody’s glass through the window. Don’t come to Love, Tilly Devine if you want to get drunk. There are other places to do that. This is a place you can bring a date and drink quality, not quantity. This is a wine lover’s bar for people who are willing and able to spend their money on it.
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Head through a 1920s-style fridge door and wind down a spiral staircase in order to find Manly’s most secretive bar: an underground booze bunker named The Cumberland. It sits below Cove Deli, a fully functional provisions store that provides antipasto and snacks for its hidden counterpart downstairs. While the novelty of the hidden speakeasy is a big drawcard for The Cumberland, the welcoming atmosphere and top-notch drinks list are what keep people coming back. You’ll find more than 250 different whiskies alongside natural wines, craft beers and plenty of cocktails.
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Following the world-altering whirlwind that was 2020, award-winning Eau-de-Vie closed down, promising to return in the near future. While it took a little longer than expected, the sleek cocktail bar that was once 13th on the World’s 50 Best Bars list officially reopened to the public in Sydney’s CBD in 2022. All of the class of the original Eau-de-Vie is on show at the new opening with moody lighting, a smooth jazz soundtrack, the signature Whisky Room and private whisky lockers within the building’s basement. And of course, the cocktails are built to impress.
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Poly is unpretentious, fire is the hero of the kitchen and its wine list is impressive, because crucially, this is a wine bar first, and a restaurant second. Whether it’s a bar, a restaurant, or a portmanteau of the two, is still out for debate, but it’s well-equipped to cater to guests looking for either (or both). The wine list, chosen by sommelier and co-owner Julien Dromgool, is loaded with minimal-intervention, skin-contact drops, sorted under helpful, descriptive headings like ‘mid-weight & complex’ and ‘light & juicy’.
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This French-leaning slick diner and wine bar combo is a venture by the team behind The Old Fitz and The Duke of Enmore, so the mood is decidedly relaxed. The fit out — all exposed brick, high ceilings and airy street-facing windows — has all the stamps of a good, friendly neighbourhood pub. They’ve even painted a vintage Reschs advertisement replica on the wall to really hammer it home. But behind the bar and in the kitchen, they’re cooking up something a little more special than your average drop-in drinks joint.
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Paski Vineria Popolare brings together three acclaimed Sydney hospitality mainstays for a two-storey bar and eatery with a love for wine. Italian wine importers Giorgio De Maria (Giorgio De Maria Fun Wines), Mattia Dicati (Vino Mito Wine Imports) and chef Enrico Tomelleri (Ragazzi, Alberto’s Lounge, 10 William Street) are behind the Oxford Street spot that’s found its home in the former digs of now-closed spritz bar This Must Be The Place. Paski Vineria Popolare is named after both De Maria’s beloved dog and the Italian meaning of Popolare (“of the people”). Running with that mantra, it looks to bring rare and different wines to Sydneysiders in a welcoming way.
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Negronis and Italian bar snacks are at the centre of this Surry Hills aperitivo bar. Bar Conte is the project of Raffaele Lombard and his partner, interior designer Victoria Hampshire who have worked together to transport you to the Amalfi Coast through a sleek bar inspired by Italy’s aperitivo culture. “I have dreamt of this concept for the past 10 years. The negroni is my drink of choice, and has been since I was a young man growing up in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. It’s bitter, strong and clean — the ultimate pre-dinner drink.
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“Authenticity is paramount for us,” says The Maybe Group’s co-owner Stefano Catino. “We didn’t want the concept to be a nod towards Mexican culture, spirits or food — it had to be a respectful homage.” This is the approach the team behind multi-award-winning cocktail bar Maybe Sammy has taken to El Primo Sanchez, its cantina-style Mexican bar inside Paddington’s The Rose. El Primo Sanchez brings the group’s passion for quality cocktails to a more casual affair. The venue can accommodate up to 100 guests with intimate tables for two, secluded lounge areas and long communal benches all filling the space. The energy is fun and playful, with spotlights drawing attention to patrons with shots of tequila on the way to their table, and a two-person karaoke room hidden behind the DJ booth loaded up with hit songs — plus a functional ‘Press for Tequila’ button.
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The Rover has returned — dropping its “wild” moniker and with it, the jungle wallpaper — emerging as a sophisticated Surry Hills dining and drink destination tucked behind the same green door at the end of Campbell Street. It may have shed its dive bar energy and speakeasy seclusion but there are still hints of its Irish-themed past remaining with a plethora of whiskies on the drinks list, freshly shucked oysters, the repurposed train board listing and the Irish coffee on the dessert menu. It’s also home to Australia’s best burger — ranked the ninth best burger in the world.
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Maybe Sammy is not only on our list of the best bars in Sydney — it’s on just about everyone else’s too, including anyone who gives out bar awards. It was named in the top 50 bars in the world in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 — and named the Best Bar in Australasia at The World’s 50 Best Bars in all four years. Back in 2019, it was also named the Best International New Cocktail Bar at the 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New Orleans. It was even named the Best International Bar Team at the Tales of the Cocktail 2022 Spirited Awards. The accolades come hard and fast. And it’s clear to see why.
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Perched on absolute prime cliff frontage at Bondi’s southern end, the Icebergs Dining Room and Bar delivers five-star luxe for b0th your eyes and mouth. As you soak up those sweeping, multi-million dollar views, feast on a two-hatted menu, driven by fresh produce inspired by regional Italian cuisine. Maurice Terzini has been the man in charge since 2002. He works closely with the head chefs to come up with tasty, tasty dishes, including roasted magma lamb neck with cime di rapa and sage, everything, the degustation will sort you out. Lacking the cash for a sit-down? Settle for a cocktail and snacks in the Icebergs Bar. If you’re in luck, one of the swinging seats or super-comfy lounges will be free.
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Sydneysiders can now sip some of the world’s best cocktails from 22 stories up, thanks to the team behind Maybe Sammy, Sydney’s award-winning cocktail bar previously named one of the top 50 bars in the world. The Hunter Street spot plays on the idea of a hotel bar. Expect inventive cocktails, stellar service, an indulgent food menu and a spirit summoned from 1960s New York.
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High-concept cocktails, leather booths and a distinctly sultry vibe are the modus operandi at play in Pleasure Club. You’ll find the bar-meets-live music venue and performance space down a long flight of stairs on Wilson Street in Newtown. The vibe of Pleasure Club is an anything-can-happen level hedonism. A glowing purple eye greets you at the street-level entrance, hinting at the layers of violet hues contained within. Otherworldly decor and stage design are tone-setters for the entertainment program, which is be a true mixed bag of live music, performance art and audience interaction (including what the venue refers to as Dark Service around the 11pm mark).
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ANTE, a Newtown jazza kissu (or listening bar), is one for fans of fine sake — of which there are over 65 kinds available. Grab a seat at the long timber bar overlooking the huge selection of vinyl and sake, and let the bartenders talk you through all the options. You can follow their lead on particular sips, but we recommend getting the sake tasting flight, especially if you’re new to the world of sake. It features a great cross-section of sakes and will help you discover your own preferences. A decent range of Japanese spirits, cocktails and beers are also up for grabs, alongside a truly impressive selection of eats — designed to pair with sake.
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Sky Bar boasts an open-air rooftop with top-notch city views. Those looking to gaze over Sydney while they enjoy their drink will be treated to floor-to-ceiling glass doors surrounding the bar. The doors fully retract, allowing for optimal appreciation of the urban vistas. But it’s not just the views that are easy on the eye. An earth-tone ode to the art deco and Bauhaus movements, the rich interiors are a symphony of chevron stripes, varnished wood finishes, elegant floor tiles and plush lounges. Silhouette motifs in burnt orange and black adorn the walls, while an expansive island bar clad in multiple grains of wood dominates the main seating area. This is mid-century chic done right.
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Head down Skittle Lane and you’ll discover a mad scientist’s lab of experimental libations. PS40 was opened in 2016 by Michael Chiem and Thor Bergquist, the creators of PS Soda — an alternative to sugary, soulless mixers. While it was originally a way to showcase these bright and bubbly drinks, it’s since evolved to become a hotspot for some of this city’s most innovative cocktails. Over the years, the cocktail list has leaned on highly conceptual iterations, where each cleverly crafted concoction has been a chapter in a broader story. However, more recently, the menu has become focused on tried and true staple signatures such as the Africola, which mixes Mr Black’s coffee liqueur with native cola and hot coconut foam for a flavoursome drink that fills your mouth with two distinct textures and temperatures at the same time.
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Revered chef, veteran restaurateur and bonefide icon Neil Perry has all but single-handedly transformed Double Bay into one of Sydney’s buzziest dining destinations. His most recent opening, Song Bird, is his most ambitious venue to date— a vast, multi-level Cantonese restaurant spread over three floors of the heritage-listed Gaden House. But impressive as this mega-venue may be, there’s a small yet perfectly formed treat to be found in its basement: Bobbie’s, a quintessential cocktail lounge specialising in martinis. To realise Perry’s vision for a chic, cosmopolitan ‘tini joint, he tapped his long-time friends, Linden Pride and Nathalie Hudson, the dynamic duo behind famed New York haunt Dante. Indeed, the bar could be considered more Pride’s than Perry’s, since its name, Bobbie’s, is an ode to Pride’s renowned grandfather, Australian DJ Bob Rogers OAM, the nation’s longest-serving radio announcer who is credited with introducing Top 40 radio programming on 2UE in the late 1950s. In a further nod to Pride’s illustrious forebear, Bobbie’s will is also a live music venue with a focus on modern jazz.
Top Image: Since I Left You, Cassandra Hannigan.
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