Overview
Ever find yourself overwhelmed by Sydney's diverse array of booze haunts and wish you had your own personal bar guide? Yep, we feel you. Often we frequent the same bars out of comfort and forget to try new places for fear of missing out. With our city's current flurry of decent drinking holes, however, we think it's time you heard it from those truly in the know: the bartenders themselves.
Concrete Playground's guide to where bartenders drink will set things straight. Listen to the experts.
Aasha Sinha drinks at Low302
Aasha hails from Bondi originally and has been running the bar at Gazebo Wine Garden for just over one year. Prior to that Aasha was head bartender at Vinatta Project in New York City. She has also worked at local haunts Cafe Pacifico, Duke Bistro and The Winery.
If I had the night off, I would go to ... "Low302 bar on Crown Street. There are so many reasons why I love this bar. The bartenders are some of Sydney's best and their banter is even better. The drinks list and back bar selection have never failed to impress me. They're open until 2am and serve amazing food all the way through. The buffalo wings are out of this world and make for a great late night grease fix. There's always a spot for you at the bar, where you're guaranteed to run into a fellow bartender (or 10) for a staffie."
Luke Reddington drinks at Bulletin Place
Luke was bar manager of Eau de Vie for over one year and currently bartends at Cockatoo Island. He is in the process of opening his own venue with his business partner, which should be ready by the middle of this year.
One of my favourite drinking holes is ... "Bulletin Place. I like their concept of an ever-changing list of daily cocktail specials, which is based on whatever fruit is in stock that week. The Lord Nelson Pub in The Rocks is also in my top ten. It's one of the oldest and best pubs in Sydney, and always has an interesting selection of delicious locally-brewed beer on tap. I haven't been to 121BC in Surry Hills but it's next on my hit list. I love finding out about new wines and apparently that's the place to do it."
Reece Griffiths drinks at Cafe Pacifico
Reece has been a bartender at Low302 for one year and is the Brand Ambassador for Jose Cuervo Tequila. Reece has also been behind the stick at The Victoria Room and Emmilou Tapas Bar.
When I'm not behind the bar, you can find me at ... "Cafe Pacifico. Being a Tequila and Mezcal lover, Pacifico is a no-brainer for me. One of the best collections of agave spirits going around, a great authentic cantina feel, not to mention 'Cat in the Hat' Phil Bayly to spin stories of Tequila. Low302 is also like a second home to me. It has great booze and has some of the most under-rated food in Sydney. The place is dangerous, but amazing. If I were taking my girlfriend out for a drink, Vasco would be my pick."
Ben Blair drinks at Frankie's
Ben is currently managing the bar at The Corner House in Bondi and has just been ranked one of Australia's top 10 bartenders. Ben has also been behind the bar at the Victoria Room and before that, various venues in London.
The next bar on my go-to list is ... "Frankie's Pizza. The Swillhouse boys (Shady Pines Saloon and Baxter Inn) certainly know what it takes to open a cracking venue, and it would appear that most of my mates live at the bar so I'd never be short of company. For an excellent selection of agave based spirits, tasty popcorn and bartenders who know how to have a good time, Tio’s would be my pick. I also like the 'less is more' philosophy behind Bulletin Place. Their cocktail list is short and no-fuss, with a focus on fresh, seasonal produce."
Jessica Arnott drinks at Eau de Vie
Jessica's a born and bred Sydney girl, but London is where she made the transition from floor to bar. She worked at The Victoria Room for almost three years and has just left Gardel's Bar at Porteno to join the team at the Roosevelt. She's super excited about it.
If there's one thing you should try, it's ... "the chicken liver parfait at Eau de Vie. I think it's made from unicorn breath, or fairy dust, or something. It's unbelievably good. Eau de Vie always has great staff manning the bar. I love that I can go and have a cider and a shot, or a top shelf whisky, or get my cocktail geek on with them anytime. Max and Luke from rock 'n' roll bar Vasco also pump out cracking cocktails. It's as loud as you'd expect from Max Greco with tasty food and great chat. Everything a bartender's bar should be.
Charlie Ainsbury drinks at Tio's
Charlie has been in bars since 2003. He's worked at the Bayswater Brasserie and a number of places in Canada and most notably, The Diamond. Charlie has worked at Duke Bistro, consulted on Izakaya Fujiyama and, for a bit of fun, spend a month's worth of weekends working at Shady Pines Saloon.
The reason I drink at the bars I do is ... "for the people who work there. I like making my way down to Tio's, Low302 and The Baxter Inn whenever I can. Hinky Dinks in Darlinghurst is right next door to us so I find myself there more often than I care to admit! Being a bartender who works late into the night, it's also pretty difficult to avoid Frankie's Pizza. I’ve heard great things about Harlem in Manly, so that’s where I’ll be making my way to next – but not before taking my lady out on a date to Monopole (with our hours being polar opposites, I owe her quite a few of these date nights!).
Robb Sloan drinks at The Corner House
Robb tells us he's a payer of invoices, filler-inner of spreadsheets and wielder of mops at Bulletin Place. He also co-owns the place. Before his current post, Robb was behind the bar at The Black Pearl in Melbourne.
My favourite place to drink in Sydney is ... "The Corner House upstairs bar. Guaranteed a warm welcome, a generously poured, beautifully made beverage and a cool vibe on Sundays. Plus bartender Ben Blair is such a dreamboat. The location is perfect too; perched atop Bondi Road hill so it's a gentle downhill stumble all the way home. Tio's also deserves a mention for positively contributing to people's understanding of how much tequila their body can physically process. I like their dedication. When (when!) I get a night off, I'm looking forward to checking out Bottleneck in Darlinghurst."
Natalie Ng drinks at Foley Lane
Natalie is venue manager and part owner of Mojo Record Bar. Previously, she was the venue manager at Hugos Pizza Bar and before that, the bar manager at Cafe Pacifico for nearly three and a half years.
If you're after good drinks, great food and an awesome outdoor area, head to …. "Foley Lane. It feels more restaurant than bar with its laid-back vibe and rustic charm. Think negronis, jugs of sangria and tapas. It's understated, without being boring. Plus the staff are fantastic. I also have a soft spot for Bulletin Place. These guys show that bars don't need to compromise when it comes to ingredients or freshness. I love their 'simplicity equals quality' ethos. Another bar championing a similar idea (and which I've yet to visit) is Bar H in Surry Hills, where the focus is on seasonal local produce. Finally Low302 deserves a shout out for their quality margaritas and Manhattans, and for their eclectic taste in music.
Header image courtesy of the Soda Factory.