Five Spots in and Around the CBD to Hit for an Indulgent Nightcap This Spring

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It's the eternal conundrum; you've had a delicious dinner but you're hankering for something indulgent to cap off the night — do you get dessert? While we're all for satisfying cravings, why limit yourself to gelato or cake? With so many spots serving up indulgent nightcaps in Sydney's CBD, why not opt for something you can really savour and treat yourself to dessert in liquid form.

To give you a hand, we've partnered with Glenmorangie to find the best Sydney bars in and around the CBD to hit for a nightcap this spring. Having created the Signet single malt whisky with distinct flavours of chocolate, espresso and mandarin (well, that sounds a lot like dessert) who better to help us pick than the whisky purveyors at Glenmorangie. Finish the night on the right note, with a whisky and a decadent treat.

12-MICRON

Wind up the evening watching the bright lights of Barangaroo dance across the water at 12-Micron's late-night dessert bar — whisky in one hand, decadent treat in the other. Headed up by Melbourne pastry master Darren Purchese, this highly inventive 64-seat dessert mecca is sure to satisfy all your post-dinner cravings. You'll finish the night on a high, literally — two-storeys up, overlooking the harbour — and figuratively, as sugary bliss fills your body. A must-try for all sweet-toothed Sydneysiders is the old fashioned sphere with salted caramel, dark chocolate, burnt mandarin, frozen Glenmorangie Signet shots, wattle seed ice cream and flourless chocolate cake ($22). Basically, it's some sort of old fashioned-dessert hybrid and our sweet dreams are made of these. Pair it with a Signet ($36), neat or the rocks, for a truly indulgent nightcap.

KITTYHAWK

Kittyhawk transports you back to the Liberation of Paris in 1944, a time when the booze flowed thick and fast, and with good reason. Which raises the question, what exactly does one drink when toasting to the end of war? We say whisky. But, seeing as you're in a bar which stocks more than 900 spirits and you're not celebrating a German surrender, choose whatever tipple tickles your fancy. Capping off a night at Kittyhawk you're literally armed with an instruction manual (drinks menu) to help you imbibe. The bar takes indulgence to a level that only the French know how. The Signet La Bouche with Glenmorangie Signet, mandarin curd, lemon juice and Angostura bitters is a smooth finish to the night, while the Kitty Sgroppino, described as a sweet, spicy candy shop, topped with waffle, cherry and strawberry fields ice cream has sweetness well and truly covered.

SMOKE, BARANGAROO HOUSE

With uninterrupted water views and an upscale dress code, Smoke at Barangaroo is a sophisticated venue that offers far more than a quick beer at the end of the night. With the lights of Sydney's skyline as your backdrop, nestle into one of the leather booths on the expansive timber deck and savour the experience, cocktail in hand. The bar takes an experimental approach to many of the classics; a Jaffa Sour pairs the flavours of Glenmorangie Signet, dark creme de cacao, blood orange juice, lemon juice and egg whites while the Yuzu Martini made with citrus vodka, yuzushu and orange bitters is a fresh take on a martini.

BUTTON BAR

The espresso martini is the quintessential nightcap — combining the end of the meal staples — coffee and something sweet — into a neat and delicious package. While not all bars get this mix right, Button Bar in Surry Hills certainly does, using the chocolate and espresso flavours of Glenmorangie Signet to enhance the espresso shot and real coffee beans in the sought-after Signet espresso martini. A cosy wood-clad bar decked out like the hull of a pirate ship, with individual leather booths and long communal tables, you can be as private or as raucous as you like.

AT HOME

Your night doesn't need to end just because you've gone home. Often, one of the best parts of an evening is a nightcap at home, comfy pants on, debriefing about the night that was. Stop by a bottle shop in the city and pick up a bottle of Glenmorangie Signet, then savour dessert curled up on the couch. Equally, if you're trying to impress, the promise of a tasty at-home tipple — served neat or on ice — packed with flavours of chocolate, espresso and mandarin will surely do the trick.

Cap off your next night with a decadent post-dinner glass of Glenmorangie Signet.