Sydney's 50 Most Popular Bars of 2016
Catch up on the year's most visited drinking dens.
Grabbing a drink in Sydney is no mediocre experience. It seems that around every corner, in every basement and up every dodgy staircase there's a hidden (or not so hidden) drinkable library of inventive cocktails, local brews or world-class wines just waiting to be explored. This year, these were the bars you kept searching for — the most popular ones on Concrete Playground (even if they weren't brand new). Catch up on the drinking dens Sydney has made their favourite locals.
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BarEasy Eight - CLOSED
152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney
Killer cocktails and a meal you won't soon forget from a Sydney hospo dream team.
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RestaurantRestaurant Hubert
15 Bligh Street, Sydney
High-class French food in a subterranean space on Bligh Street, where the steak is the stuff of legend.
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BarEast Village Hotel
234 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst
The three-tiered Darlinghurst pub gets a new life with an upstairs sports bar and rooftop terrace.
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BarNorsk Dor - CLOSED
Basement, 70 Pitt Street, Sydney
Hiding under Pitt Street is a snuggly corridor of hearty Nordic nosh.
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BarLeadbelly — CLOSED
42 King Street, Newtown
A new live music venue has opened in the old Vanguard space.
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BarThe Unicorn
106 Oxford Street, Paddington
This friendly, unpretentious pub from the Mary’s gang is well-loved for its cold beer, homegrown wine list and food menu.
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BarBar Ume - CLOSED
478 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Bourke Street's Ume has gone casual with burgers and a sizeable whisky and sake selection.
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BarMistelle - CLOSED
16 Kiaora Lane, Double Bay
Dine and sip wine like a Parisian at Double Bay's newest haunt.
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BarHenry Deane
Rooftop, 35 Bettington Street, Millers Point
The Palisade's luxe rooftop bar is the best place to take in Sydney.
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BarSince I Left You
338 Kent Street, Sydney
This art-filled courtyard bar, with a relaxed spirit and a drinks menu to match, is the perfect antidote to a stressful day in the office.
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BarThe Dolphin Hotel
412 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Across three floors, The Dolphin boasts a revamped dining room, public bar and lounge, open-air terrace, side bar and some street side seating.
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BarLOT.1 - CLOSED
20 York Street, Sydney
Supremely satisfying modern Italian food and interesting wines in the CBD.
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BarJangling Jack's
175 Victoria Street, Potts Point
Find blues, soul and cocktails inspired by the notorious historic locals of Potts Point at this neighbourhood speakeasy.
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BarDarlo Country Club - CLOSED
235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst
An LA-style social club from the team behind the Lobo Plantation.
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BarThe Tilbury Hotel
12 Nicholson Street, Woolloomooloo
Linger over a long lunch or dive into dessert at the new-look Tilbury.
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BarGuilty - CLOSED
248 Palmer Street, Darlinghurst
A veritable burger shrine to the unbeatable combo of cheese, meat and carbs.
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BarContinental Deli Bar Bistro
210 Australia Street, Newtown
Where drinking cocktails gets that much better because they're served in cans.
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BarBanksii - CLOSED
33 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo
Sydney's first dedicated vermouth bar and bistro.
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RestaurantHartsyard - CLOSED
33 Enmore Road, Newtown
Jarrod Walsh and Dot Lee have taken over the venue, given it a facelift and rolled out a new menu.
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BarThe Butler
123 Victoria St, Potts Point
This expansive Potts Point terrace restaurant and bar boasts panoramic views of Sydney's skyline.
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Bar121BC - CLOSED
4/50 Holt St (enter Via Gladstone St), Surry Hills
With a focus on regional Italian flavours, 121BC's wine list changes monthly and comes complemented by the menu of fresh, seasonal food.
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BarArchie Rose Distillery
85 Dunning Avenue, Rosebery
If you're looking to lift your spirits, this gin distillery is the place to be.
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BarDeus Bar & Kitchen
98-104 Parramatta Road, Camperdown
Deus Cafe has moved into more mature territory — with an ex-Bistro Moncur chef no less.
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BarDella Hyde - CLOSED
34 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Slip into cruise control this Oxford Street basement cocktail bar.
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BarHotel Harry
40-44 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills
The century-old Macquarie Hotel building gets a Cuban revolution, complete with traditional barbacoa.
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BarSweethearts Rooftop
33-37 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point
Consider this the Cross's openair diamond in the rough.
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BarGolden Age Cinema and Bar
Paramount House, 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
This revamped screening room and small bar brings a little old-school charm to a night at the movies.
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BarThe Glenmore Hotel
96 Cumberland Street, The Rocks
This pub in The Rocks has a rooftop with one of the best views over the harbour.
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BarThe Soda Factory
16 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills
Venture beyond the Bobby's storefront for boozy spiders, $1 hot dogs and 50s tunes.
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BarThe Four in Hand by Guillaume
105 Sutherland Street, Paddington
Paddo's beloved pub has a new hatted chef in the dining room.
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BarCalabur Cafe & Diner - CLOSED
51-53 Spring Street, Bondi Junction
An all-day Asian diner that truly transforms from day to night.
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BarTaylor's Rooftop
13 Tank Stream Way, Sydney
A CBD rooftop bar with a vertical garden, tacos and live tunes.
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BarBusby Under The Garage
55 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo
Discover this hidden basement bar underneath Riley Street Garage.
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BarThe Royal Hotel
Five Ways, 237 Glenmore Road, Paddington
Rise to the top of this Five Ways pub for incredible views over the city.
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BarHemingway's
48 North Steyne, Manly
The atmosphere of a writer's den, insanely long opening hours, fun and flavorsome food, a drinks menu that will keep even the most inspired drinker guessing, and not even the slightest degree of pretension.
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BarThe Powder Keg - CLOSED
7 Kellett St, Potts Point
An old-world gin palace with house-brewed tonic.
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BarDead Ringer
413 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
The Bulletin Place team reinvent Bacardi Breezers, Redskins and so many nostalgic favourites.
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BarWest Village
30 Terminus Street, Petersham
The ol' Cock has a brand new identity and cocktails on tap.
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BarFrankie's - CLOSED
50 Hunter Street, Sydney
Part dive bar, part New York-style pizza parlour, part blast from the past in the form of 80s metal.
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BarMoya's Juniper Lounge
101 Regent Street, Redfern
This classy Redfern gin bar is gunning to become your local haunt (if it's not already).
