Discovering best bars Sydney

Food and drink are those things people always put first. We have yet to meet a traveller who hasn’t thought first about accommodation and second about their belly. As far as bars Sydney go, there is nothing to worry about. Just like with restaurants, the Harbour City showcases a rich offer catering to all tastes.

Enjoy boutique wines sourced from around the globe in the heart of the Rocks!

 

Learn more about Sydney in our guide:

 

 

Finding your new favourite bar Sydney

Nice as that may seem, there is still the question of taste to consider. One bar Sydney might be perfect for a couple, but not to the taste of a business person, and vice versa. Hereby presented, therefore, you will find our top picks that take into consideration all types of travellers and all kinds of budgets. Let’s get started!

 

 

Eric’s Bar

Eric’s Bar at hotel Harbour Rocks (34 Harrington St.) is a place for everyone. Being a hotel bar, it is only to be expected that it welcomes all guests and serves drinks suitable for all ages and tastes. The bar has a stunning past, being located on the site of Sydney’s first hospital. Modern amenities are niftily mingled with warm, heritage feel, making Eric’s Bar the ultimate home-away-from-home sort of venue.

The bar is perhaps best known for its speciality wines, albeit it serves everyday drinks, too. Drop by for a freshly made espresso, a pint of local beer or a sip of your favourite spirit.

 

 

Grandma’s Bar

Grandma’s Bar (275 Clarence St.) is famous for its creative long drinks. When we say “creative”, we mean it to the letter! The staff have up and invented some of the most cunningly mixed boozes, such as Peanut Butter Colada and Ultimate Mai Tai. In their own words: Grandma’s is “the home you always wished you had, a temple to good booze and a testament to the fact that drinking is fun, entertaining and enjoyable”.

Admittedly, such a heart-warming welcome is not easily overlooked. However, if you are expecting a high-end venue, you will be disappointed. Grandma’s is an old school tropical bar, complete with parrot print wallpaper. On Thursday nights, there’s live music there.

 

 

Goro’s

Goro’s (84-86 Mary St., Surry Hills) is another bar you don’t get to encounter every day. It’s an izakaya-style venue serving sake and Japanese snacks. Simply put, it’s a neon-lit gastropub where you may enjoy arcade games, karaoke and a selection of curious drinks.

Probably the most popular drink at Goro’s is the whisky highball and sake bomb (a beer with a shot of sake). On Mondays, cheap and tasty gyozas are served. On party nights, Goro’s serves fried chicken with Kewpie mayo.

 

 

Uncle Kurt’s

Uncle Kurt’s (22B Horwood Pl., Parramatta) serves “killer pastrami sandwiches, world-class cocktails, local craft beers and rye whisky”, in the staff’s own words. In ours, it is a venue every hip-hop lover would die for.

Set up underneath a car park in what was once a legal office, Uncle Kurt’s is a Brooklyn-style bar (graffiti included!) serving American comfort food and excellent cocktails. Customers’ favourites include Summer in Dublin and Brooklyn.

 

 

The Wild Rover

The Wild Rover (75 Campbell St., Surry Hills) is “an Irish folk barn crossed with New York chic set in an unassuming clothing house, hidden from street view”. As if to live up to customers’ expectations, bartenders cheer on every newcomer.

The atmosphere might be easy-going, but the cocktails can hardly get more serious. Albeit The Wild Rover prides itself on serving over two hundred whiskies, you should give a go to some of their cocktails.

Irish Penicillin, Guinness Punch and Blazing Barrels are only several of their many trump cards. Take your time going through the cocktail list, and you’ll notice a good number of whisky-infused ones. The Wild Rover also serves craft beers, wine and cider.

 

 

Zeta Bar 

Zeta Bar (488 George St.) is a perfect place for a classy cocktail on the Level Four terrace of the Hilton Accor hotel Sydney. As far as Hilton goes, it’s all about Champagne, oysters and old-school cocktails. The bar is, perhaps, not the best option for an easy going outing, but it is perfect for unwinding after a busy day. It’s right in the middle of the CBD, too.

Boracay Zombie, Cisco Daisy, and Martinique Smash are only some of the cocktails served there. On Fridays, Zeta Bar features live music and DJ’s (from 9pm) and in Saturdays, it’s a club night with R&B and Hip Hop (also from 9pm).

 

 

Palmer and Co.

Palmer and Co. (Abercrombie Ln) is a prohibition-era style cocktail bar serving an impressive menu of spirits and specially crafted cocktails. Taste their Drive In Dreams with Apple Brandy, Spiced Bitters, Apple and Almond or De La Louisiane with Rye whiskey, Italian vermouth, DOM Benedictine liqueur, absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters for the ultimate time-travel experience.

Palmer’s is famous for its cheese fondue dipping sauce, live jazz music and staff dressed as flappers.

 

 

Wine and cocktail bars Sydney CBD

If you are looking for wine and cocktail bars Sydney CBD, you won’t have to go far. Cocktail lounges are abundant, the offer ranging from spirits with seasonal ingredients to classics and innovative boozes. There is a little bit of something for everyone’s taste, as is always the case with Sydney venues. Here are some of our top wine and cocktail bars Sydney picks.

 

 

Bibo Wine Bar

Bibo Wine Bar (7 Bay St., Double Bay) serves the finest selection of wines, such as Albariño, Champagne, Vermentino, Sangiovese and Pedro Ximenez. Their wine list is majestic; the offer ranging from local to European wines. The venue is a European-style low lit bar with an open-air deck. For customers with deep pockets, there is a museum wine list of cellared wines.

 

 

Opera Bar

Opera Bar (Macquarie St.) serves cocktails and wines and some splendid food to go with them. Try their Sydney Sling with west winds sabre gin, pomegranate, fresh lime, mint and bitters, or Hold the Line with belvedere vodka, elderflower liqueur, passionfruit and citrus for the ultimate experience.

As for the food, Opera Bar’s menu caters to all kinds of tastes. Served is everything from bar snacks to raw food to meat and cheese to pizza. As an additional bonus, the venue is located within a walking distance from many a boutique hotel.

 

 

Eau de Vie

Eau de Vie (229 Darlinghurst Rd.) is another 1920s-influenced bar with moody lighting, glass cabinets and leather seats. The venue serves craft cocktails in the true meaning of the word. The bartenders are known for being creative without boundaries — watch them perform their ice crafting magic!

For the ultimate experience, taste some of their masterclasses – i.e., Humphrey Bogart or Mary Pickford. Cocktails, whiskey and mouth-watering food are served there with style.  

 

 

Tokyo Bird

Tokyo Bird (Commonwealth St. & Belmore Ln., Surry Hills) serves Japanese whiskey, sake, beer, cocktails and yakitori bites. The food is truly delicious and the collection of Japanese whiskies grand. Taste their edamame and shichimi crispy rice cakes to get started, and proceed with negima or hotate.

Give a go to some of their house cocktails, such as Kitsune (Nikka from the Barrel whisky, Bulleit Rye, Dom Benedictine, Peychaud’s bitters, absinthe) and Japanese Negroni (Jinzu gin, Campari, Punt e Mes sweet vermouth, orange umeshu), or go straight to their excellent whiskeys. Offered is the finest selection of Japanese whiskies from Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, Kakubin and Chita.

 

 

Papa Gede’s Bar

Papa Gede’s Bar (348 Kent St., Sydney) is a friendly venue, mildly put. You will have a hard time finding more welcoming staff in Sydney — and beyond. It is the sort of place where whole families (dogs included) are always welcome to drop by and are addressed by their first name.

The venue isn’t about clean eating. Instead, they serve cheese and snacks and some of the most creative cocktails to accompany them. On Mondays, Papa Gede’s does monthly spirit tastings, which are embarrassingly cheap ($25 for six samples). Overall, it’s a completely different atmosphere than in the Accor hotel Sydney you’re staying at, and the change is welcome once in a while.

 

 

This Must Be the Place

This Must Be the Place (239 Oxford St., Darlinghurst) is one of the locals’ favourite venues, and not without a good reason. The service is attentive but discreet, and the bar serves some of the best cocktails in Sydney. I.e., Coffee and Cigarettes (coffee bean Tanqueray, Aperol, Campari, Lillet Blanc and Amaretto) will bring you to a whole new level.

The cocktail is nicely coupled with their grilled cheese sandwich with pickles, too. There are many choices, even for the pickiest customers, so that definitely must be the place.

 

 

Best bars Sydney at a glance

Our top bars Sydney picks are selected to provide an insight into some of the best-loved venues. Certainly there is plenty more to experience, but these are a must-see. Discover some of the most delicious snacks and unimaginably creative cocktails Sydney has to offer. Enjoy a night out like Sydneysiders do — with a smile and a glass of your new favourite spirit.

Enjoy boutique wines sourced from around the globe in the heart of the Rocks!