Cool Sydney Bars
The Annandale Hotel
Pub, live music.
venue: 17 Parramatta Road, Annandale
The London Hotel
Classic Balmain pub.
venue: 234 Darling Street, Balmain
Beach Road Hotel
Pub, live music most nights.
venue: 71 Beach Road, Bondi Beach
Drift Bar in Ravesi's
Ravesi’s acts as a magnet for the tanned and beautiful.
venue: 118 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach
Icebergs
Astonishing views over Bondi Beach.
venue: 1 Notts Avenue, Bondi Beach
The Mayor
luxurious and relaxed.
venue: 400 Military Road, Cremorne
ARQ Nightclub
Gay club.
venue: 16 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst
Darlo Bar
The Darlo Bar at the Royal Sovereign Hotel has a retro vibe.
venue: 306 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst
Eau De Vie
Eau de Vie, meaning 'water of life', 1930s feel, jazz playing.
venue: 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst
Hinky Dinks
Compact gleaming space, 50's décor.
venue: 185 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst
Love Tilly Devine
Named for notorious Sydney madam Tilly Devine, this is a wine venue with character, tiny.
venue: 91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst
Low 302
dimly lit, 60s style jazz lounge.
venue: 302 Crown Street, Darlinghurst
Pocket
Compact and vibrant pub.
venue: 13 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Polo Lounge
Sprawling, stylish and kitsch.
venue: Level 2, 134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Shady Pines Saloon
Shop 4, kitsch, somewhere between an American hunting cabin, a ski lodge, and a wild west saloon.
venue: 256 Crown Street, Darlinghurst
The Commons
Rustic and comfortable.
venue: 32 Burton Street, Darlinghurst
Victoria Room
Elegant, colonial style.
venue: 235 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst
Golden Sheaf
Big popular pub.
venue: 429 New South Head Road, Double Bay
Gazebo Wine Garden
Gorgeous place, wicked and witty, enchanted French garden wine bar.
venue: 2 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay
The Hive Bar
Popular.
venue: 93 Erskineville Road, Erskineville
Kit and Kaboodle
Club, contemporary kitsch meets vintage glam, refreshing chic alternative to usual sleazy round the clock venues, big on Sundays.
venue: 35 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross
Middle Bar
70's glam bar.
venue: 32 Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross
4 Pines Brewing Company
Good beers, balcony overlooking the wharf.
venue: 43-45 East Esplanade, Manly
Miss Marley's
Lively Manly Beach tequila bar, exudes vintage glam, compact space.
venue: 32 Belgrave Street, Manly
Moonshine
Upstairs at the Hotel Steyne, Moonshine specialises in 16 ciders on tap and over 100 rums.
venue: 75 The Corso, Manly
The Shore Club
Modern, young crowd, three dance floors.
venue: 36-38 South Steyne, Manly
Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
Charming pub.
venue: 19 Kent Street, Millers Point
The Midnight Special
Intimate.
venue: 44 Enmore Road, Newtown
The Vanguard
Live music, blues, roots and jazz-type bands.
venue: 42 King Street, Newtown
Back Room
Cool banging bar/club/mini spring break-style party den.
venue: 2A Roslyn Street, Potts Point
Candy’s Apartment
live bands, DJs take over the club at 11pm, its hot, dirty, loud and underground.
venue: 22 Bayswater Road, Potts Point
Favela
Club.
venue: 1 Kellet Street, Potts Point
Hugo’s Lounge
Club, big on Sundays, cheap pizzas
venue: 33 Batswater Road, Potts Point
Jimmy Liks
Thai cocktail bar.
venue: 186-188 Victorian St, Potts Point
Peppermint Lounge
Swinging retro feel, funky beats, popular with the creative set.
venue: 281 Victoria Street, Potts Point
Soho Bar
Club.
venue: 171 Victoria Street, Potts Point
The Roosevelt
Glamorous 1940s style, cocktails and jazz.
venue: 32 Orwell Street, Potts Point
Black Bar
Classic in the making. 1920s décor and the bar tenders wear crisp white shirts and suspenders, they hand chip their own ice.
venue: 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont
Dry Land
Cocktails and hot chips.
venue: 92 Redfern Street, Redfern
Absinthe Salon
Looks more like a tea room than a bar.
venue: 87 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Beresford Hotel
This place is huge, live music, always busy.
venue: 354 Bourke Street, Surry Hills
Button
Hip venue.
venue: 65 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills
Flinders Hotel
Pub, cool house/dance party later on.
venue: 63 Flinders Street, Surry Hills
Hotel Hollywood
Vibe is authentic and Aussie, it's captured the ruthless punter mixed with barfly hipsters, muso's and eclectic iconic owners like the glamorous Doris who frequents her venue, sporting an acoustic guitar, and a trail of celebrity friends.
venue: 2 Foster Street, Surry Hills
Longrain
Specialising in Aussie-Thai food and classy cocktails.
venue: 85 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Porteno
South American influence, bar upstairs.
venue: 358 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
Sticky
Cocktail wine lounge.
venue: 182 Campbell, Surry Hills
Tio's Cerveceria
Mexican-themed, small bar.
venue: 4/14 Foster Street, Surry Hills
Baxter Inn
Sydney Laneway bar, jazz.
venue: 152-156 Clarence Street, Sydney
Café Sydney
The best view of the city, experimental menu and unusual cocktails.
venue: 31 Alfred Street, Sydney
Cargo Lounge
Suits, stylish.
venue: 52-60 The Promenade, King St Wharf, Sydney
Cruise Bar
Great views.
venue: 5/32 The Promenade, Sydney
ECQ
Bustling Circular Quay, chic.
venue: 61 Macquarie Street, Sydney
Establishment
Stockbrokers prop up the feature 42 metre-long marble bar.
venue: 252 George Street, Sydney
Grandma’s Bar
Located underneath a guitar shop, good cocktails.
venue: 275 Clarence Street, Sydney
Grasshopper
Cosy laneway bar, cocktails in jars.
venue: 1 Temperance Lane (between 389 and 391 George Street), Sydney
Hart’s Pub
English Pub, Harts is all about the beer.
venue: 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks, Sydney
Hemmesphere
Sophisticated, the décor at Hemisphere is said to be inspired by Suleiman the Magnificent. Establishment, Level 4.
venue: 252 George Street, Sydney
Home Bar
Good after work, overlooking Darling Harbour.
venue: 101 Wheat Road, Darling Harbour, Sydney
Home Nightclub
Club.
venue: 101 Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney
Ivy Change Room
Club.
venue: 330 George Street, Sydney
Mr B’s
Good pub.
venue: 396 Pitt Street, Sydney
Opera Bar
The best location in Sydney?
venue: Lower Concourse Level, Sydney
Palmer and Co
Underground prohibition style.
venue: Abercrombie Lane, Sydney
Slip Inn Chinese Laundry
Club.
venue: 111 Sussex Street, Sydney
Stitch Bar
Good selection of wines and cocktails, cool little pub.
venue: 61 York Street, Sydney
The Arthouse Hotel
Huge, funky, suits.
venue: 275 Pitt Street, Sydney
The Ivy
Big and posh.
venue: 330 George Street, Sydney
The loft
Waterfront views, spacious cocktail lounge.
venue: 3 Lime Street, Sydney
York Lane
Sounds and looks like a hipster hangout, but is not.
venue: York Lane, Wynyard, Sydney
Water Bar
Beautiful cool venue, level 2.
venue: 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo