Circular Quay & The Rocks
A discreet entrance on this little street of cafes and bars conceals the staircase up to one of Sydney's most talked-about cocktail bars. Personable, down…
Must-see nightlife in New South Wales
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Sydney tapas legend Bodega moved in with wine bar WyNo in 2019. The petite space seats 28 at one long table and retains some of the Bodega favourites,…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Run by Porteño next door, this wine bar has its own character. Seat yourself at the long communal bar and ask the welcoming waitstaff to suggest delicious…
Circular Quay & The Rocks
With a curious origin story involving two Irish pals, a lottery win and a hostel in Peru, this hidden-away jewel is an atmospheric Rocks basement space…
Kings Cross & Potts Point
Dark and sexy, Monopole seduces with its stylish interior, complete with hanging strips of black sound-absorption material and discreet front screen. A…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
The well-polished tiles of the facade and interior are a real feature at this elegantly refurbished historic pub. It's a popular pre-club venue for an…
Newcastle
Run with great enthusiasm for wine but zero pretension, this bar, in a former bank, has numerous wines available from all over the world, and of course…
Circular Quay & The Rocks
This atmospheric boozer is one of three claiming to be Sydney's oldest (all using slightly different criteria). The on-site brewery cooks up its own…
City Centre & Haymarket
Yes, it really is down that dark lane and through that unmarked door (there are two easily spotted bars on this courtyard, but this place is through a…
Newtown & the Inner West
Offering something for everyone, this excellent neighbourhood pub sums up the modern Inner West vibe. Sip craft ale in various indoor spaces, watch…
Sydney
If you get lost in the tucked-away backstreets of Rozelle, you might find yourself chowing down in the beautiful Welcome Hotel’s acclaimed Italian…
South Coast NSW
With tulips, checked tablecloths and greenery dangling from the ceiling, there's no more darling setting than Moominn. Along with a bluesy soundtrack, the…
Newtown & the Inner West
A block back from the King St fray, the 150-year-old Courthouse is one of Newtown's best pubs, the kind of place where everyone from goth lesbians to…
Newcastle
Wire mesh and upside-down lampshades give an offbeat industrial vibe to this dark and atmospheric speakeasy-style West End bar. A sizeable number of…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Like the much, much hipper and better-looking Italian cousin of a Hard Rock Cafe, Vasco serves beer, wine and rock-themed cocktails in a room lined with…
Sydney
This heartening backstreet social enterprise trains up young people as baristas, with a particular focus on refugee and disadvantaged communities. It's a…
Mid-North Coast
While there's no shortage of good coffee in Bellingen, People of Coffee roasts on-site with beans that are not only organic, but also bird-friendly,…
Newtown & the Inner West
Redfern shelters a cluster of offbeat hangouts for misfits, creatives, queers and subcultural scallywags, and the Tit is one of the best. A sexy, super…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Take the door marked 'restrooms' at the back of the main bar at the Kirketon Hotel and enter this sophisticated, black-walled speakeasy, where a team of…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
With no sign or street number on the door and entry via a shady back lane (look for the white door before Bikram Yoga on Foley St), this subterranean…
South Coast NSW
Rather inconspicuously located in a shopping arcade, this bar rocks thanks to tattoo-esque decor, a heavy soundtrack and a crowd hell-bent on whisky,…
South Coast NSW
Hidden away from prying eyes, Little Prince has an intimate feel and a secret garden that twinkles with fairy lights after dark. Adding extra sparkle to…
Mid-North Coast
Tucked away in a car park with a plant-strewn facade, the Bellingen Brewery packs punters in for its range of brews – from English-style bitters to a…
Newtown & the Inner West
With a friendly, 30-plus local crowd, this is an excellent bar with street-side seating, local live music and a relaxing backyard area if you don't fancy…
South Coast NSW
Nowra's smoothest espresso is poured at an industrial-looking, mural-covered shed north of the CBD. Grab kicking coffee to take away, or perch on a crate…
Sydney
There's a kick to Paddington's weekend nightlife, and this bar-restaurant is a key player. Drinks and service are excellent, while chickens spinning on…
City Centre & Haymarket
Credited with boosting energy, detoxifying, and assisting concentration, Matcha‑ya’s bright-green matcha powder is sourced direct from Japan. But the…
Newtown & the Inner West
The art deco Imperial is legendary as the starting point for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This old, late-opening LGBTIQ+ favourite…
Newtown & the Inner West
This historic corner pub has had a smart makeover and is all exposed brick and hanging garden these days, but the place still has plenty of old-time charm…
Sydney
This spacious art deco pub is casual and unpretentious, and a fine place to sink a few craft beers, sip some Australian wines or join in nightly events…
Newtown & the Inner West
You know you're in Alexandria when you're sitting in the middle of an industrial estate, staring at a tall corrugated metal wall, but there are plants and…
Newtown & the Inner West
This late opener is famous for its Wednesdays with Birdcage, one of Sydney's key lesbian nights. Over the weekend it features live music and DJs taking up…
Byron Bay
This live-music stalwart is as grungy and boozy as it ever was, and has played host to everyone from Billy Bragg and Dizzee Rascal to Dinosaur Jr and PJ…
Byron Bay
The Rails sure smells like a beer-stained pub, and its indoor-outdoor mayhem draws everyone from lobster-red British tourists to high-on-life earth…
Newtown & the Inner West
Band posters and paper lanterns decorate the black walls of this groovy little bar. Expect mellow bluesy/country/rocky sounds and cocktails based around…
Sydney
This enormous, rambling, rowdy complex packs in the backpackers for live music, open-mic nights, comedy and big-screen sports in the beaut beer garden,…
Southern NSW & The Murray
The boldest of Albury's drinking establishments, Public House is packed on weekends with a younger crew enjoying good cocktails, a decent craft-beer list,…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
All Sydney's small bars seem to be dark, candlelit speakeasies with a dash of gangster chic, so it's refreshing to find this light, bright cocktail spot…
Newtown & the Inner West
The latest from the team behind Earl's Juke Joint, this is another nondescript facade that opens into a fantasy world you wouldn’t guess from the street…
Darling Harbour & Pyrmont
Standing like a guardian of tradition at the entrance to Pyrmont, this solid centenarian pub is a bastion of no-frills Sydney drinking culture. With an…
