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Jimmy Liks
Long benches and a longer cocktail list (try the Japanese Pear with lemon juice, sake and vodka) fit the highfalutin atmosphere, a welcome sight to yuppie eyes in Kings Cross. It's a great place to wait for a table at their snappy restaurant right next door.
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Judgement Bar
Many Sydneysiders only know the grungy Judgement Bar as a blurry memory before being trundled into a taxi at the end of a big night. It's a shame, as it's actually a nice spot to sneak into during the day for a quiet, unpretentious bevvie and filling pub grub. The best that can be said for the main Courthouse Hotel bar downstairs is that it beats drinking on Taylor Square.
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Kinselas
In what used to be a funeral parlour, this Taylor Square institution has come back from the dead more times than we can recall. The downstairs is all Deco stylings (spot the chapel), while Middle Bar upstairs is chic, modern and popular with the cocktail-swilling bright young things. It has the best balcony in town and a bitchin' lesbian night (Bitch) every Friday.
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Lady Lux
There's a sophisticated cosiness to this smallish club with its funky floral metallic wallpaper and cushioned couches. Friday nights are for underground house 'from deep to minimal tech', with loads of international DJs. Sundays are huge, attracting a very young, dressed-to-the-nines crowd sticking it out until the first train back to the suburbs.
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Lenin
The Soviet decor is so inspiring it's tempting to sit inside and forget the view. Vodka lovers can choose between 12 Russian varieties, 23 Polish, nine Swedish, seven French and 23 from other unlikely places including Ireland, New Zealand and the Ukraine. Upstairs is icy Minus 5 and swanky cocktail lounge Bubbles.
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Light Brigade Hotel
Charge into this glorious Art Deco pub for a relaxed ground-floor bar with a decent menu, pool table and snazzy sofa lounges. Happy hours run daily from to , and it's usually packed until closing on the weekends. Upstairs there's a chic cocktail lounge (Thursday to Saturday only).
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Loft
From its heavily carved wooden roof panels to the beaded lighting fixtures and rope sculpture, The Loft screams out flashy-but-sophisticated - as do its punters. There's live 'music for grownups' on Thursday and Sunday nights, while weekend afternoons offer traditional high tea or pitchers of Pimms.
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London Hotel
The Harbour Bridge views from the long balcony at Balmain's London Hotel are quintessentially Sydney (about as far from London as you can get). There's a great range of Oz beers on tap, plus a few quality Euro interlopers (Heineken, Hoegaarden et al), jovial punters and non-stop rugby on the telly.
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Lord Dudley Hotel
The Lord Dudley is as close as Sydney really gets to an English pub atmosphere, with dark wood details and good beer (36 on tap!) in pint glasses. It gets packed with a noisy crowd, including Rugby Union fans (plenty of sport on the TV screens) and there's good food served downstairs. Needless to say, it draws a good share of Sydney's British expats.
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Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel
There are pubs in older buildings but the Lord Nelson is Sydney's oldest continually licensed pub. Since 1841 it's been pouring pints and by now it's pretty good at it. Try one of the natural ales brewed in the stainless steel vats at the back.
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Lyric Theatre Star City
The large Lyric stages flashy musical extravaganzas and has good acoustics. It's in the Star City Casino complex, so if you get bored with the musical you can walk out and gamble your money away nearby.
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Macquarie Hotel
The Mac's a good down-home pub with stuff on every night, whether that be a pool or poker comp, wine tasting or live music. They also brew their own beer.
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Manly Wharf Hotel
Taking the phrase 'open plan' to the nth degree, this breezy place is designed to resemble a 1950s waterside weekender - feature walls, bamboo, lots of stone. This is justifiably Manly's most popular bar and it gets seriously packed on the weekends. A chilled bottle of wine at the Jetty Bar on a summer's day is magical.
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Marble Bar
George Adams must have been having a Medici moment when he built this dazzling bar in 1893 at a staggering cost of ₤£32,000. An explosion of opulence coats every inch - from the intricately carved wooden bar to the bronze capitals of the Corinthian columns. When the Adams Hotel was demolished, every slab of marble was carefully dismantled, restored and then reassembled in its present location, under the Hilton Hotel.
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Marlborough Hotel
The Marlborough has a rough-edged front sports bar, a shady beer garden and an attractive large cocktail floor with a cool wrap-around terrace.
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Mars Lounge
Someone call David Bowie and tell him that there is life on Mars - and it's young, hip, holding a cocktail and swaying to some smooth house in this red-tinged upmarket warehouse conversion.
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Metro Theatre
Easily the best place to see local and alternative international acts (plus the odd DJ) in well-ventilated comfort. Other offerings include comedy, cabaret, music and theatre.
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Midnight Shift
The ground floor is quite pubby despite the disco balls, but upstairs it's a licence to booze and cruise with less conversation. We like the fact that a range of gay men shows up here - it's especially popular with Asians and older men. 'Retro' nights add interest.
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Mocean
Sexy surfers and their suntanned girlfriends carve it up to funk and R&B at this subterranean Bondi bar. The cool, moody interior makes an urbane departure from the sandy stresses of the beach.
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Moonlight Cinema
A mellow way to enjoy a balmy summer evening: bring a rug, a picnic and a mate. The programme includes classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's , Ferris Bueller's Day Off and A Clockwork Orange . Buy tickets online, by phone or at the gate from (subject to availability).
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Musica Viva Australia
Musica Viva is the largest stager of ensemble music in the world, providing some 2,500 concerts around Australia in a number of musical styles (including chamber music, a cappella, experimental and jazz).
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National Institute Of Dramatic Art
Former stomping ground of Mel Gibson, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush, NIDA is a good place to see future stars. Student and graduate plays are presented throughout the year at its attractive 725-seat theatre or intimate 120-seat studio.
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New Theatre
Australia's oldest continuously performing theatre, the eclectic New Theatre produces cutting-edge drama in addition to traditional pieces.
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Newtown Hotel
The Newtown does a heady G&L trade with folk who just want to go to the local boozer and have a few laughs. Musical stimulation is provided by the sensational sequined drag acts like Portia Turbo and Pru Crimson.
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North Bondi RSL
It's not fancy but with priceless views and cheap drinks, who cares? Bring ID, as you need to prove you live at least 5km (3.1mi) away to justify your lack of a membership. There are live bands most weekends and poker comps on Mondays and Thursdays.
