Newtown & the Inner West
Right on the most pleasant stretch of Norton Street, surrounded by Mediterranean restaurants, this handsome old pub has a fairly uninspiring (but late…
Must-see nightlife in Sydney
Kings Cross & Potts Point
This grand old brick building guards the entrance to the Cross and is one of the area's best pubs, with several levels of boozy entertainment. The balcony…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
This breezy, humorous, faux-Spanish colonial fitout of the former Macquarie Hotel doesn't take itself (or the Spanish language) too seriously. It's an…
City Centre & Haymarket
Don’t worry, this bar doesn’t sell wine to actual bambini – it’s a very grown-up, European affair. The tiny, dark-wood-panelled room is the sort of place…
Circular Quay & The Rocks
With its wide awning shading lots of outdoor seating, this handsome early-20th-century pub is a favoured pit stop for a cooling ale; it was doing…
City Centre & Haymarket
Establishment’s cashed-up crush proves that the art of swilling cocktails after a hard city day is not lost. Sit at the majestic marble bar or in the…
Newtown & the Inner West
One of many great old art-deco pubs in Newtown, the Marly has a front sports bar with live bands on weekends and a shady beer garden. Head upstairs for a…
Manly
Local brewing concern 4 Pines has set up this handsome double-decker venue opposite the ferry wharf. Some of the beer is brewed here, and you can sip it…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Cup of tea, a croissant and a leisurely read of the paper? Not here; this back-to-basics corner cafe does just one thing: coffee. No tables, no food, no…
Sydney
Attached to the restaurant of the same name, casual-chic Icebergs Bar is a brilliant place for a drink. Colourful sofas and ritzy cocktails do little to…
City Centre & Haymarket
No, it's not a themed bar but a real barber's. Walk on past the blokes getting a short-back-and-sides and you'll find a seductive spot peddling gin,…
Sydney
This Returned and Services League bar ain’t fancy, but with views no one can afford and drinks that everyone can, who cares? The kitchen serves decent…
Sydney
Popular with rich older geezers and block-shouldered rugby union types, the Lord Dudley is as close to an English country pub as Sydney gets. The exterior…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
The wood cladding and vaguely piratical theme means you could be below decks on a galleon at this upbeat but cosy small bar. Seriously comfy and…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Lockout laws closed landmark Oxford Street nightclub complex the Exchange, but green shoots have emerged from the ruins in the shape of this lushly…
Darling Harbour & Pyrmont
Occupying what was once one of Sydney's older hotels, this small bar has a pirate theme and a feel of the Spanish Main. It's got plenty of interesting…
Newtown & the Inner West
At heart the Friend in Hand is still a working-class pub with a resident loud-mouth cockatoo and a cast of grizzly old-timers and local characters…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Beer lovers can test their palates against the tasting notes as they work their way through dozens of craft beers at this angular old pub. There are…
Newtown & the Inner West
The name exaggerates this bar's skinniness, but not by much. Downstairs the bartenders serve old-fashioned cocktails and some zingy, fruity ones – the…
Darling Harbour & Pyrmont
On the top floor of the Barangaroo House building, Smoke has a most pleasant outlook over the busy comings and goings at the ferry wharf below. It takes…
City Centre & Haymarket
On hot summer nights, Ryan’s outdoor courtyard is packed with after-workers and travellers launching their evenings. Sexy anticipation laces the air, put…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Bright colours and a reggae vibe…yes, it's a Jamaican-themed bar bringing some Caribbean good times to Surry Hills. Jerk chicken and other tasty dishes…
Sydney
A renovated megalith on the hill above Clovelly Beach, this pub has a shady terrace and water views – perfect for post-beach Sunday-afternoon bevvies …
Newtown & the Inner West
Fancy a place where you can sip on a craft beer while your kids play safely and make lots of local friends? This is it. A former bowling club (though you…
City Centre & Haymarket
With great craft beers available in a regularly rotated tap selection, this place should keep you off the streets for a while. Pull up a stool and work…
Circular Quay & The Rocks
This casual summer pop-up cabin will infuse you with the picnic spirit as you lounge on deckchairs or on the lawns of the Botanic Gardens. There's a…
Circular Quay & The Rocks
All corridors and slightly awkward spaces, this heritage building in the heart of the Rocks is now a rather lovely brewpub with restrained 1920s-feel…
Sydney
Surfers, backpackers and the local cool kids slurp down icy margaritas at this bustling bar at the south end of the Bondi strip. It sports a dark-wood…
Newtown & the Inner West
Once one of Sydney's most famous gay pubs, this is now a two-level forum for craft beer – there's a huge range of the stuff – and reliable food. The beer…
Manly
With something for everyone, the Steyne is a Manly classic that's big enough to get lost in: it's like a village of its own with various bars and eating…
Sydney
The transformation of this slate-roofed sandstone schoolhouse (1878) into a vibrant bar has left it largely unchanged. It's a lovely spot with great…
City Centre & Haymarket
Ride the Hilton escalators up to Zeta, which captivates a chic young city crew with its plush lounges and clubroom-style decor. Here you can sip grilled…
Kings Cross & Potts Point
The low-lit seductive glamour of this sleek and stylish cocktail bar takes you right back to the '20s, though it's named for a local postwar gangster's…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
Head down the stairs and throw yourself into a world of rough-hewn stone walls, glowing tropical fish lanterns, Polynesian knick-knacks and cocktails…
Kings Cross & Potts Point
It’s dark and very sweaty in this subterranean venue with two bars, a dance floor with DJs spinning house and other electronica, and a space for bands to…
Circular Quay & The Rocks
Operating right here since 1828, this pub was rebuilt in the early 20th century and retains much charm from that era in its characterful bar. It has a…
City Centre & Haymarket
This three-storey art-deco hotel has a smooth and snappy ground-floor bar doing a nice line in Greek pub grub, a Laotian restaurant upstairs and a club in…
Surry Hills & Darlinghurst
A mixed crowd of Surry Hillbillies gets down to serious beer business in this art-deco pub that time forgot. The octogenarian owner, Doris Goddard, is a…
Sydney
Skip Bondi's beachside boozers and head a few blocks inland to this tiny red-and-black den with Persian rugs, mismatched furniture and a few footpath…
Sydney
The Harbour Bridge views from the London’s long balcony, under an enormous awning, are quintessentially Sydney – about as far from London as you can get…
