One of Sydney’s smaller suburbs, Potts Point is jam-packed with nightlife options for all occasions. While Kings Cross and Darlinghurst Road offer their share of late-night antics, Macleay Street and the side streets are packed with wine bars, tapas joints, yakitori spots and historic boozers well worth exploring.
These are the best bars in Potts Point.
Coming Soon: Vermuteria
Kings Cross Road
What was once the buzzing 24-hour Hernandez Café is now Vermuteria—a Spanish-influenced bar and delicatessen by the creative team behind Piccolo Bar. Start (or end) your night with the selection of vermouth, sherries and classic cocktails, all perfectly paired with small snacks and plates like gildas, silky mortadella, and four-cheese toasties. There's plenty of vintage booze paraphernalia as well as art from the Hernandez family on the walls, comfy velour banquettes for getting cosy on, and a lively, welcoming vibe—date night sorted.
Vermuterian will open from Friday 24 February 2023.
Bar Lucia
Kellett Street
Bar Lucia is the first non-Mexican venture by Milpa Collective, on the site that was formerly home to the group’s Casa Merida. The mood might be Madrid, but the wine list is local, with a list focused on wines from NSW and, in a powerful move, mostly made by women. Bar Lucia's menu is bodega-style and made for pairing with drinks, with the likes of roasted scallops with saffron butter, ox tongue with salsa pintxo and salsa verde, jamon Serrano croquetas, and Catalan-style cannelloni.
Cocktails also play a starring role, with a liquid cheesecake cocktail shaken with homemade jam and cheesecake-infused vodka and the Dos de Picas which will see you asked to shuffle a deck of cards for the chance to draw the two of spades and enjoy a bonus nip of sherry.
Chaco Bar
Victoria Street
It’s hard to beat the energy and intoxicating coal-grilling aroma of a yakitori joint, and Chaco Bar more than delivers the Japanese getaway we could all use. Order up the usual yakitori skewers like pork belly with yuzu kosho or tsukune meatball, snacks and share plates, and pair everything with the impressive selection of inventive cocktails, artisan sake or a classic Japanese whisky highball.
Dear Sainte Eloise
Orwell Street
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Bringing strong Euro bar vibes to a buzzing laneway location, Dear Sainte Eloise is the ideal local haunt. The wine bar offers a full menu, but the drinks list is the main star with a huge selection of natural wines, classic terroirs, and interesting aperitifs on offer. Pull up a seat in the laneway or attached dining room and prepare to find new favourites.
Piccolo Bar
Roslyn Street
A tiny spot tucked away behind Kings Cross, Piccolo Bar is as jam-packed with charm as she is with guests eagerly sipping aged amari, snacking on anchovies, and soaking in the iconic setting. The bar is all about aperitivo, so you can be sure there’s a strong selection of spritzes, Italian classics and Negroni twists, but there’s also a solid whiskey list. Swing by between 4pm and 5pm for $13 cocktails.
Kings Cross Hotel
William Street
We couldn’t leave off this iconic pub that goes so far as to rebrand to the Queens Cross Hotel come Mardi Gras season. The enduring icon offers the classic pub experience on ground level with a happy hour running 4pm–6pm daily, and the Kings Cross Hotel also has a rooftop bar overlooking the unmistakable Coca-Cola sign that kicks off on Friday and Saturday nights.
Bar Sopra
Macleay Street
A locals’ favourite, Bar Sopra is a Mediterranean-inspired spot that’s all about providing guests with a space to settle into over share plates and a few cocktails. The list includes the Date Night with date-infused bourbon, maple and walnut, or a mean barrel-aged Negroni featuring Never Never Triple Juniper gin, Campari and Oscar 697 aged in American oak and infused with cherry and cacao nibs.
Kings Cross Distillery
Llankelly Place
In a spot that formerly housed an illegal casino and club, Kings Cross Distillery now proudly spills out into the laneway, pouring up house-made, vapour-infused spirits inspired by Australian settings. There’s a happy hour with gin flights, champagne and oyster specials and basic mixers, plus a full menu of snacks and share plates. For something different for date night, check out The Aphrodisiac Experience, with two navy-strength gin and tonics made with mood-boosting botanicals and half a dozen oysters for $38.
The Roosevelt
Orwell Street
If you’re hankering for a cocktail with a little bit of glam, here’s your girl. The Roosevelt first opened in 1943 and was frequented by American servicemen taking out their Australian girlfriends before becoming the notorious Abe Saffron’s first nightclub in 1947. These days it’s a little more tame—but still a great spot for date night with an extensive list of categorised cocktails, a selection of whisky, and classic bistro bites.
Dulcie’s
Darlinghurst Road
Serving exclusively Australian ingredients across its boutique spirits, mixers, charcuterie and cheese, Dulcie’s is all about harking back to the sexiest days of Kings Cross. Perch on a velvet lounge to enjoy the selection of signature cocktails, perhaps at one of the regular events covering local history or hosting musicians or burlesque performers.
The Butler
Victoria Street
Suited to any and all occasions, The Butler is a multi-level wonder with a terrace offering panoramic views of the Sydney city skyline. Scattered with lush foliage throughout, standouts on the cocktail menu include the Kentucky High Tea with Wattleseed Maker’s Mark, Brookie’s Macadamia and Wattleseed liqueur, spiced mandarin, lemon and black tea, or an ever-changing seasonal margarita.
Checking out the area? Here are our picks for the best restaurants in Potts Point.
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Image credit: Bar Sopra, Bar Lucia (Kitti Gould), Chaco Bar, Dear Sainte Eloise (Dexter Kim for Buffet Digital), Piccolo Bar, Kings Cross Distillery, The Roosevelt, Dulcie's, Bar Sopra