The bar scene in Sydney/Eora goes above and beyond. Think rooftop spritzes overlooking sparkly ocean views, biodynamic wines that match top-tier snack menus, and free popcorn partnered with world-class cocktails.
From margarita-fuelled hotspots and moody Inner West wine bars to iconic CBD institutions and hidden whisky dens by the beach, Urban List has rounded up Sydney’s best bars for date nights, group hangs, solo adventures and late night mischief.
These are the 30 best bars in Sydney right now.
Know what you want? Skip to
- Sydney’s Best Wine Bars
- Best Sydney CBD Bars
- Best Surry Hills Bars
- Best Inner West Bars
- Sydney’s Best Tequila And Mezcal Bars
- Best Sydney Rooftop Bars
- Sydney’s Best Hidden Bars
- Sydney’s Best Whisky Bars
- More Of The Best Sydney Bars
Sydney’s Best Wine Bars
The Wine Bar at The International
25 Martin Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: The International | Website
Housed inside the multi-level drinking and dining destination, The Wine Bar at The International is a social hangout that spotlights global growers and vino trends. It offers a trio of spaces to sit and sip, including a piazza-style courtyard overlooking Martin Place, an intimate 40-seater wine bar and a slightly more spacious 60-seat dining room.
The kitchen slings bite-sized bits, small seafood dishes, Neapolitan pizzettes, filling pastas, steak frites, and dessert. Roll through at happy hour (Monday–Saturday, 4pm–6pm) for $5 pizza slices and $12 wines by the glass.
Dear Sainte Éloise
5/29 Orwell Street, Potts Point
Image credit: Dear Sainte Éloise | Instagram
The wine list at Dear Sainte Éloise is a celebration of great winemakers across Australia and Europe. Pages of easy-drinking, experimental, and female-made vino include orange sem-savs, dry rieslings, chilled pinot noir, and international picks like French cabernets, Italian Nebbiolo and Trebbiano wines. Pair with a bite off the seasonally-changing menu and you’ve got a winning combo for a midweek or weekend affair.
Bar Copains
67 Albion Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Bar Copains | Instagram
One of Sydney’s all-time favourite wine bars is Bar Copains—just look to the crowds spilling onto Albion Street for proof. The friendly neighbourhood corner spot offers unique and natural drops alongside traditional wines and a delicious menu built on technique-heavy small plates.
Chef-Owners Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone are behind the joint, who have since opened Bessie’s and Alma’s, and acquired Bar Vincent in Darlinghurst, completing their quartet of cool inner city hangouts.
See more of the best wine bars in Sydney.
Best Sydney CBD Bars
Apollonia
Basement Level/5–7 Young Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Apollonia | Supplied
Tucked behind heritage-listed Customs House and downstairs off Loftus Lane, Apollonia is an old-worldly Sydney CBD bar that aces its cocktails. The Playbill cocktail menu spans four acts with some familiarly named concoctions like the Stanley Tucci; a rhubarb and lemon myrtle hit, and the Sylvester Stallone, mixing naked malt scotch, mulled wine, citrus and pear. There’s also a ripper aperitivo hour every day from 4pm to 6pm.
Centro 86
86–88 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Centro 86 | Instagram
Centro 86 is a margarita-fuelled drinking den under Pitt Street with a 100-strong tequila selection and a monthly edit of new creations with a “will it margarita?” approach. Sticking around since day dot, the Verde is a herbaceous house favourite with tequila, lime, parsley and kiwi, alongside a spicy marg, blending tequila, rattlesnake, lime and passionfruit—which gets slashed to half price during the daily happy hour.
Like Mucho Hospitality Group’s other venues (Herbs Taverne, Bar Planet, Cantina OK!, Tio's), you’ll also be spoiled with complimentary seasoned popcorn at this moody CBD basement bar.
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Conte Sydney
151 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Conte Sydney | Website
Conte is a dedicated Negroni bar and Italian restaurant with over 20 Negroni riffs and an exclusive tasting experience in the middle of the Sydney CBD. But, if the red stuff ain’t your thang, there’s also plenty of spritzes, martinis, and signature cocktails, alongside beer and wine on the hefty 50-page drinks list.
To accompany the sips, there are oysters, caviar, house-sliced deli cuts, cheeses served with truffle honey and house-made jam, bowls of luscious pasta, top-quality meat dishes and a must-try Negroni tiramisu.
See more of the best bars in Sydney’s CBD.
Best Surry Hills Bars
Ace Hotel Lobby Bar
47/53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Ace Hotel | Instagram
Hotel lobby bars aren’t usually a go-to hangout if you’re not staying the night, but Sydneysiders make an exception for the cool and edgy Ace Hotel. Its industrial-chic aesthetic with sunken leather lounges, exposed brick, and funky lighting makes it a staple in Sydney CBD’s nightlife scene.
To complement snacky plates, bartenders whip up strawberry and yuzu spritzes, olive leaf martinis and rhubarb margaritas, and pour a neat edit of tap beers and Australian wines curated by P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants owner Mike Bennie.
Keep an eye on Ace Hotel’s socials and website for art events, wine tastings, live DJ sets, and other fun happenings.
Bar Conte
340 Riley Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Bar Conte | Steven Woodburn
On the corner of Foveaux and Riley Streets lies a quaint little Italian Negroni bar and restaurant that’s become a Surry Hills standout. Open from breakfast through to dinner, Bar Conte delivers on every front, but especially on drinks.
There’s Negronis and cocktails galore, as well as a mostly Italian wine list, beers, mocktails, and digestifs. Sit up at the tiled emerald bar to watch the mixologists prepare your drink, or take a seat by the window to people-watch while you sip.
Poly
74–76 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Poly | Website
Fire-powered restaurant Poly serves up charcoal-seared, modern Australian fare alongside an outstanding organic and biodynamic wine list spanning Spain, Italy, France and Japan. Cocktails are also on the cards, including the signature Poly Martini with Tanqueray gin, Dolin dry vermouth and pickled fennel.
The Surry Hills bar takes walk-ins for snack and drink seekers and bookings for diners after a full meal or bigger groups.
See more of the best bars in Surry Hills.
Best Inner West Bars
Bar Planet
16 Enmore Road, Newtown
Image credit: Bar Planet | Nikki To
Martini boozer, Bar Planet is one of Newtown's most consistently crowded bars, making it a top contender for the best in the Inner West. The psychedelic joint is covered in candle wax and terrazzo tabletops, and dishes up some of the most out-of-this-world cocktails in Sydney.
Every visit is never the same, with new monthly martini twists from hot honey-spiked to cooling cucumber and elderflower-infused. There’s even an off-menu martini, aka The Skyscraper, that comes with seven olives.
Famelia
55 Enmore Road, Newtown
Image credit: Famelia | Website
Flaunting a cast of wines created by both renowned and up-and-coming female winemakers, Famelia is a must-visit Newtown wine bar and cellar door experience. Owner and sommelier Amelia Birch is dedicated to spotlighting the best women-made drops, with a rotating lineup of 12 favourites each month.
You can even buy bottles of your faves at the bar or online, take part in a wine flight journey or attend an educational vino event.
Jacoby’s Tiki Bar
154 Enmore Road, Enmore
Image credit: Jacoby's Tiki Bar | Instagram
The flaming zombie cocktail is a must-order at Jacoby’s. It comes with Jacoby’s house grog, Plantation O.F.T.D rum, Crème Violette, apricot, lime, passionfruit, orgeat syrup and absinthe set alight.
The Enmore tiki-themed bar boasts tropical drinks coming out the wazoo, and if you get hungry, you can hoover down NYC-style pizzas from Epic Pizza, which is ordered in from up the road.
See more of the best bars in Sydney’s Inner West.
Sydney’s Best Tequila And Mezcal Bars
Cantina OK!
Council Place, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Cantina OK! | Instagram
Self-dubbed a “micro mezcal mecca”, Cantina OK! is a shrine to the smoky cousin of tequila. Waiting at the end of a dubious alleyway, this warm sliver of a bar has earned global cred: it's one of just two Australian names on the World's Best Bars list, ranking 96th in 2024. Start with their famous Margarita OK!, before venturing into unknown territory with a creative weekly special like a strawberry and beetroot rendition topped with dulse and coconut sorbet.
El Primo Sanchez
27–33 Oxford Street, Paddington
Image credit: El Primo Sanchez | Supplied
El Primo Sanchez is a sunny Mexican joint on Oxford Street that shakes up some of the best cocktails in Sydney. The signature Primo Margarita is a must-try, mixing Patrón Silver, Mezcla Naranja, agave and lime, or there are fruity highballs, Patrón Blanco-infused slushies, and classics. The key is the high-quality tequilas, mezcals and agave spirits the team have sourced from Mexico's greatest regions, including Oaxaca to Jalisco and beyond.
Pair with soft tacos, crispy shell costras, burritos and quesadillas with your pick of protein, including al pastor pork belly, slow-cooked beef barbacoa or roasted adobo cauliflower. PS. Don’t leave without singing a tune or two in the elevator-turned-karaoke booth.
Tio’s Cerveceria
4/14 Foster Street, Surry Hills
Image credit: Tio's | Instagram
Tequila and mezcal-infused margaritas are the stars of the show at Tio’s—having sold 110,000 of them, and counting, since opening in 2011. Order it classic, spicy, Tommy’s style, pumped with passionfruit and vanilla, frozen with watermelon and Lao Gan Ma chilli crisps, infused with pickle brine, mixed with biscoff or jumbo-sized as a four-person mega margarita. For food, grab a free bag of popcorn dusted with circa 1999 Old El Paso taco-inspired seasoning, and order in pizzas from DOC or fried chicken from Butter Sydney.
Best Sydney Rooftop Bars
The Imperial Erskineville
35 Erskineville Road, Erskineville
Image credit: The Imperial Erskineville | HeadBox
Stunning LGBTQI+ icon, The Imperial, has a gorgeous rooftop bar that’s ideal for sundowner sips. A golden-tiled pizza oven dishes up hot cheesy pies from the Pizza Bros, which go great with a signature spritz, classic cocktail, or chilled wine. There’s also fun drag shows and dance parties downstairs worth hanging around for.
The Erskineville venue is steeped in rich historical significance—including its iconic connection to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, partially filmed on-site—and was added to the NSW State Heritage Register in April 2025.
Coogee Pavilion
Level 3/169 Dolphin Street, Coogee
Image credit: Coogee Pavilion | Website
Coogee Pav has hosted its fair share of rooftop parties, backgrounded by insane ocean views and live DJ sets from big names like Crooked Colours, Young Franco, Touch Sensitive, Jax Jones, and heaps more local Aussie legends. Sip signature and frozen cocktails, wine, beer or seltzers from four indoor and outdoor bars, eat wood-fired bites and mezze plates, and dance your heart out at free rooftop sessions ‘til 2am, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Jōji
Level 5/388 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Jōji | Supplied
Sitting atop the Cartier Sydney CBD store, Jōji is a Japanese restaurant and rooftop bar with a view of the sparkling city skyline. The cocktail list is broken up into four sections, ranging from classics to less conventional, including Ichigo, a strawberry matcha cocktail and Geisha, fresh yuzu gin complemented by nashi pear, passionfruit, and ginger. For food, there’s sashimi plates, chicken karaage, and decadent duck katsu and wagyu sandos, plus mochi sorbet.
See more of the best rooftop bars in Sydney.
Sydney’s Best Hidden Bars
Earl’s Juke Joint
407 King Street, Newtown
Image credit: Earl's Juke Joint | Instagram
Hidden behind an inconspicuous butcher’s shop front, Earl’s Juke Joint is one of the best hidden bars in Sydney. The walk-in only Newtown watering-hole slings untinkered wines, locally brewed beers and cocktails pumped with left of centre ingredients. The Zunga Zeng is a house fave with white rum, coconut, macadamia, mango, and lime. Drink up at the bar or curl up at a table with a date or a couple of mates.
Love, Tilly Devine
91 Crown Lane, Darlinghurst
Image credit: Love, Tilly Devine | Instagram
Down two kind of sketchy-looking alleyways off Crown Street lies Love, Tilly Devine. The hidden hole-in-the-wall pours over 150 lo-fi wines by the glass from a wide collection of Australian and International producers. The tasty bar menu offers a selection of salumi and cheeses, bite-sized snacks like kingfish crudo and bigger plates such as spaghetti arrabiata. Swing by between 5pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday for a happy hour menu with everything under $15, including daily wine picks, classic cocktails, and a dolled-up hot dog.
The Cumberland
17/19 Central Avenue, Manly
Image credit: The Cumberland | Website
Underneath Manly’s laneways, there’s a Spanish-influenced speakeasy that’s waiting to be discovered. The Cumberland is a Northern Beaches hidden gem that’s been around since 2019, but you wouldn’t even know it's there. It’s fully concealed behind a fridge door in a bodega deli that leads down to a vintage-looking 75-seater basement bar. It boasts a big collection of over 250 whiskies, natural wine, craft beer and themed cocktails using locally foraged and found ingredients. Slide into a leather banquette with a group or go solo and watch the bartenders work their magic up at the bar.
See more of the best hidden bars in Sydney.
Sydney’s Best Whisky Bars
Whisky Thief
230 Sussex Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Whisky Thief | Azabu Group
Whisky Thief is a premium Japanese whisky and cocktail bar tucked inside a heritage-listed Victorian warehouse that now houses the modern three-storey dining hub, Prefecture 48.
Both newcomers and whisky aficionados are bound to love this joint, with approachable cocktails like the Takamakura Fizz, mixing Haku Vodka, 10-year-old Talisker Whisky, red capsicum, strawberry and tomato water, and the signature Whisky Thief’s Cocktail with Toki Whisky, Hojicha tea, fava tonka and wattleseed cream. You can also order the golden stuff straight, and with a side of snacks.
Bar Besuto
3 Underwood Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Bar Besuto | Jude Cohen
Home to ultra-rare Japanese whiskies, Bar Besuto should be the next stop on your best whisky bars in Sydney hit list. Owner Joel Best has handpicked top-shelf bottles that you’ll struggle to find anywhere else, including award-winning single malt sips from Yamazaki Distillery and golden drops from Chichibu Distillery.
While whisky is the main event, there’s also a tidy edit of cocktails and a bar menu prepared by Chef Michi from Besuto Omakase. Dive into onigiri, a prawn katsu sando, premium wagyu tartare with miso potato and Osetra caviar, or a mystery bento box as you savour silky smooth whisky.
Eau De Vie
Basement Level, 285 George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Eau de Vie | Supplied
Eau De Vie is an award-winning speakeasy that nods to the 1920s American bygone era with theatrical cocktails and live jazz. A hall of fame mention is owner Sven Almenning’s favourite Smokey Rob Roy, mixing bold Talisker and Highland whiskies, Ron Zacappa, a sweet house-made vermouth and orange bitters served under a cloud of smoke.
Or, try whisky-infused spin-offs like a blazing Old Fashioned (which can also be served chilled), a Bobby Burns with raspberry notes, and an apricot and nori-infused Rusty Nail.
There’s even a whisky room with a wide collection of rarities, and private whisky lockers where you can purchase and store your favourite EDV bottles for your visits.
More Of The Best Sydney Bars
JAM Record Bar
320C George Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: JAM Record Bar | Supplied
Vinyl-lined walls and moody pinkish-red lighting make JAM Record Bar unmissable on George Street. This Merivale gem houses 15,000 records ready to spin and a rotating lineup of DJs ready to mix ‘em. Fun signature cocktails include a yuzu highball, an umami martini, and a matcha fizz. Pair with Japanese-inspired snacks like Fillet-o-fish spring rolls, chicken skewers, prawn sandos, crispy rice cakes and flavoured soft serve. Head there before or after dining at one of Merivale’s venues next door, like Bar Totti’s, Jimmy’s Falafel or MuMu, or make JAM the main event.
Old Mate’s Place
Level 4, 199 Clarence Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Old Mate's Place | Website
Hidden through an unassuming green door at 199 Clarence Street and atop four flights of stairs, Old Mate’s Place is a saloon-style speakeasy with cool vibes and plenty of booze. The walk-in-only venue has space for 98 guests, and serves unique cocktails, charcuterie, and Philly-style cheesesteaks, including veggie, jamon iberico and spicy chorizo versions.
Wander up further and you’ll find a secret rooftop with 360-degree city views, or head downstairs to Old Love’s, a small tiki bar with heaps of rum-based beauties on the drinks roster.
Sol Bread and Wine
Shop 2/168 Walker Street, North Sydney
Image credit: Sol Bread and Wine | Steven Woodburn
Bakery by day and wine bar by night, Sol Bread and Wine is a North Sydney gem. By noon the European-inspired joint switches from Italian pastries, morning meals, and coffee to shareable plates, wine and cocktails. And if you stroll up the glossy burgundy spiral staircase, you’ll find Soluna, a Mediterranean restaurant slinging hefty pastas, pizza and bigger mains beside more standout drinks.
Maybe Sammy
115 Harrington Street, The Rocks
Image credit: Maybe Sammy | Supplied
Slick ‘50s Hollywood-inspired bar, Maybe Sammy, has been consecutively rated one of Australasia’s top bars on the World's 50 Best Bars list, sitting at number 26 in 2024. We think all of Sydney knows why, but as a reminder, the vibes are always high and the expert mixologists consistently craft unique cocktail combos you won’t find anywhere else. We’re talking tequila and habanero paired with strawberry, white chocolate and yoghurt in the Do Not Disturb special, and mango and eucalyptus in a mini gimlet. Or, order wine by the glass or bottle to be savoured with chef-selected bites.
The Shop & Wine Bar
78 Curlewis Street, Bondi Beach
Image credit: The Shop & Wine Bar | Website
Up from Bondi Beach on Curlewis Street, you’ll stumble upon a mustard hole in the wall, The Shop & Wine Bar. There’s lots of wine to get around, of course, including natural, fizzy, pet nat, white and red varieties, as well as breakfast plates, juicy burgers, chopped salads, and saucy pasta dishes with a weekday special. It’s a true locals' joint, but tourists are also more than welcome.
Double Deuce Lounge
6 Bridge Street, Sydney CBD
Image credit: Double Deuce Lounge | Facebook
Double Deuce Lounge is a throwback to the ‘70s adult film era. The funky Sydney CBD cocktail den is decked out with framed vintage Playboy covers, a furry wall and VHS tape menus containing racy drink names. Walk Of Shame mixes Vegemite with Tanqueray gin, Ketel One vodka and sesame, while Slippery When Wet is a BarSol pisco, green mango, jasmine tea and honey invention.
Keeping it old school, you can tuck into a limited snack menu of cabanossi and cheese cubes or a furikake-laced French onion dip served with a bowl of Jatz sprinkled in DD’s own chicken salt.
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Main image credit: Ace Hotel | Instagram
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