Themed bars seem to be popping up all over the city and Sydney has its fair share of great ones – so embrace your inner Mexican or cowboy and follow this list for a good night out, whatever you choose.
Button Bar
Surry Hills
A subtle touch of the pirate has been well executed at Surry Hills’ Button Bar so pop in and grab a few cocktails from the extensive list. Designed to feel like you’ve just stepped into Jack Sparrow’s cabin, this dimly lit, wood paneled bar has its fair share of pirate flags and anchors – the house rum is even presented in big barrels on the bar!
The Smoking Panda
CBD
Think 1970s American-Chinese takeaway restaurants and you have The Smoking Panda – a Chinese retro small bar that offers a great range of food and cocktails, complete with the token glowing fish tank filled with jellyfish. Order from their Chinese menu (we love the soft shell crab sliders and prawn toast) or, if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, there’s even a Dunkin Doughnut martini (rum, bourbon, vanilla and doughnut syrup, crowned with half a Krispy Kreme).
Hello Sailor
Darlinghurst
A fresh nautical theme is just what Sydney needed and Hello Sailor is a great approach to the small bar with lifejackets and anchors draping the walls, so you can gladly pretend you are sailing the seas of Capri. The tropical cocktail menu (there’s a brilliant pina colada on the menu) is delicious, with lots of umbrellas and fruit garnishes – so get going and check it out now!
El Topo
Bondi Junction
Mexican is always fun and it’s true that you can rarely go wrong with a margarita in hand. Bondi Junction’s local favourite is always a fun night out, so say hola and get amongst this colourful Day of the Dead styled bar.
The Angry Pirate
Redfern
Grab a dark and stormy (made with the delicious house-made rum) at The Angry Pirate and we promise you won’t be disappointed. With metres of rope covering beams, lumps of coral decorating the bar – the seas are calm in here, so grab a drink, some dinner and say ahoy!
Uncle Ming’s
CBD
It may seem like a regular suit shop across the road from Wynyard Station, but trust us, take the stairs down into one of the CBD’s best kept secrets. Created with a Chinese style saloon in mind, there are Asian pin-up girls plastered over the walls, a little terracotta and lots of nooks and crannies that are perfect for the post-work drink.
Lobo Plantation
CBD
Rum is always fun and Lobo Plantation seems to agree with us! This Caribbean style small bar has a fantastic underground feel, complete with bright green walls, leafy indoor plants and vintage couches - so grab a drink, sit down and be transported to Cuba.
Vasco
Surry Hills
Rock and roll is on the agenda here at Vasco, so sip on one of their impressive cocktails and choose a song from the jukebox. Whilst it may seem like elegant cocktails and a grungy style décor may not match – somehow it works and we love it!
Shady Pines Saloon
Darlinghurst
Shady Pines has been a Sydney favourite for a while now – and for good reason. There’s plenty of taxidermy (buffalo and deer to be precise), their signature bowls of peanuts, the odd cactus and the random piano in the corner. The bartenders are pretty incredible, so order one of the cocktails or a nip of one of their specialty spirits and channel your inner cowboy.
Image credit: The Smoking Panda