Herbs Taverne

Bathed in sultry ruby red light and disco ball shimmer, Herbs Taverne isn’t your average Negroni bar—it’s a full-blown aperitivo playground.

The psychedelic CBD basement hangout is another arm of the Mucho Group behind cult-favourites Bar Planet, Cantina OK!, Centro 86 and Tio’s.

A tight quartet of trios make up the menu: three negroni riffs, three aperitifs, three seasonal cocktails, and three house-blended digestifs poured ice-cold. ​​So even if Negronis aren’t your usual pour, you’ll still end up knee-deep in something you'll like.  

Pick from the classic Herbs Negroni, mixing gin, Campari, and a custom blend of two red vermouths, the zhuzed-up tropical Gold Negroni or the Green Negroni, a herbaceous little number laced with house-made parsley amaro—each skewered with an olive and orange wedge. 

Beyond Negronis, there's a rotating cast of experimental cocktails like Meadow, a soft calvados-fennel sour, and aperitifs like the Fernando (a Fernet and Coke love letter) using Mucho’s own orange coriander vodka distilled locally in The Rocks.

End the night with a digestif from the freezer, such as the raspberry-cola-inspired Handshake, or Mozart, a chocolate-Fernet mashup that makes a compelling case for skipping dessert. 

There’s also a growing selection of over 45 amaros behind the bar, sourced from Japan, Italy and other far-flung bitter-loving corners of the world. 

And as with all Mucho haunts, every drink lands a popcorn plus-one. This time it’s seasoned like a deep-dish pizza licked with hot honey—yum. 

The space itself feels like a surrealist fever dream—part Berlin nightclub, part ‘60s diner and part Renaissance painting—wrapped in endless mirrors and anchored by a sit-up bar that you can hang around ‘til 2am daily.

Now check out more of the best bars in Sydney.

Image credit: Herbs Taverne | Nikki To