Lobo Plantation

The verdict

Street front retail space in Sydney is expensive, so it's little wonder that the band of small bar owners are digging deep (literally) and opening up in the basements of corporate towers, and what better way to capture a clientele. Be transported to South America with rum cocktails, bar food such as Cuban pastelitos, pulled-pork tamales and ceviche, and an interior decorated with cane furniture, palm trees and dim candlelight. It's the perfect mid-week escape.

Image credit: Daryl Kong