{"state":"NSW","region":"New South Wales","count":50,"typeColors":{"Bar":"#d1f7c4","Club":"#eaeaea","Cocktail Bar":"#cfdfff","Dive Bar":"#d0f0fd","Hi Fi Bar":"#ede2fe","Hotel Bar":"#fee2d5","Live Music Bar":"#c2f5e9","Other":"#9cc7ff","Pub":"#ffdce5","Restaurant Bar":"#ffeab6","Wine Bar":"#ffdaf4","Whisky Bar":"#77d1f3","Agave Bar":"#72ddc3","Rum Bar":"#93e088","Tiki Bar":"#ffd66e","Amaro Bar":"#cfdfff","Hifi Bar":"#d0f0fd","Gin Bar":"#8b46ff"},"bars":[{"id":"recFm8vhqXiedoRex","rank":1,"name":"Bar Demo, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"85 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Cocktail Bar, Wine Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar","Wine Bar"],"instagram":"@bardemosyd","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bar+Demo+85+Enmore+Rd+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.bardemo.com/","owners":"Oliver Churcher, Claudia Morgan","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"Bar Demo is proof, if you needed it, that Enmore road is Sydney’s most exciting bars precinct right now. Opened in April 2025 by bartenders Oliver Churcher and Claudia ‘Beryl’ Morgan, Bar Demo opened primarily as a wine bar, but given the duo’s talents with the mixing tins, they’ve become more of a cocktail bar — albeit one with a stellar wine selection.\n\nThe duo previously worked together at Double Deuce Lounge in the Sydney CBD; Churcher was the bar’s opening general manager and set the template for drinks at the award-winning bar, with Morgan succeeding Churcher as GM in 2023.\n \nVictoria Hampshire, who has designed Conte Bar in Surry Hills, designed the bar for them, and there’s a quality sound system and acoustics in place to play the bar’s collection of vinyl — just don’t call them a listening bar, because they ain’t. Their House Martini is one of their hero drinks, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better interpretation: bracingly cold, the drink is served from the freezer, and with a little more vermouth than a classic dry spec. ","awards":"2026 Best Bar in NSW presented by Never Never; 2026 Best Cocktail Bar in NSW presented by Perrier","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/BARDEMOI.jpg"]},{"id":"recAEX49tB0HeXpq9","rank":2,"name":"Old Love’s, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 199 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Rum Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Rum Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@oldlovessyd","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Old+Love%27s+Basement+199+Clarence+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.oldloves.sydney/","owners":"Andres Walters, Gabrielle Walters, Adam Cork","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2023,"description":"Old Love’s is the second bar from Old Mate’s Place owner Dre Walters and Adam Cork, and lives in the basement of the same building on Clarence Street in the Sydney CBD. The narrow, subterranean space once housed their popup bar, Ginny’s Canoe Club; relaunching in late October of 2023, Old Love’s is a rum and cocktail bar that’s big on hospitality, all the while putting a spotlight on the wonderful and often confusing world of rum. \n\nWhen you’re there, page through their book of rum: it functions as both their spirits and cocktail menu, and also serves as an educational guide to the big wide world of rum with sections on rum producing countries, and listings on their favourite producers.\n\nMake sure, too, to order their riff on the Cubano sandwich — it’s the kind of drinking food we love. They’ve also just more than doubled their capacity with the opening of the outside back laneway; expect jerk chicken on the barbecue an frosty drinks come summertime.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Old-Loves.jpg"]},{"id":"recP7VAtXWmtHskmQ","rank":3,"name":"Disco Pantera, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Level 1, 11 Young St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@disco_pantera","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Disco+Pantera+Level+1+11+Young+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"","owners":"Ross Purnell, Gordon Purnell","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"Opening in September of 2024, Disco Pantera is the result of decades of hospitality work from brothers Gordon and Ross Purnell. The 2025 recipient of the Best New Bar in NSW award, Disco Pantera is on Young Street in the Sydney CBD, and is actually two venues in one two-tiered space: at the entrance is Bar Tigra, an intimate wine-focused bar, with steps leading up to Disco Pantera where cocktails reign supreme. Their Chimichurri Magarita, from bartender Andrew McCorquodale, turned heads when they opened and nabbed a spot on the 2024 Top 50 Drinks of the Year (landing at 38); the Martinis here are served bracingly cold, and you’re well advised to try their take on the Ramos Gin Fizz. Early in the evenings, as the sun sets, the bar is relaxed and convivial, but when the DJ begins and the sound goes up, it becomes a proper party.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Disco-Pantera.jpg"]},{"id":"recHRDiUCKHohRfd6","rank":4,"name":"Silver's Motel, Enmore","suburb":"Enmore","city":"","address":"187 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042","type":"Cocktail Bar, Whisky Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar","Whisky Bar"],"instagram":"@silversmotel","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Silver%27s+Motel+187+Enmore+Rd+Enmore+NSW+2042","website":"","owners":"Tynan Sidhu, Michael Chiem","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"The long-awaited bar from PS40’s \nMichael Chiem and bartender Tynan Sidhu opened at the start of August in 2025. Silver’s Motel has been a long time coming, with the owners beginning the process three years ago. “It’s been a long process,” Sidhu says. That process involved a complete gutting and rebuilding of the venue’s interior, which for 30 years housed a real estate agent office.\n“It’s a beautiful old building,” says Sidhu, “and we were lucky enough to be given a completely blank space where we can come in and design everything from scratch. We were given a shell and we designed and built everything ourselves.\n“We’ve just found really cool things that we like, and then fixed them up.”\nForget hotel bars, Silver’s Motel is what happens when you dial the formality down a notch, and add in an impressive back bar of whisky; Sidhu has been collecting whisky for over a decade with a view to opening his own bar, and you’ll find some 300-odd bottles of it on the backbar at Silver’s Motel.","awards":"2026 Best New Bar in NSW presented by Bacardí","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/DSC04219.jpg"]},{"id":"recdKmOr4Subl9lg8","rank":5,"name":"PS40, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Shop 2, 40 King St (via Skittle Lane), Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@ps40bar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=PS40+Shop+2+40+King+St+%28via+Skittle+Lane%29+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://ps40bar.com/","owners":"Michael Chiem","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2016,"description":"One thing is guaranteed on any PS40 visit: you’ll be served some of the best drinks in Australia right now. PS40 is the home of the Africola, the confounding hot and cold drink that was named the Drink of the Year in both 2022 and 2024; the drink has become so famous that it even has its own tee shirt today. Each visit ought to start with that drink, but once you’ve had the Africola you’ll find a smart and delicious list of cocktails (the Basque Old Fashioned never disappoints) with rich flavour combinations and a focus on pleasing people’s palates — smart drinks that everyone loves — and the key to their 10 years in trade.","awards":"2026 All Time Great NSW presented by Club Suntory","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/PS40-alanadimou-ps40-highres-a-10309.jpg"]},{"id":"reclFzfNQF3jwSqIG","rank":6,"name":"El Primo Sanchez, Surry Hills","suburb":"Surry Hills","city":"","address":"410 Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010","type":"Agave Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Agave Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@elprimosanchezsydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=El+Primo+Sanchez+410+Crown+St+Surry+Hills+NSW+2010","website":"https://www.elprimosanchez.com/","owners":"The Maybe Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2023,"description":"El Primo Sanchez is proof that tequila and karaoke can be beautiful. This bar, from the folks behind Maybe Sammy, is their love letter to all things Mexico: the food, the spirits, the love for living life out loud. 2025 saw the bar move from its original home in Paddington to Surry Hills, to take up the old FDour Pillars lab space. In the new space, guests can sit at the bar for banter with the skilled bar team, or if they’re in the mood to dance, towards the DJ at the other end of the space. We’ll sit at the bar: the cocktails at El Primo Sanchez are smartly packaged — they deliver on both flavour and accessibility, and their Primo Margarita gives any bar a run for the title of the best Marg in town.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/El-Primo-S.jpg"]},{"id":"reczabDWKwrJyadXt","rank":7,"name":"Deadwax, Enmore","suburb":"Enmore","city":"","address":"182 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042","type":"Hi Fi Bar","types":["Hi Fi Bar"],"instagram":"@deadwax.enmore","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Deadwax+182+Enmore+Rd+Enmore+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.deadwaxbar.com.au/","owners":"Davyd Blacksmith, Dan Teh & Conor O'Brien","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"Deadwax has taken over the site that once housed Enmore Country Club, and is owned by a trio with deep hospitality roots: Otis owners Conor O’Brien and Dan Teh, and chef Davyd Blacksmith (ex-NOLA Smokehouse).\n\n“The concept is a music bar,” says Dan. “I guess with most other vinyl bars we’ve been to, it’s usually funk, disco, house, whatever.\n\n“While we like all those things, we want somewhere to listen to something outside of that. More fun. We’ve got 90s, 2000s bangers, more contemporary stuff, like your Kendrick, your Tylers.”\n\nThe difference, they say, is that they want their take on the Japanese listening bar style to be less serious, and more of a good time.\n\n“We love music and we love sharing music with people,” says Dan. “And it’d be cool to have a bar where customers can share music that they like with other people in the bar.”","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Deadwax_LeighGriffiths-25-1.10.58---pm--2-.jpg"]},{"id":"recUlUhuiCKInRlvB","rank":8,"name":"Ramblin' Rascal Tavern, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 60 Park St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Dive Bar","types":["Dive Bar"],"instagram":"@ramblinrascaltavern","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Ramblin%27+Rascal+Tavern+Basement+60+Park+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.ramblinrascal.com/","owners":"Sebastian Soto, Charlie Lehmann & Dardan Shervashidze","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2014,"description":"Ignore what you read anywhere else on the internet and on social media — Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern (the All Time Great in 2025) is the true and original five star dive bar. It’s another bar on this list that got its start in the heady days of the 2010s, opening in 2014 with an emphasis on democratising cognac and selling ‘shit tinnies’ of lager for $6 a pop. It’s truly a place for everyone, and popularised the only bar rule worth enforcing: ‘Don’t be a dick.’ Long may Rascals reign.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/RAMBLIN_-RASCAL-TAVERN_JS_1582-10207.jpg"]},{"id":"reco81poC84lfEbNk","rank":9,"name":"Earl's Juke Joint, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"407 King St, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Bar","types":["Bar"],"instagram":"@earlsjukejoint","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Earl%27s+Juke+Joint+407+King+St+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://earlsjukejoint.com.au/","owners":"Pasan Wijesena","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2013,"description":"Earl’s Juke Joint is the bar that put the suburb of Newtown on the Sydney drinking map. Before Earl’s opened in 2013, Newtown was about big booze barns and cheap student drinks; today, thanks to trailblazers like Earl’s, it’s one of the most interesting bar scenes in Australia and home to some world class bars. And over a decade into its run, Earl’s Juke Joint is still operating at the very top of its game. What are we drinking when we’re here? The excellent Death Or Glory cocktail, one of the Top 50 Drinks of the Year in 2023.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/EARLS-JUKE-JOINT.jpg"]},{"id":"recToTAW3EZ6DrF9c","rank":10,"name":"Maybe Sammy, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"115 Harrington St, The Rocks NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@maybe_sammy_sydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Maybe+Sammy+115+Harrington+St+The+Rocks+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.maybesammy.com/","owners":"The Maybe Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2019,"description":"Maybe Sammy has been the city’s most talked about bar since it opened in early 2019 on a dreary stretch of street in The Rocks; since then, a combination of theatrics, over the top good times, attentive and fun service, and delicious drinks have kept punters coming back. There’s a reason they’ve been named the best bar in Australasia five times, and landed on The World’s 50 Best every year since opening — they’re irrepressible when it comes to the guest experience, the kind of bar you leave having had your night made better, and with a story to tell.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Maybe-Sammy-Venue_Landscape.jpg"]},{"id":"reclURnmXCwU3Pqb7","rank":11,"name":"Old Mate’s Place, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Level 4, 199 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Bar","types":["Bar"],"instagram":"@oldmatesplace","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Old+Mate%27s+Place+Level+4+199+Clarence+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://oldmates.sydney/","owners":"Andres Walters, Gabrielle Walters","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2018,"description":"If you’re going to Old Mate’s Place — and you ought to — you’re best advised to get there early, particularly if the sun is shining, the weather is warm, and you want a seat on its small outdoor rooftop; it’s often busy here, because people *love* it here. Ascend a rickety elevator to the fourth floor and you’ll find Old Mate’s Place — it’s like walking into an old library overgrown with foliage, with a stately bar thrust into the middle of it all. You’ll snack on Philly cheesesteak variations, and drink the cocktails — the Pandan Airways landed on the Boothby Drink of the Year Top 50 in 2022, 2023, and 2024 — but the main attraction here has always been the service. It’s friendly, familiar, relaxed — it has the comfortable feel of popping around to the place of a friend (or indeed, one’s old mate).","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Old-Mates.jpg"]},{"id":"recTfE7tc6It4Aq74","rank":12,"name":"Cantina OK!, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Council Place, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Agave Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Agave Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@cantina.ok","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Cantina+OK%21+Council+Place+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.muchogroup.com.au/cantinaok","owners":"MUCHO Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2019,"description":"It’s the little bar that does big things on the global stage. From the owners of the Mucho Group (Bar Planet, Tio’s, Cantina OK!, Centro 86) Cantina OK! is unlike any other bar in the world. In a space the size of a one car garage they’ve put together a collection of mezcal you won’t find anywhere else. That’s because they’ve travelled to Mexico and visited the palenques dotted throughout the countryside to find the stuff. Top that unique product with some of the most knowledgeable and generous service in the city, and you can see why this bar has been featured on lists of the world’s very best bars. Their Margarita OK! is the drink that gets people into the bar  but whether you’re arriving early or an hour before last call, if you’re keen to experience mezcals you can’t find anywhere else in the southern hemisphere, you can — that’s what makes the place special. Our tip? Get there early — there’s only space for a couple handfuls of people — order their Margarita OK!, and let them take you on a journey.","awards":"2026 Best Hospitality Team in NSW presented by Campari Academy","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/2026/07/CANTINAOK..jpg"]},{"id":"recDOIJjEG5x87XoG","rank":13,"name":"Fortunate Son, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"105 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Bar","types":["Bar"],"instagram":"@fortunateson_bar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Fortunate+Son+105+Enmore+Rd+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://fortunateson.com.au/","owners":"Dylan Howarth","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2019,"description":"The tagline at Fortunate Son is cool drinks and warm service, but this bar opposite the Enmore Theatre is so much more. There’s a great selection of cocktails, for one, but it’s the welcome you get, and the way you’re hosted by the bartenders that make it special. Black and white music photography lines the walls of the bar, big neons bathe the place in red, the playlist is all killer, no filler. And better than that, Fortunate Son might just have the most comfortable bar seats in Sydney. Every neighbourhood should be so lucky to have a Fortunate Son in their life.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/FortunateSon.jpg"]},{"id":"rec0v8g45mptpBOwT","rank":14,"name":"Continental Deli, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"210 Australia St, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Restaurant Bar","types":["Restaurant Bar"],"instagram":"@continentaldeli","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Continental+Deli+210+Australia+St+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://paisanoanddaughters.com.au/venue/continental-deli/","owners":"Paisano & Daughters","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2015,"description":"Continental Deli Bar & Bistro in Newtown is unlike any other entry on this list. They’ve been making Gildas and canning drinks long before that became popular — their Martinny is, in our opinion, still one of the best Martinis money can buy. Here, there’s an impressive selection of wine, great cocktails, and all the tinned eats from Europe you could ask for; for our money, it offers Sydney’s best drinking and eating bar experience.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Contential-Deli.jpg"]},{"id":"recUCvurbM8crknLr","rank":15,"name":"The Magpie, Enmore","suburb":"Enmore","city":"","address":"156 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042","type":"Pub","types":["Pub"],"instagram":"@magpieenmore","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Magpie+156+Enmore+Rd+Enmore+NSW+2042","website":"","owners":"Pasan Wijesena, Adrian Sanchez, Stu Ellis, Sam Pinneri, Dan Hunt, Russell Martin","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"The Magpie might qualify for Sydney’s smallest pub, but there has been some big love for the place since they opened in February of 2024. The Magpie is a small, 30 person capacity sports pub smack bang in the heart of Enmore Road’s booming hospitality scene — inspired in part by rugby league legend Tommy Raudonikis, he of the Western Suburbs Magpies fame — and brought to you by the folks behind Jacoby’s Tiki Bar a few doors down.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/MAGPIE-FEB-063.jpg"]},{"id":"rec2TcuT7zbl5e8bX","rank":16,"name":"Ante, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"146 King St, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Restaurant Bar","types":["Restaurant Bar"],"instagram":"@ante_syd","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Ante+146+King+St+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.ante.bar/","owners":"Matt Young & Jemma Whiteman","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"We’re not sure sake will ever go mainstream in Sydney, but if one bar was to make a case for it to do so it would be Ante in Newtown. Here you’ll find a dark, moody interior inspired by the idea of Japanese jazz cafes; there’s plenty of vinyl here, and some considered Japanese-inspired eats too — the kitchen and bar sit side by side. But you’d be remiss if you didn’t hit the cocktail list: their House Daiquiri brings yuzushu and shio-koji to the mix — it’s a drink we love.","awards":"2026 Best Bar Eats in NSW presented by Estrella Damm","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/ANTE-NEWTOWN-7S0A5751-9951.jpg"]},{"id":"rec1JB6hGfjngH5EZ","rank":17,"name":"Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Bondi","suburb":"Bondi","city":"","address":"1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach NSW 2026","type":"Restaurant Bar","types":["Restaurant Bar"],"instagram":"@icebergsdiningroomandbar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Icebergs+Dining+Room+%26+Bar+1+Notts+Ave+Bondi+Beach+NSW+2026","website":"https://idrb.com/","owners":"Damien Reed & Deke Miskin","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2002,"description":"There’s few dining and drinking destinations offering a better view — and certainly no venue more iconic than Icebergs Dining Room & Bar. Perched upon the cliff overlooking Bondi Beach and with a view out into the Pacific, the venue reopened in 2022 after renovations to celebrate its 20th year. If you’re visiting for your first time, you’ll want bar manager and industry favourite Matty Opai to fix you up a round of their take on the Sgroppino cocktail; served tableside, it’s an iconic drink in an iconic location.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Icebergs-Bar-View.jpg"]},{"id":"recNC3rBL5U6tNubz","rank":18,"name":"Sakura House, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 82-88 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Restaurant Bar","types":["Restaurant Bar"],"instagram":"@sakurahousesydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Sakura+House+Basement+82-88+Elizabeth+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.sakurahousesydney.com/","owners":"Pollen Hospitality","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"Sakura House is the second venue under the Pollen Hospitality banner — the first being the award-winning Darlinghurst bar, The Waratah — and is billed as a late night CBD izakaya; expect calorific dishes from the kitchen paired with smart Highball riffs and cocktails with a focus on Japanese ingredients, all until 2am in the morning Monday to Saturday.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Sakura-House.jpg"]},{"id":"recjK2JPSNwFEVUKL","rank":19,"name":"The Beekeeper, Bondi","suburb":"Bondi","city":"","address":"Hall St, Bondi Beach NSW 2026","type":"Pub","types":["Pub"],"instagram":"@thebeekeeperbondi","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Beekeeper+Hall+St+Bondi+Beach+NSW+2026","website":"https://www.thebeekeeperbondi.com/","owners":"Northern Hospitality","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"The Beekeeper opened in Bondi during tough times for the beachside suburb, in December of 2025. But as the Bondi community has recovered so too has The Beekeeper become one of the precinct’s most favoured destinations. Here, you’ll find a taste of the British pub — the obligatory Guinness on tap, of course, sandstone walls and wooden bar, and generous English pub eats too.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/TheBeekeeper.jpg"]},{"id":"recXyItYX87BSBptc","rank":20,"name":"The Waratah, Darlinghurst","suburb":"Darlinghurst","city":"","address":"308-310 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010","type":"Bar","types":["Bar"],"instagram":"@thewaratahsydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Waratah+308-310+Liverpool+St+Darlinghurst+NSW+2010","website":"https://www.thewaratahsydney.com/","owners":"Pollen Hospitality","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2023,"description":"When The Waratah opened in early December of 2023, the two-level corner bar quickly became a favourite of off-duty bartenders and hangers-on (guilty as charged) looking for good drinks. Its neighbourhood bar atmosphere is paired with drinks that are as good as you’ll find at any bar on any world’s best list, and there are elevated dishes coming from the venue’s kitchen team. But it’s the hospitality here that distinguishes it from other bars: the bartenders are down to earth, eager to look after you, and passionate — in an unpretentious way — about what they do.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/WaratahNov23_0064.jpg"]},{"id":"recnCYWDH4uEJbsau","rank":21,"name":"Acapulco El Vista, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Level 3, 61 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Hotel Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Hotel Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@acapulcoelvista","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Acapulco+El+Vista+Level+3+61+Macquarie+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.acapulcoelvista.com.au/","owners":"Accor","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"El Vista arrived in Sydney in late 2025, with the space that once was Hacienda getting a revamp and reinvigoration courtesy of Accor’s Table For collaboration with Maybe Group (they of Maybe Sammy fame). Acapulco El Vista, appropriately, has one of the finest views in Sydney, looking out across Circular Quay to the Harbour Bridge. Foodwise, there’s an emphasis on Latina American flavours, and the drinks menu offers up Daiquiris and other tropical rum drinks — Macadamia Batida, anyone? — that will have you thinking you’re anywhere else than Sydney.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/El-Vista-View.jpg"]},{"id":"rec3TFpJTHmierWc5","rank":22,"name":"Bar Planet, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"16 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@barplanetbar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bar+Planet+16+Enmore+Rd+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.muchogroup.com.au/barplanet","owners":"MUCHO Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2022,"description":"Bar Planet made a big splash when it debuted in April 2022; with a crack team of bartenders and the desire to upend the idea of a Martini bar and make it into something out of the ordinary, the Newtown bar has been busy since day one. The bartenders here wear smocks, instead of tuxedos, and the decor is more hippy-psychedelic than pressed tin ceilings and brass fixtures. Their Infinite Spirit Martini uses a gin-like spirit they get custom distilled seasonally with different ingredients; the Martini is poured from a porron from a great height for a theatrical flourish.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/BARPLANET..jpg"]},{"id":"recSPDXIEJjx5MNUa","rank":23,"name":"The Duke of Clarence, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"152-156 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Pub","types":["Pub"],"instagram":"@thedukeofclarenceaus","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Duke+of+Clarence+152-156+Clarence+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://thedukeofclarence.com/","owners":"Barrelhouse Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2017,"description":"The Duke of Clarence is a little taste of England in a Sydney CBD laneway. It’s small — no bigger than any of Sydney’s other small bars — and it is fitted out with warm, inviting wood and stained glass all of which was sourced in the UK. There’s a fireplace for colder evenings, above which a portrait of the pub’s namesake hangs, surrounded on three sides by shelves and shelves of old books.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/DUKE-OF-CLARENCE.jpg"]},{"id":"rech8MKeRKmlWFMkS","rank":24,"name":"The General Store & Huelo, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"127 King St, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@huelobar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Huelo+127+King+St+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.huelo.com.au/","owners":"Swan Kanongataa & Andres Walters","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2023,"description":"Drawing its name from the Tongan word for sun rays, this Newtown newcomer opened in May 2024 and quickly found favour with locals for its laidback atmosphere and warm service. Huelo is a bar in two parts: The General Store at the front, where wine is what you want, and a cocktail bar upstairs, a venue within a venue according to co-owner and Sydney bar world stalwart Swanny Kanongataa.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Huelo-Cocktail-Bar.jpg"]},{"id":"recwAOrWbTqXNyMmZ","rank":25,"name":"Chuck Trailer's CBD, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"36 York St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Bar, Dive Bar, Live Music Bar","types":["Bar","Dive Bar","Live Music Bar"],"instagram":"@chucktrailers","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Chuck+Trailer%27s+CBD+36+York+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://chucktrailers.com/","owners":"Northern Hospitality","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"You might know the Chuck Trailer’s moniker from its original Bondi Beach outpost; if you’re a fan of fried chicken and bourbon, then you’ll definitely know it. They opened a larger CBD installation of the bar this year, and it has quickly found favour with city-dwellers for whom a trip to the Bondi bubble is a trip too far. What both locations have in common, however, is that they are the kind of places that hard to visit and not have a good time.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Chuck-Trailers-2.jpg"]},{"id":"rece9jl1t4u0b5PzR","rank":26,"name":"Jacoby's Tiki Bar, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"154 Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042","type":"Rum Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Rum Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@jacobystikibar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Jacoby%27s+Tiki+Bar+154+Enmore+Rd+Enmore+NSW+2042","website":"http://www.jacobys-tiki-bar.com/","owners":"Pasan Wijesena, Adrian Sanchez, Stu Ellis","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2017,"description":"If we had an award for the best damn tiki joint in NSW, Jacoby’s Tiki Bar would be the perennial favourite. Loosely inspired by the work of director David Lynch, but very much tiki in a considered, smart and tasteful sense, Jacoby’s has created the standard for what every modern day tiki bar should aspire to, with a killer cocktail list that any bar would envy and one of the country’s great bar rooms.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/JACOBYS_CNP5019-10013.jpg"]},{"id":"recRBxgSKBkIpjwBs","rank":27,"name":"Apollonia, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 5-7 Young St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@apolloniabar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Apollonia+Basement+5-7+Young+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://apollonia.sydney/","owners":"House Made Hospitality","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2021,"description":"Apollonia is the Sydney basement bar named for a character from The Godfather, part of House Made Hospitality’s Hinchcliff House precinct. Here, there’s been a signature Negroni on tap since they opened in 2021, with the rest of the menu a home to some thoughtful cocktails. Here you’ll find a mooduly lit interior, a buzzy atmosphere, and team dedicated to service.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/APOLLOINA.jpg"]},{"id":"recCFcfQ7gBVRKeJN","rank":28,"name":"Centro 86, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 86-88 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Agave Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Agave Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@centro.86","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Centro+86+Basement+86-88+Pitt+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.muchogroup.com.au/centro86","owners":"MUCHO Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"Take the stairs down into this basement bar on Pitt St, and you’ll find the aroma of popcorn and an enthusiastic greeting from the bartenders of Centro 86. Dressed in crisp white shirts and Kermit green waistcoats, each embroidered with the Centro 86 logo, the greeting gets your night started as they want it to go on — a little loud, friendly, and fun. Here, it’s all about approachable tequila cocktails — they spell it cockteles — and housemade ingredients. Note the decor, too: there are 118 original pieces created by Mucho Group art director Clayton Ciolac which feel like they could have been made from the late 1800s through to the art deco period and on — exactly the kind of art a bar would collect over the course of a hundred years.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Bar.-Bridge.jpg"]},{"id":"recTjGYdaFibO8TYg","rank":29,"name":"Howlin' Wolf, Wollongong","suburb":"Wollongong","city":"","address":"103/53-61 Crown St, Wollongong NSW 2500","type":"Dive Bar","types":["Dive Bar"],"instagram":"@thehowlinwolfbar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Howlin%27+Wolf+103%2F53-61+Crown+St+Wollongong+NSW+2500","website":"https://www.howlinwolfbar.com.au/","owners":"Good Times Only","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2012,"description":"Howlin’ Wolf has been flying the flag for good time drinking for the better part of a decade now, and here they love their whiskey, creating a vibrant, loud and distinctive space for Wollongong rascals to revel in.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/HOWLIN_-WOLF-10175.jpg"]},{"id":"reciAvCLrVIb4jEey","rank":30,"name":"The Koutetsu, Newcastle","suburb":"Newcastle","city":"","address":"555 Hunter St, Newcastle West NSW 2302","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@the_koutetsu","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Koutetsu+555+Hunter+St+Newcastle+West+NSW+2302","website":"https://www.thekoutetsu.com/","owners":"Chris Wilson","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2014,"description":"We’re a few visits in and we’re still unsure what the name means, but this original Newcastle small bar is still going strong more than 10 years after its debut. You’ll want to be drinking cocktails here — they’re as good as they get up here in Newcastle — and the industrial chic aesthetic feels of a piece with the history of the city.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/The-Koutetsu.jpg"]},{"id":"recslE9Icdwanzdp6","rank":31,"name":"The Cumberland, Manly","suburb":"Manly","city":"","address":"17-19 Central Ave, Manly NSW 2095","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@cumberlandmanly","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Cumberland+17-19+Central+Ave+Manly+NSW+2095","website":"http://www.cumberlandmanly.com.au/","owners":"Pete Ehemann & Ricardo Tedesco","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2020,"description":"The Cumberland, led by owner and bartender Pete Ehemann, has created something unique, elevated, and full of character — a beacon of good drinking on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. There is a smart list of thoughtful cocktails here, and some good eats to be had too — but it is the service that has people coming from all over to visit.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/THE_CUMBERLAND_038--5-.jpg"]},{"id":"reciMV8f0IpuMG6VZ","rank":32,"name":"Palomino Lounge, Enmore","suburb":"Enmore","city":"","address":"134A Enmore Rd, Enmore NSW 2042","type":"Bar, Live Music Bar","types":["Bar","Live Music Bar"],"instagram":"@palomino_lounge_enmore","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Palomino+Lounge+134A+Enmore+Rd+Enmore+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.palominolounge.com.au/","owners":"Dylan Howarth","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"Palomino Lounge is the second bar from Dylan Howarth, who owns Fortunate Son across the road from the Pal, as it’s affectionately known, on Enmore Road. The hallmarks of what makes Fortunate Son great are all present here: there are few bars more comforting to sit at than Palomino Lounge, and there’s a reason why Dylan was a finalist for bar designer of the year at the 2025 Drinks 100 Australia awards. It’s the kind of bar that only comes from someone with a deep love and respect for the drinking dens of old, where hospitality combines with great drinks to make you feel better than when you walked in. It’s a small, intimate space, with live music on offer most nights — you’ll want to get down to the Pal.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Palomino---Bar.jpg"]},{"id":"recSM6YVTD0bYGSWG","rank":33,"name":"Bar Tilda, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, 61-101 Phillip St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Hotel Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Hotel Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@bartilda.sydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bar+Tilda+Sofitel+Sydney+Wentworth+61-101+Phillip+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://bartilda.sydney/","owners":"Sofitel Sydney Wentworth (Accor)","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"The Wentworth Hotel got its start in 1966, when Qantas opened it as a swank, five star destination in the Sydney CBD. Over the years, it has seen royalty, global celebrities, and Liberal Party election night gatherings; after a recent refresh, today the hotel’s flagship cocktail bar is Bar Tilda. At Bar Tilda, there are subdued colour tones, and a big welcoming bar to sit at; it sits across the lobby from reception on the ground floor but is ensconced in its own private world, a world where the drinks are thoughtful, well put together, with an emphasis on approachability. There’s Australian whisky to be had, a Martini program, too, and not a damn name badge on the bartenders in sight.  ","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/bar-tilda_StevenWoodburn_37.jpg"]},{"id":"recoNF3EwAmFlZJbf","rank":34,"name":"The Old Fitzroy Hotel, Woolloomooloo","suburb":"Woolloomooloo","city":"","address":"129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011","type":"Pub","types":["Pub"],"instagram":"@theoldfitz","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Old+Fitzroy+Hotel+129+Dowling+St+Woolloomooloo+NSW+2011","website":"https://www.oddculture.group/venue/the-old-fitzroy-hotel","owners":"Odd Culture Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2023,"description":"The Old Fitzroy Hotel is a little neighbourhood pub in the historic Sydney precinct of Woolloomooloo; the pub is historic itself, dating back to 1861, with pressed tin ceilings and all the charm of a longstanding local neighbourhood boozer. The pub was taken over by the Odd Culture Group in 2021, giving the historic pub a new lease on life.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Old-Fitzroy-Hotel.jpg"]},{"id":"rec81VQEbWXKujot1","rank":35,"name":"Dean & Nancy on 22, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Level 22, 2 Hunter St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Hotel Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Hotel Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@deanandnancyon22","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Dean+%26+Nancy+on+22+Level+22+2+Hunter+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.deanandnancyon22.com.au/","owners":"The Maybe Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2023,"description":"Dean & Nancy on 22 has all the trappings of a great hotel bar. It has the setting right: high atop the city streets of Sydney on the 22nd floor of the A by Adina hotel, Dean & Nancy is perched among the skyscrapers, with floor to ceiling windows affording a view from the bar like nothing else in town. With a sweeping staircase ascending to the bar, a grand piano, and some top-notch, sharply-suited bartenders on the stick, it definitely has that ‘grand hotel bar’ feeling right — and without the snobbishness and pomp of bars in Europe. What it does best, however, is all down to the people who work there — they know how to make someone feel special, taking pride in creating moments for their guests to remember.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Dean---Nancy-on-22_Landscape.jpg"]},{"id":"recI7nel5nj8Gz9Ar","rank":36,"name":"Aster, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Level 32, InterContinental, 117 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Hotel Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Hotel Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@astersydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Aster+Level+32+InterContinental+117+Macquarie+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://asterbar.com.au/","owners":"InterContinental Sydney (IHG)","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2022,"description":"Perched atop the InterContinental hotel 32 floors above the Sydney CBD, Aster is a rooftop bar with unrivalled views of the harbour city. Here you’ll find smart cocktailing — the consultants at Proof Creative worked on the drinks program ahead of its relaunch back in December 2022 — and snackable small plates, but you’ll want to book ahead because of that view. And you’ll want to stay, too, thanks to the service provided by bars manager Mattia Arnaboldi and his team.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Aster.jpg"]},{"id":"recZc5ZbrmgBNqPD1","rank":37,"name":"Scoundrel's Rest, Wollongong","suburb":"Wollongong","city":"","address":"2/74 Kembla St, Wollongong NSW 2500","type":"Rum Bar","types":["Rum Bar"],"instagram":"@scoundrelsrest","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Scoundrel%27s+Rest+2%2F74+Kembla+St+Wollongong+NSW+2500","website":"https://www.scoundrelsrest.com/","owners":"Orion Kingston, Conor Teevan & JJ Potts","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"You folks like your rum, right? That’s what you’ll find at Scoundrel’s Rest, a neo-tiki Wollongong bar that opened in 2024. The bar comes from owners Orion Kingston, Conor Teevan, and chef JJ Potts and resides in the space that once housed much-loved Australian spirits bar Births & Deaths; at Scoundrel’s Rest, the focus is on employing modern techniques in search of big tiki flavour, with the kind of local hospitality that only comes with the owners’ experience of serving Wollongong at some of the city’s best bars for years.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/SCOUNDRALS-RST.jpg"]},{"id":"recoGtTX9taFeW8Jo","rank":38,"name":"Arcadia Liquors, Redfern","suburb":"Redfern","city":"","address":"7 Cope St, Redfern NSW 2016","type":"Bar","types":["Bar"],"instagram":"@arcadia_liquors","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Arcadia+Liquors+7+Cope+St+Redfern+NSW+2016","website":"https://www.arcadialiquors.com/","owners":"Dave Jank & Brett Pritchard","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2012,"description":"One of Redfern’s original small bars, Arcadia Liquors opened in 2012 and is still going strong today. That’s thanks to the fairy light-lit room with exposed bricks, the back courtyard, part saloon, and neighbourhood joint vibes.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/-Arcadia-.jpg"]},{"id":"rec6fzePovzaoAaFE","rank":39,"name":"The Baxter Inn, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Whisky Bar","types":["Whisky Bar"],"instagram":"@thebaxterinnsydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Baxter+Inn+Basement+152-156+Clarence+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://swillhouse.com/venues/the-baxter-inn/","owners":"Swillhouse","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2010,"description":"When Swillhouse's The Baxter Inn made its debut in 2011, it changed what was possible in the Sydney bar world. With a design aesthetic inspired by the Boston boozers of the 1800s, the bar is found out the back of an alleyway of one of the city’s busiest streets; grab a seat at the long bar that runs the length of one side of the room, and marvel at that back bar. Or you could pop your head in and admire their whisky room, where they keep some of their most precious and rare whiskies.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/BAXTER-INN_Credit_Andrea-Veltom-2.jpg"]},{"id":"recmrRDyjNSRJfUrb","rank":40,"name":"Razz Room, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"18-20 York St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar, Live Music Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar","Live Music Bar"],"instagram":"@razz__room","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Razz+Room+18-20+York+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.oddculture.group/venue/razz-room","owners":"Odd Culture Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2026,"description":"This newcomer from the Odd Culture Group (see also: Pleasure Club, The Old Fitzroy Hotel) resides in a basement on York Street in the Sydney CBD, and is equal parts cocktail bar and entertainment venue. They’ve been making a name for themselves with their Daiquiri program, including their Dirty Daiquiri made with olive brine.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/RazzRoom.jpg"]},{"id":"reclKYxEMzsOTPlbA","rank":41,"name":"The Barber Shop, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"89 York St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Gin Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Gin Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@thebarbershopsydney","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Barber+Shop+89+York+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://thisisthebarbershop.com/","owners":"Barrelhouse Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2013,"description":"The Barber Shop is the grand old dame of Sydney gin bars — none have been more awarded over its 13 year history. Owners Mike Enright and Julian Train first opened The Barber Shop — so named because of the barber shop one had to walk through to find the cocktail bar — all the way back in 2013, on York Street in the Sydney CBD. It was one of the few small bars in the area at the time — The Baxter Inn was across the back laneway from them, but there was not a lot else around the area back then. Today, the landscape has completely changed — York and Clarence streets are now home to more than a few of Australia’s best bars.\n\n2013 was also the beginning of the boom in gin. It might be hard to conceive now, but there weren’t really any other places dedicated to gin and gin cocktails (the mighty Gin Palace in Melbourne being the one exception). And while the gin boom may have deflated somewhat, recent visits to The Barber Shop have shown us that the punters still love it here, and the Martinis are on point.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/BARBER-SHOP-10031.jpg"]},{"id":"rec8p7hlmNsJTvtVo","rank":42,"name":"Bancho, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"10 Thomas Ln, Haymarket NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar, Whisky Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar","Whisky Bar"],"instagram":"@banchobar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bancho+10+Thomas+Ln+Haymarket+NSW+2000","website":"https://banchobar.com.au/","owners":"Yoshi Onishi, Tina Wing Kee & Jason Ang","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2019,"description":"This Chinatown-inspired (and located) cocktail and whisky bar opened in 2019, and comes from the team behind Surry Hills yakitori bar Tokyo Bird. At Banchō, expect cocktails made with ingredients found throughout Chinatown, and loads of Scotch and Japanese whisky.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/bancho---from-website.jpg"]},{"id":"recESMiAnh3uuzACQ","rank":43,"name":"Bar Bridge, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"6 Bridge St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@barbridgebar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bar+Bridge+6+Bridge+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.muchogroup.com.au/barbridge","owners":"MUCHO Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2026,"description":"Back in April, Sydney welcomed Bar Bridge into the basement space at 6 Bridge Street in the Uptown precinct of the city, which once was home to Double Deuce Lounge. Bar Bridge is the third CBD venue from the Mucho Group, and is billed as a “chic Sydney Martini bar.” Expect a moodily lit room, red lampshades hanging low above the bar, and a trio of custom Martinis in addition to five signature cocktails, all at $25.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Bar-Bridgee.jpg"]},{"id":"rec14NOsW7KIjw2HP","rank":44,"name":"Otis, Leichhardt","suburb":"Leichhardt","city":"","address":"153 Norton St, Leichhardt NSW 2040","type":"Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@otis.leichhardt","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Otis+153+Norton+St+Leichhardt+NSW+2040","website":"https://www.otisbar.au/","owners":"Conor O'Brien & Dan Teh","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2022,"description":"Otis is a neighbourhood bar, first and foremost; whilst Leichhardt definitely isn’t a long way out, it’s not exactly a quick cab from the Sydney CBD either. But it’s only in recent years that some top level talent has made its way here, and that’s the case with Otis; here you’ll find relaxed, smart neighbourhood hospitality (don’t ring the bell, by the way, or you’ll owe the bar a round) with great cocktails worth leaving the city for.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Otis_FEB-6.jpg"]},{"id":"recAhqYr6dWnqdZSK","rank":45,"name":"Charlie Parker's, Paddington","suburb":"Paddington","city":"","address":"380 Oxford St, Paddington NSW 2021","type":"Bar","types":["Bar"],"instagram":"@charlieparkers.syd","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Charlie+Parker%27s+380+Oxford+St+Paddington+NSW+2021","website":"https://merivale.com/venues/charlieparkers/","owners":"Merivale","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2016,"description":"Charlie Parker’s is the bar that really put a plant to glass-based approach to bartending on the map in Australia. Since opening in 2016, the bartenders here — today led by bar manager Giacomo Franceschi — create delicious drinks using all parts of the plant, even tending to a rooftop bee hive. Just don’t expect it to be all buttoned-down and serious; the bar gets very busy with the pretty young things of Paddington, and a great, raucous night can be had here.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/2026/07/CHARLIEPARKERS-PADDINGTON.jpg"]},{"id":"recWlEG5ME5p8qbxU","rank":46,"name":"Pleasure Club, Newtown","suburb":"Newtown","city":"","address":"6 Wilson St, Newtown NSW 2042","type":"Cocktail Bar, Live Music Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar","Live Music Bar"],"instagram":"@alwaysapleasure.club","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Pleasure+Club+6+Wilson+St+Newtown+NSW+2042","website":"https://www.oddculture.group/venue/pleasure-club","owners":"Odd Culture Group","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2024,"description":"You’ll find Odd Culture Group’s Pleasure Club beneath King Street in Newtown and open until the wee hours. Pleasure Club is part live entertainment haunt, part cocktail bar, and part neighbourhood hangout, all with a rather late-trading licence, with the doors closing at 4am. It’s not a one-dimensional late night boozer though; instead, they’re catering to all stages of the evening, with doors open at 5pm and closing at 4am, Thursday to Sunday. You can even play pool whiley you’re drinking an artfully crafted cocktail.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Pleasure-Club.jpg"]},{"id":"receWfAx3NsrdrbA3","rank":47,"name":"The Gidley, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Basement, 161 King St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Restaurant Bar","types":["Restaurant Bar"],"instagram":"@thegidley","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Gidley+Basement+161+King+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.liquidandlarder.com.au/venues/the-gidley/","owners":"Liquid & Larder","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2019,"description":"The Gidley might be best known as the home of one the world’s best burgers, and one of the city’s best steak power lunches, but the drinks here deserve top billing, too. The drinks lean towards the stiffer side in the lounge, and are prepared from the bar that isn’t a bar — set up more akin to stepping into someone’s lounge, with no bar per se to sit at. It all has a feeling of a brassy members club, without the pretension.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/2026/07/Capture_TheGidley_Food_Venue_Portraits_CreditDominicLoneragan_141119_0740.jpg"]},{"id":"recRelB0f2Ac45nd6","rank":48,"name":"Papa Gedes Bar, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"Rear 348 Kent St (laneway), Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Cocktail Bar","types":["Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@papagedesbar","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Papa+Gedes+Bar+Rear+348+Kent+St+%28laneway%29+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.papagedes.com/","owners":"Michael Dhinse, Lara Dignam","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2013,"description":"Papa Gedes Bar opened in a disused garage down a laneway off King Street all the way back in 2013, one of the early generation of small bars to open in the city. Named for a Haitian voodoo spirit, and with tiki-esque drinks (and a good whack of absinthe) Papa Gedes has been letting the good times roll for 13 years.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/2026/07/Papa-gedes-1-.JPEG"]},{"id":"recjNAd6x7wtCwWeA","rank":49,"name":"Bar Allora, Sydney","suburb":"Sydney","city":"","address":"2 Bond St, Sydney NSW 2000","type":"Hotel Bar, Restaurant Bar","types":["Hotel Bar","Restaurant Bar"],"instagram":"@bar_allora","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Bar+Allora+2+Bond+St+Sydney+NSW+2000","website":"https://www.barallora.com.au/","owners":"Accor","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2025,"description":"Bar Allora is another contribution from Sydney’s award-winning Maybe Group, and is a part of their collaboration with Accor’s Table For program. At Bar Allora, you’ll find some of the best cocktails in town available before most of the bars open for the night, and a menu rich in Italian ingredients and inspiration.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Bar_BarAllora.jpg"]},{"id":"recKtAL87QOlv4r45","rank":50,"name":"Linla, Surry Hills","suburb":"Surry Hills","city":"","address":"413 Bourke St, Surry Hills NSW 2010","type":"Restaurant Bar, Cocktail Bar","types":["Restaurant Bar","Cocktail Bar"],"instagram":"@linla_syd","googleLink":"https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Linla+413+Bourke+St+Surry+Hills+NSW+2010","website":"https://www.linla.com.au","owners":"Charles Chang","keyPeople":"","openingYear":2026,"description":"Charles Chang’s Taiwanese “social dining bar” has taken over the old Dead Ringer space on Bourke Street (Chang’s Japanese restaurant sits next door); the name Linla loosely translates to a toast. ,Here you can get indulge in cocktails and late night eats until 1am, with drinks drawing on Taiwanese inspirations — see the Mi-Bubble, a bubble tea riff with aged rum, teas, tapioca, Milo and milk.","awards":"","images":["https://storage.ghost.io/c/16/ea/16ea42af-bd14-44b7-b952-dde2e51da580/content/images/size/w1600/2026/07/Linla-2-.jpg"]}]}