sydney CBD bars
Cantina Ok!
Bar
Don't bring a large group to this tiny laneway bar – even if it were empty, you probably wouldn't fit. It's considered one the best tequila and mezcal bars in the world for its peerless selection of rare agave spirits, and the friendly, knowledgeable staff here will help you navigate the list with confidence.
Papa Gede's
Bar
Named after the voodoo spirit of lust and laughter, Papa Gede’s is the kind of bar where the energy is always high and your flaming tiki drink is still burning when it arrives at your table. Live DJs and soul bands are on regular rotation here.
Employees Only
Bar
Like visiting the Guggenheim, sipping a cocktail at Employees Only in the West Village is a quintessential New York experience. This is the plush Sydney outpost for that same bar – with the same impeccable service, late-night food menu, and yes, even a resident psychic who’ll tell you your fortune.
Mary’s Underground
Bar
The Mary's crew snagged the old Basement space in Circular Quay and continued its legacy as an inner-city hub for live music. They've also thrown in a burger joint with the Mary's signatures: 'burgs, fried chicken and natural vino.
The Doss House
Bar
A whisky bar in a former opium den/bootmaker’s workshop/doss house.
Apollonia
Bar
Francis Ford Coppola's landmark film *The Godfather* is the inspiration behind Apollonia, a dramatic basement bar beneath Hinchcliff House. A visit here involves Sicilian-style bar snacks, inventive house cocktails and a signature Negroni on tap.
Sky Bar
Bar
This luxe rooftop bar and open-air terrace is the cherry atop Shell House, combining sophisticated drinks and Mediterranean snacks with a statement-making design. Think *Mad Men*-era opulence combined with a 1930s Milanese speakeasy feel.
Eau De Vie
Bar
The celebrated Darlinghurst speakeasy has resurfaced in the CBD – with a serious food menu, 37 signature cocktails and more than 500 whiskies. Enter via a discreet entrance on Wynyard Lane for all of the blazing bartending theatrics you remember.
Jackalberry
Bar
A cocktail bar serving food and drinks from around the world. Head to Mexico with a spiced agave drink, and New Orleans with a muffuletta sandwich.
Dean & Nancy on 22
Bar
The Maybe Sammy crew’s glamorous cocktail bar and diner on the 22nd floor of Adina’s CBD Hotel is a homage to the classic hotel bars of yesteryear. Come for playful, multi-sensory cocktails, lobster rolls and a skyline view that’ll make you feel like a millionaire.
Tiva
Bar
Swish CBD basement bar Tiva is all about live music, high-end cocktails and a touch of theatre. It's part of three-in-one venue The Charles, and you can expect a mix of DJs and live performers most nights, as well as premium snacks from the impressive kitchen team upstairs.
Double Deuce Lounge
Bar
Take a subterranean space, add a ’70s sheen and a smooth soul soundtrack and you have one hell of a cocktail bar. The vibe of the space – filled with wood panelling, leather couches and a furry shag feature wall – is cool, easygoing and just the right amount of cheesy.
Old Mate's Place
Bar
Find the discreet ground-level entrance, then climb four levels of steep, narrow stairs to reach this hidden rooftop. It’s completely worth it – you'll be rewarded with a killer cocktail bar set against a backdrop of towering CBD highrises.
The Library Bar
Bar
To find this open-air oasis above the State Library's historic Mitchell Building, make your way through a grungy corridor and up a goods lift. You'll be met by a handsome bar serving cocktails and sublime views of the Domain and Sydney Harbour.
De Vine Food & Wine
Bar
An old-school Italian-influenced wine bar
Menzies Bar
Bar
The first of three stunning venues to arrive at the refurbished Shell House building. This one draws inspiration from the grand eateries of Europe, in the form of a daily Martini hour, lobster rolls and a 2am licence.
Clocktower Bar
Bar
A timelessly beautiful bar set within a hollowed-out 400-tonne clocktower atop Shell House. Ascend for high-end yet relaxed service, plenty of whisky and fresh, crushable cocktails. Also, snacks befitting the space's old-world glamour: caviar, freshly shucked oysters and truffle toasties.
Reign
Bar
A champagne parlour and bar in the QVB with views out over George Street. There are more than 150 champagnes and sparkling wines here that run the gamut from A-list producers to smaller-scale labels. If bubbly isn't for you, there are cocktails – signature and classic – as well as a menu of pan-European food.
Bar Ombre
Bar
From the team behind Salt Meats Cheese, a rooftop bar (with glimpses of the Sydney Harbour) serving barrel-aged Negronis and antipasto.
Bambini Wine Room
Bar
A plush, sumptuous city wine bar.
