A taxidermy-filled den that's equally about well-made cocktails and straight spirits, bourbon particularly.

Italian food, drinks and hip-hop served until 3am. Big Poppa's is low-key one of Sydney's best places to eat cheese – whether you like it on a platter or inventively deployed across a range of handmade pastas.

An intimate vibe and 300-strong wine list make this one a date-night home run.

A world-class beer bar. Enough said.

It’s all about “taps, tunes and Chinese” at this legendary 130-year-old pub. Head in for 17 local beers matched with Shandong-style chicken and prawn wontons from a Hong Kong chef. Don't miss the breezy open-air terrace on top.

After a makeover inspired by New York’s dive bars, this late-night icon is open till 4am seven nights a week. Head in for after-work drinks and topnotch hot dogs, or party till the wee hours to five-hour sets by local and international DJs.

A pumping, Tiki-themed bar and nightclub from the team behind Cantina OK, Tio's and Bar Planet. A weekly line-up of DJs spin R&B, techno and deep house till super late. This place also has a killer cocktail game, with signature creations going for a steal before 9pm.

Inventive cocktails served fast.

An alfresco bar from the owner of Tuxedo and Kansas City Shuffle.

An upmarket, three-storey pub from the Goodtimes Hospitality Group.

No sign, no fancy cocktails, but lots of locals at this Oxford Street hideaway.

The gin flows freely at this Darlinghurst venue that tips its hat to Old Havana.

A cocktail-only establishment offering a three-course drink experience.

A bar and bottle shop styled after the enotecas of Italy. And a colourful upstairs restaurant with pasta and panache. Paski is a three-part stunner by wine importers Giorgio de Maria and Mattia Dicati, and chef Enrico Tomelleri.

A compact izakaya like you’d find down a Tokyo alleyway, with hot towels and all. Inside there are more than 20 sakes, plus sake-friendly snacks including yakitori, miso-marinated cream cheese, and scallops in the half shell.

This polished sake room is inspired by a popular Japanese manga – hear the story behind each sake as you sip, and don’t hold back on the nostalgic snacks. We can't get over the Kewpie mayo-shaped chopstick rests.