Hidden behind the facade of old butcher shop on King Street, you’ll find a lively cocktail bar that’s serious about stiff drinks, but promises a rollicking good time all at once. Come for classic cocktails, shots of Fernet-Branca and Reschs on tap.

Jacoby’s does one thing better than most bars around town: the tiki cocktail, in all its forms. Pina coladas, too. A fit-out inspired by *Twin Peaks* has the place looking appropriately Lynchian. Red velvet curtains, checkerboard lino and low lighting abound.

A theme of fermentation guides this cavernous King Street bar. Find a dizzying list of funky farmhouse ales, ciders and natural wines, plus a Euro-inspired all-day menu by a formidable kitchen team.

It’s all about the Martini at this cool inner-west bar. Bartenders pour them theatrically from beautiful Spanish decanters, spritzing with lemon peel as the liquid hits the glass. Needless to say, the flavour is out of this world. Come thirsty.

Consider yourself fortunate – lucky even – to get a seat at the bar here. This neon-lit inner-west boozer gets rammed most nights, and it’s easy to see why. It’s laid-back in all the right ways, but is dead serious when it comes to classic cocktails.

Around 60 styles of sake are pouring at this intimate drinking den, inspired by the vinyl-spinning jazz bars of Japan. Expect rare Japanese gins and whiskies too, plus a Euro-Japanese snack menu by a former Pinbone and Billy Kwong chef.

Sydney’s most influential burger joint.

The rowdy HQ for one of Sydney's most treasured breweries.

A bar serving wines and cocktails with a focus on native ingredients.

This quiet small bar offers a break from busier local pubs.

The golden age of retro arcade games under one roof.

A trio of chefs is behind this dapper bar with a penchant for low-intervention wines.

The pokies are gone and Big Buck Hunter is in. The Duke lives on with local beers, "stiff and strong" cocktails and upscale pub grub – think chicken liver pâté on toast, puffy breads stuffed with mortadella and a fancy steak.

A classic sports pub in the city’s inner-west that revitalises a legendary space for the next generation of Sydney’s drinkers.

A brewery and bar in a former Newtown furniture store from one of Australia's pioneering craft brewers. Sit in the sunny beer garden and sip on cult brews such as the Organic Steam Ale and Pale Ale, plus a selection of exclusive beers you can only find here.

This laid-back Provençal wine bar is all about small producers and easy decisions. There are just three drinks on the regularly changing cocktail list, a short food menu and a streamlined selection of wines. Plus, a choose-your-own-adventure weekend brunch plate.

The Union ranks among Sydney's best craft beer venues, with 22 taps and even more bottles of both Australia’s finest and oddest (plus some innovations from overseas). Grab a tasting paddle and sample the wares in the lively front bar or the homey bistro out back.

Record store by day, bar by night – this New Orleans-style juke joint oozes cool.

A dedicated craft beer bar inside The Bank Hotel.

This time-honoured pub looks sharper than ever. Head to the ornate balcony upstairs for one of the best knock-off spots on King Street.

The weirdest bar in Sydney is also one of the most fun.

The cocktail guns behind Old Mate’s Place and Ginny’s Canoe Club have landed on King Street – with a swish wine bar and retail space up front, and an ’80s-tinged bar and courtyard out the back.

Sommelier Amelia Birch’s spot on Enmore Road offers rotating wine flights, with bottles you can taste before taking home. Snacks include black-truffle-and-squid-ink salami, and a caviar-topped egg dip made from a secret family recipe.