Best Date Places in Sydney

Updated 9 months ago

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So you got a match. The next step is harder: finding the right place to impress your date. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back with this list of fun, energetic bars and restaurants, where there’s rarely a chance for an awkward silence. Good luck.

  • If the date is drinks, the team behind Fratelli Paradiso has you sorted.

  • Open for lunch and dinner, this laid-back classic can cater for any type of meet-up.

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  • What could be better for a date than a dim French bistro?

  • 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.

  • A garage-style trattoria where you can disappear into prawn ravioli bathing in brown butter and sage sauce, a list of mainly Italian vino, and a lively soundtrack spanning Afrobeat and Italian pop. From the rock star trio behind Potts Point neo-bistro, Bistro 916.

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  • 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.

  • Inside the Norfolk Hotel’s former sports bar is a vibrant wine nook inspired by the Barcelona suburb it’s named after. Expect a range of vermouths, plus mussels and chips, crackers topped with Cantabrian anchovies, and skewers cooked over a flat grill. From the team behind Love, Tilly Devine.

  • The sister venue of Love, Tilly Devine is perfect for a date night of snacks and wine.

  • Bodega has joined up with Wyno, together the venue is now known as Wyno x Bodega. There’s a bigger focus on vino, a smaller menu and fan favourites, the fish fingers and banana spilt, are still available.

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  • Italian cuisine with a subtle Australian accent, matched with a wine list that bounces effortlessly between Italy’s Piedmont region and the Adelaide Hills. The Swillhouse group’s modern-day interpretation of a cool ’70s restaurant is everything we’ve come to expect from one the city’s best operators.

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

  • Choose seats at the long dining bar or a small table for two.

  • The bar formerly knowns as The Wild Rover is a moody, grown-up version of its predecessor with oysters on rotation and a serious cocktail list. Whether you sit in the moody downstairs bar or the intimate upstairs restaurant, you're in for a seafood-driven menu stacked with winners.

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  • Low on light, high on intimacy.

  • You can never go wrong with this classic Italian.

  • Years living and working in Italy, and a dedication to local produce, have inspired the menu at this bright Italian joint by former Sagra owner Nigel Ward. Come for house-made limoncello, ricotta ravioli and pappardelle with braised lamb.

  • Housed behind one of Enmore Road’s most iconic facades, the Porteno Group’s beautiful tapas and wine bar draws inspiration from all over Europe, most notably Spain. Take a seat in the stunning mid-century space for house-cured snacks, charcoal-grilled meat and seafood, and plenty of Sangria.

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  • The North American hotel brand's Australian debut is an ultra-cool, five-star experience with luxury fittings and hyper-local references in its interior design and architecture.

  • This relaxed, taverna-style wine bar is by two hospitality veterans behind some of the country's most revered venues. Their shared love of the sea is reflected in the seafood-heavy menu and breezy atmosphere.

  • Another instalment for the cult bottle shop. Swing past to pick up a bottle of skin-contact chardonnay or a slab of Heaps Normal non-alcholic beer. Or snag a seat in the courtyard out back for by-the-glass-wine and terrine by ex-Old Fitz chef Nicholas Hill.

  • Cocktails, salty snacks and niche cinema, all in one place.

  • There isn’t really anything this breezy bar and diner can’t do. There’s a Mediterranean thread running throughout, from the flavours on the menu to the day-to-night vibe. A spot on the footpath can't be beaten at golden hour.