Fabulously over-the-top, or a little too much? That’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves ever since we first visited Saga Bar. It’s hidden behind two big wooden doors. Inside, it looks like the temple from Indiana Jones got taken over by a handful of elite bartenders with an eye for kitsch (as in: the water feature with a huge Buddha head, the illuminated technicolor jungle motif throughout and the abundance of gold leaf). Actually, we’ve decided – Saga Bar is definitely not too much. It’s a perfect bit of silliness in time for summer. And when the drinks and vibes are this good, a bar can look however it pleases.

Stanley’s used to have a Wes Anderson theme, but since getting new owners it’s traded Anderson’s pastels and whimsy for a Miami Vice theme. We think it works. There’s a tropical party vibe throughout: from the teal and flamingo-pink walls to the jazzed up cocktails (should a Piña Colada come with popcorn in it? You decide.) Regular DJ sets and a courtyard are nice features too. For food, look no further than the Vegemite and truffle toastie. Now that the weather’s warming up, this place is one to watch.

Looking at the Cove Deli – selling cheese and cured Spanish meats – you’d never know it’s hiding one of Sydney’s finest new underground bars. Look behind the old wood door at the back of the deli and you’ll find The Cumberland. The drinks list includes 250 whiskies, an impressive wine cellar, and three distinct cocktail lists. Of the latter, the Foraged and Found menu is the most interesting: it includes the Dandelion Espresso Martini, which uses both the flower and its root, and the Lilly Pilly Sour, which mixes the shrub with lemon myrtle tea, gin and lemon.

It’s exciting to have a bar like Coogee Wine Room in the area. Its exposed-brick walls and its sophisticated touches – such as the polished-concrete floors that are easy to sweep sand off – show that it’s still of the beach. There are more than 400 wines to choose from, and a considerable amount of them are available by the glass. Former A Tavola chef Sandro Di Marino presides over the kitchen. His menu is all about wine-friendly, Mediterranean-inspired small plates. For something simpler, a classic cheese and charcuterie board is a good call.

Word of warning: don’t bother bringing a large group to Cantina Ok! – even if it were completely empty, you probably wouldn’t fit. The whole idea of the place – a mezcal-centric bar in a tiny garage at the end of a delivery laneway in the middle of the CBD – is just so unlikely. But that’s exactly why we love it so much. Cantina Ok! Is from the team behind Tio’s Cerveceria, the tequila- and beer-loving bar in Surry Hills. And here it’s bringing that friendly service and obsession with Mexico to a granular focus on mezcal. The result is fun, delicious and surprisingly educational.

Maybe Sammy is inspired by the opulence and excess of Las Vegas in the late ’50s. It’s the cocktail-focused counterpart to the two Maybe Frank pizza joints (one’s in Surry Hills, the other’s in Randwick) and it’s made an instant mark. In July, Maybe Sammy was named the world’s best new international cocktail bar at the prestigious Spirited Awards. It’s great recognition for a spot that tactfully combines flawless service with superior cocktails.

Take the founders of one of Sydney’s most popular bars, add a subterranean space and finish it off with a ’70s sheen and you have a guaranteed blockbuster cocktail bar. The Ramblin’ Rascal crew has gone classy with its second spot. But even though there are no “shit tinnies” here, Double Deuce still has the tongue-in-cheek flair (backed up by big-time drinks know-how) that makes for a great night out. The vibe of the space – filled with wood panelling, plump leather couches and even a furry shag feature wall – is cool, easygoing and cheesy. A smooth funk and soul soundtrack rounds it all out.

Pascale Crouche-McDonald considers her Marrickville Hotel a pub in spirit and a bar in approach. That means a space that’s approachable and friendly paired up with great service and drinks-seriousness. Now that it's summer, make a beeline for the courtyard (if you can snag a table).

So, we know a pub that’s been open since 1860 isn’t new. But we feel The Old Fitz and its new owners deserve recognition for what’s been done to the place. It’s always tricky to take over an institution – to balance people’s expectations with making it your own – but this old boozer is nailing it. The drinks are, of course, great but it’s the food, by ex-Sepia and Quay alum Nicholas Hill, that’s particularly noteworthy. Try the raw beef on dripping toast, or the rissole sandwich with beetroot and cheddar.

Little Felix is more than a waiting room for French bistro Felix. Thanks to a Cognac and Cointreau-heavy drinks list and a bar piled high with towers of French cheese cut to order, Merivale’s latest opening is a destination in its own right. It’s all set in an opulent, pale-emerald room replete with comfortable dark-toned leather lounges.

Since relaunching in April, Waterloo stalwart The George Hotel has gotten just as much attention for its tacos as it has for its drinks. The in-house taqueria here is run by Ghostboy Cantina, and it's fusing Central American flavours with Southeast Asian ones, with very delicious results. Top of the line-up is the Taco Al Pastor, a freshly made corn tortilla filled with pork neck marinated in a house-made adobo sauce. Then there’s the classic fish taco: fried pieces of battered gurnard, loaded into a warm tortilla with finely shaved cabbage and radish.