Close Shaves and Cocktails at The Barber Shop

We've seen bars in record stores, bars in shirt shops and bars in laundromats - why not a bar in a barber shop? The city's newest drinking joint is brought to you by Mike Enright (ex-Merivale) and features a functioning barber shop with attached tavern.

Climb the steps past the barber shop (resisting the urge to say 'looking sharp' if there's someone in the chair) and you'll find yourself in a large room housing an elegant long bar covered with white tiles. Tables and chairs sit atop concrete floors and tea light candles flicker through the murky light.

There's an outdoor area out back. It's a pleasant spot, made so by dangling plants and funky old stools. And if the laneway looks familiar, that's because it's also home to The Baxter Inn. The addition of the new bar is now a source of endless confusion for tourists who enter the Barber Shop thinking they've reached The Baxter Inn.

To drink, there's a good list of Australian beers featuring the likes of Little Creatures, White Rabbit and Young Henrys. The wine list is heavy on the South Oz and French drops and is well worth looking in to; as is their gin collection. Cocktail-wise, a Razorblade Rattlesnake has rye, lemon and fennel seed honey, while a Pomegranate Rickey has pomegranate gin, lime, Grenadine and soda. If you're doing a bit of business in town, seal the deal with The Agreement, a mix of whisky, apple, ginger and soda.

The Barber Shop will work well as a reliable mid-city option. The barber at the front is a cute ploy, but has nothing much to do with enjoying a drink in the bar. And the idea for a barber shop with an attached bar is less than original (Google it). But the basic building blocks of this bar are sound. Mark it on your after-work list.

The Barber Shop

89 York Street, Sydney

Barber hours

Mon - Sat 10am – 6pm; late nights Thu - Fri

Bar hours:

Mon - Fri 2pm – midnight

Sat 4pm – midnight

thisisthebarbershop.com