Hugo Mathers

Autumn 2025 update: Let the good times roll with our handy guide to the city’s finest drinking establishments. Whether it’s a date or a catch-up with a mate on the cards, these spots are sure to deliver on fun. My current picks? The eternally sexy Double Deuce Lounge, dreamy wine bar Famellia, and the home of excellent Margs, Stowaway Bar. This list represents our picks of the best bars in Sydney right now, from fresh faces to tried-and-tested temples of great drinks, curated by our local editors, drink writers and fellow booze hounds, including Time Out Sydney's Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure. We’re looking for quality above all, with fun, flavour, atmosphere, creativity and options at every price point. Cheers to you, Sydney. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. After a watering hole that's a bit more casual? See our list of the best pubs in Sydney, here. After a meal? Check out our best restaurants here.

No two ways about it, Sydney's wine bar scene is flourishing. Full to the brim. Spilling over. A decade ago, there were only a handful of wine bars. Now? They're all over town. And we're here to happily drink them up. What's more, these slick haunts are also some of the best spots in Sydney to grab a nice dinner with friends.  It makes no difference whether you're a novice or an expert, fancy something natural or classic, old world or new, or whether you want to spend moderately or extravagantly, Time Out Sydney's writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have curated this list for every palate, at every price point. Bottoms up. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Can't get enough of that boozy stuff? Check out the absolute best bars in Sydney here.

Autumn 2025 update: Life in Sydney is fun and fabulous, but it can also be expensive. The good news is you can dine out affordably if you know where to look. Keep this guide handy next time your friends suggest a catch-up. As for me, I’ll be hitting up old-school Italian spot Bill & Toni's, Emma’s Snack Bar (found in my new ’hood, Enmore), and for banging tacos, I’m heading to Mami’s in Bondi. Going out for a meal is sometimes a big occasion, worth the splurge. But it doesn't have to be that way. From banh mi to tonkotsu ramen, biang biang noodles to vegan burgers, and pretty much everything else in between, some of Sydney's greatest culinary hits are the cheapest. Time Out Sydney's local food writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have eaten their way around town to bring you this list, and while cheap isn't what it used to be, there are still lots of excellent affordable venues to check out. These are the ones well worth their salt. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Want to spend less at the big-ticket players? Check out our cheap fine-dining hacks.

France – the home of love, day drinking, red berets and impossibly stylish people. It’s also home to fine French fare: everything from soft cheeses and fresh baguettes to bouillabaisse bursting with the flavour of the sea. When your annual leave is all dried up, Francophiles can get their fix at one of Sydney’s many excellent French restaurants. Here are the best places to dine on French cuisine, from steak frites to silky crème brûlées, so you can feel oh-so French any day of the week. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. While you're here, check out: These are the best Italian restaurants in Sydney Here's where to find the tastiest Greek food in Sydney Quench your thirst with our list of the best bars in the city

Crustless cucumber sandwiches, fluffy scones with jam and cream, and tiered plates of petit fours. Sydney loves a pinky-lifting high tea, and with good reason. With bite-sized treats, tea selections for every palate and picturesque surrounds – maybe the stunning harbour views at Mosman Barracks or the tranquil gardens of historic Vaucluse House – you've got all the elements of an aspirational afternoon of ever-so-fancy leisure. Time Out Sydney's local food writers and tea-lovers have tried the top ones in town to bring you this guide to Sydney's best high teas. Bring your mum, your nan, your girlfriend or your mate – and head to tea town. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. In search of more food and tea? Get around Sydney's best cafés here. What about more booze? These are Sydney's best bars.

Long gone are the days when mushroom risotto was the only option on Sydney menus for vegetarians. Okay, so a few places are still championing that veggo staple, but if you know where to go you don't need to set eyes on it again. Not all of these restaurants are exclusively vegetarian, but every place on this list is serving the kind of exciting, delicious vegetable-based fare that will make you reconsider meat in favour of a whole head of roasted cauliflower, a perfect puffy pizza or a totally plant-based degustation. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. If you're a dedicated herbivore, you can find Sydney's best vegan restaurants. Want more? Check out our guide to Sydney's best restaurants here.

Our Best Casual Drinking Venue Award recognises the local boozers – from pubs and multi-level bars to craft brewery destinations – that bring lots of energy, a cool space and a diverse drinks list that caters to all tastes. The nominees in this category also stand out for offering a cracking food menu, a rich program of music, art or entertainment, and friendly, welcoming staff that add to the good vibes. While nominees may differ wildly in their offerings, each of them can be relied on to deliver a great time, every time. The winner for this and other categories will be announced on March 24. To see nominees for all categories, click here. Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique.

The nominees in the Best Wine Bar category have varied and interesting wine lists that offer something different for drinkers at all levels. These bars are noted for their attractive and convivial environments and knowledgeable wine professionals who provide excellent service. These days, Australian wine bars also tend to serve up fantastic food along with the drinks, so the food menus of nominees in this category have also been considered. The winner for this and other categories will be announced on March 24. To see nominees for all categories, click here. Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique.

Our Best Cocktail Bar Award recognises cocktail bars with that X-factor. They’re innovative and exciting yet always welcoming and fun. Their bar teams are both adept at shaking up something new and demonstrating a well-rounded mastery of the classics. Nominees in this category exhibit an understanding of cultural context and relevance to their environment, and provide a unique drinking experience in a memorable setting. The winner for this and other categories will be announced on March 24. To see nominees for all categories, click here. Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique.

From the powdery slopes to the fairy floss-pink cherry blossoms and 7-Eleven’s egg sandos on soft white bread, we Aussies can’t get enough of Japan. Thanks to all of the incredible chefs gracing our shores, the good news is you can experience an excellent Japanese feast without hopping on a plane. From the lunchtime bento box to a full-blown omakase dining experience, Time Out Sydney's local food writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have found the best of the best – here’s where to do Japanese in the city. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. Keep the culinary experience going with this list of Sydney's best ramen. Feel like heat? Check out our guide to the finest Thai spots around town.

The enclave of Potts Point is home to some serious dining gems, be it mainstays like Fratelli Paradiso or the Apollo; game-changing plant-based restaurant Yellow; or mod-Asian joints like Ms G’s and Cho Cho San. Plus, drop-dead gorgeous spots Parlar and Franca. Time Out Sydney editors and local food writers, including Food & Drink Editor Avril Treasure, have eaten their way through Macleay Street and beyond, curating this list with the top places to eat and drink in the 2011 postcode. So, have a read and get exploring. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. After a drink? Check out our guide to the best bars in Sydney Want more great eats? Here's our guide to the best restaurants in Sydney

Whether it’s a five-buck-number from your local servo or a smooth and silky scoop from an artisanal store, there’s no doubt about it, ice cream is happiness in one cool refreshing bite (or lick, because, well, sensitive teeth). On a balmy afternoon or evening, a scoop of gelato or ice cream brings pure simple joy to those that hold it, and Time Out Sydney’s food writers have rounded up the best in town. Cool down with a two-scoop cone and lap up this delicious, sweet treat. You deserve it. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Sydney newsletter for more news, food & drink inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox. RECOMMENDED READS: These are the best cheap eats in Sydney right now Make a meal out of it: These are the finest fish and chips in town

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. When you enter The Bristol, you feel less like you’ve stepped into a pub, and more like you’re inside a multi-layered hospitality precinct. From its unassuming entryway on Sussex Street, where CBD traffic chugs to a standstill and glass building close out the sky, The Bristol’s stock-standard taproom opens out to chic Greek eatery Ela Ela at the back, a full-blown sports bar and games room below, and yet three more distinct venues on the storeys above. As you ascend a staircase set with rattan mirrors and portraits of mid-century pool parties, you’ll glimpse Calypso nightclub on level one and Midtown Bar and Lounge on level two. Then there's the sprawling, Med-style rooftop at the summit The top-floor venue has two open-air balconies at either end of a breezy indoor dining room: the larger of the two is dwarfed by neighbouring skyscrapers, while the smaller (and nicer) space overlooks a slither of Darling Harbour and the Maritime Museum. It’s a far cry from The Bristol Arms, its predecessor, which closed its doors in 2020. The heritage-listed institution was built in 1898, and became known in more recent years as a daggy watering hole with a retro club night. Oscars Hotel Group – a serial pub landlord, and, as of last month, owner of Luna Park – claimed the k

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. The waiter recommends a $135 Negroni and it turns out they’re not kidding. “You won’t get one like this anywhere else,” they say. So Bobbie’s is a little fancy. It’s a plush refuge from the hectic New South Head Road that screeches through Double Bay. Through a curtained doorway, soft table lamps flick off marble surfaces and gold leaf trimmings. Mixologists judder shakers in bow ties and all-white uniforms. Somewhere pictures are sketched into cocktail foam. The co-owner has something of a name around these parts. Neil Perry – who also owns Bobbie’s next-door neighbours Margaret, Next Door, Baker Bleu and Song Bird – has risen to celebrity status in Sydney’s hospo scene since opening the OG Rockpool back in the eighties. For his first foray into the bar world, Perry has also joined forces with his wife, Samantha, and longtime friends Linden Pride and Nathalie Hudson, known for their acclaimed Dante bars in New York and L.A. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bobbie’s (@bobbies_doublebay) Bobbie’s is named after Pride’s late grandfather – disc jockey and broadcaster Bob Rogers – who is credited with introducing Top 40 hits to Australian radio in the late fifties and eventually became the nation’s longest-serving radio announcer.

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. Things aren’t all as they seem in Spice Alley. The Chippendale food court, known for its South Asian food, is quietly housing an Italian pasta bar. It’s a tough ask: Str’Eats is competing with well-established neighbours like elevated Chinese diner Holy Duck and luxe dessert bar Koi, armed only with cheap pasta on paper plates. But this hole-in-the-wall kitchen seems to be doing just fine. On a Saturday night there’s barely a seat going at its tiny alfresco patio. Str’Eats was born during the pandemic when its big sister, nearby Olio, was in lockdown. Owner and head chef Lino Sauro wanted to set up a food cart serving authentic Italian dishes inspired by his childhood and hometown in Sicily. Before eventually opening its doors earlier this year, Sauro had spent years working in five-star restaurants around the world, and opened a Sicilian seafood venue, Gattopardo, in Singapore in 2009. Str’Eats’ pasta is made daily from organic semolina flour and water, with its trio of cooks working elbow-to-elbow in a kitchen barely large enough to contain them. As well as spaghetti, gnocchi, fusilli and tagliatelle, you can opt for thick-cut rigatoni or ribbon-shaped mafalde, as well as gluten-free penne. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Str

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. It’s dark and cold and a drizzle has set in, but a throng of diners are throwing back wine and cheese on a Kings Cross pavement and having a grand old time. Some are sitting inside, having secured the luxury of walls and a ceiling, but just as many belong to the spill of eaters that feast in winter coats under portable heaters. And the reason they’re here is Caravin, the newest French diner on the Potts Point block. It’s a wine bar, mostly, but their quirky and delicious roster of Comté custard, poisson cru and smoked beetroot tartare has brought patrons here to drink and dine. Plus, Caravin is European-cool. The owners of the much-loved and now-closed Bar Suze moved into a small nook on Ward Avenue previously inhabited by Dumplings and Beer in late 2023. The two-tiered dining room, which peers into the tiny open kitchen, has been fitted with funky wall art, racks of wine bottles and a towering blackboard displaying the day’s dishes. At the centre of the room a statement Art Deco chandelier glows a soft orange. The French-leaning drinks list focuses on natural wines, with around 20 labels available by the glass and plenty more by the bottle. The Campo di Colonnello by Umbrian producer Raina is a medium-bodied orange drop that’ll help you cool the palette. Ano

When you think of The Corso in Manly, the main pedestrian mall that connects the wharf to the beach, you might picture relaxed surf shops, market stalls selling homemade jewellery, and children playing in water fountains. But the walkway, lined with ice cream shops, fast-food joints and beachy pubs, isn’t the suburb’s go-to stretch for wine bars or fine dining. And yet, here comes Henry G’s. Set inside a former butcher-turned-vitamin shop, Manly’s new wine parlour shows signs of its former life, with a decommissioned meat rail framing the front room and scratched signage reading “Purity Cleanliness Services” still legible above its curtained windows. The bar’s owners, Saga Group, have already established a bit of a presence around these parts, operating nearby In Situ, Donny’s Bar and The Hold. Their newest opening is named after Henry Gilbert Smith, who, after arriving in Sydney in 1827, set about building up Manly as a tourist destination. Some of the area’s most recognisable landmarks, including The Wharf, The Corso and its rows of Norfolk Pines can be traced back to Henry G’s OG tourist drive. Inside the walls are fitted with bookshelves housing more than 2000 antique books, every nook is lined with plush leather seating, and a 19th century piano sits centre stage. The little touches are the most enjoyable, including an ancient book press bearing the names of Henry G’s first two wives, Eleanor Whistler and Margaret Anne, and a framed print of his family tree hung outside

On a night where a Biblical downpour has forced a raft of Sydney venues to close, all three floors of Darlinghurst’s loudest pub are heaving. The Taphouse, teetering on a narrow corner that splits the streets of Flinders and South Dowling, is a Saturday night spot that requires loud voices, composure in tight spaces and a sharp pair of beer goggles to navigate its endless staircase. It’s not a new place. In one form or another, a pub has stood on this location since 1878, originally operating as a family-run joint called the Palace Hotel. It sold to local brewery Tooth & Co in 1952, and rebranded as The Local Taphouse after changing hands again in 2007. Ten years later, it was taken over by hospo bros Josh and James Thorpe, the latter of which moved on to establish Odd Culture Group having opened its first pop-up right here. After closing its doors indefinitely in 2023, The Taphouse was resurrected in September by Applejack Hospitality, the minds and money behind Rafi, The Butler and nearby Forrester’s, as well as the state’s first-ever surf park Urbnsurf. The ground floor, walled with yellow tiles and sports screens, could fool you into thinking this is any old pub. But upstairs there’s a sophisticated feel: candlelit tables and wood-panelled walls and a private corner spot known (however unsettlingly) as “The Cage”. Climb another staircase and you’ll reach the Med-inspired rooftop terrace, refurbished with a fully retractable roof, plus picnic tables and linen parasols blan

It’s Friday night and every table at Ricos Tacos has a reserved sign. Seems like news spread fast that one of Sydney’s most popular taquerias has swapped Chippendale for Redfern. The restaurant, which founder Toby Wilson first opened as a food truck outside Messina in Rosebery, has taken up new residence at Cleveland Street’s Norfolk Hotel, joining Public Hospitality Group’s growing troupe of Sydney venues. And the taco joint’s new owners tend not to move quietly (see: El Primo Sanchez). The space is loud with neon lights, disco balls and hand-painted walls depicting talking goats, dancing tacos and two pigs cheerily boiling a human on open flames. The narrow restaurant quickly opens out into a leafy courtyard where tacos rattle out of a recycled shipping container. If you arrive early, the mezzanine-level dining room – ‘Club Ricos’ – will be dark, lit only by the fuzzy glow of two tiny TV sets airing a ’90s Mexico-Brazil soccer replay. When the lights come on and the tables fill out, the space transforms into a retro sports bar, noisy with pool and foosball games, the walls plastered with bygone Mexican soccer stars. Wherever you’re seated though, the food comes fast. If you go to the bar after you order, it’ll probably beat you back to your table. The tacos arrive in twos. They have five styles, plus one weekly special, ranging from fan-favourite ‘Rico’s fish’ to the intriguing but subdued chicken with almond coffee mole. The battered fish is rich and salty, coated in shall

Complete with ‘Schnit + Schooner Tuesdays’, a famed sticky date pudding, and (so Brits remember what country they’re in) Foster’s by the tinnie – The Lady Hampshire is a pub steeped in Australiana. And that’s before you get to the bar-length mural of Aussie icons past and present, featuring a croc-cradling Steve Irwin, a torch-wielding Cathy Freeman and a yard-sculling Bob Hawke. Built in 1911, the Camperdown pub was reopened in 2023 by Public Hospitality, whose expanding Sydney footprint already includes The Strand Hotel in Darlinghurst and Oxford House and El Primo Sanchez in Paddington, amongst (many) others. Further west, they’ve managed to retain a scrappy charm that harks back to The Lady Hampshire’s former life. Outside, dozens of kegs are piled along pavement on Parramatta Road. Inside, patrons’ dogs roam a rug-thrown floor. Some of the menu items aren’t available. For others, the staff have to nip over the road to grab the ingredients. Despite buzzing with people, it sometimes feels like they’re making it up as they go along. But it fits. The walls are messy with wonky frames and pinned-up beer mats. The sprawling beer garden is pieced together with recycled furniture. The stage, with its velvet curtains and Persian carpet, feels like an elaborate living room arrangement. The cocktail list reverts to the Australiana theme, with names like Bloody Howard, Dark & Warney and The Lazenby. The Lazenby, like the man himself, is an Aussie-fied take on 007. Inspired by James

Sydney’s new basement bar Now & Then could be in worse company. Its Clarence Street spot is within bar-hopping distance from the likes of Cantina OK! and Old Mate’s Place, both of which have achieved something approaching cult status in recent years. Those two venues, though, have carved out their own novel market share: Cantina OK! as a standing-room-only micro mezcal bar; Old Mate’s Place boasting a 102-steps-high open-air deck in the midst of the city. So it’s probably no wonder Now & Then has gone concept-heavy too. Co-owner Natalie Ng, who also owns fellow CBD venue Door Knock, has written a double-sided drinks menu: it has a “Now” list that features in-vogue, modern-era recipes, and a “Then” list which includes a bunch of vintage cocktails lifted from the history books. A small blip in the formula is that there’s no real telling which side is which. There are toblerone- and fruit cobbler-themed drinks filed under “Then”, while minor edits to old-school cocktails like the Southside and Manhattan are defined as “Now”. It’s a little muddled, and might benefit from a clearer divide. Confusion aside, there’s no need to panic: the drinks are up to scratch. For those who like their cocktails to taste like chocolate milk, the Tobler’s Toblerone is a foamy dessert-like tipple. With notes of nougat and honey and topped with curls of grated Toblerone, it washes down smoothly with a gentle kick of rum. Ready to Rumball is another rummy sweetener, a swirl of chocolate, dark fruits a

Walking down King Street without a plan can be an awful thing. There are obviously too many restaurants and bars in the two-kilometre stretch for anyone to make a sound decision. What makes it even harder is when the best options aren’t even visible. In this case, Huelo’s auburn-framed storefront seems to spend most of its day obscured by the cone-gripping spillover from its noisy neighbour Mapo. But its charm is in being unassuming. And even once you’re inside you can’t see the half of it. You’ll likely be greeted by the warm and disarming Swan 'Swanny' Kanongataa – formerly shouldering general manager duties at big-name venues Bistecca and The Rover (‘Swanny’ co-owns Huelo alongside Dre Walters from Old Mate’s Place, and Ginny’s Canoe Club). Patrons can hang out over a cocktail or two in the store, between walls lined with beautiful containers of pasta, tinned fish and other “small goods”, while peering out to the bustling street. But unbeknownst to the spontaneous visitor, the two-storey spot once home to late-night bar True Romance, opens up into three hidden spaces via a sneaky door at the back of the shop. There’s a tiny 12-seat bar room, a slightly roomier outdoor courtyard, and yet another cocktail lounge upstairs. On a hot summer evening, the plant-studded back garden is the place to be. While the upstairs space with its sofas, mood lighting and pulsing beats is where to take a nightcap until 2am. But while blood might rush at the prospect of yet more choice, Huelo (

✍️ Time Out Sydney never writes starred restaurant and bar reviews from hosted experiences – Time Out covers restaurant and bar bills, and anonymously reviews, so that readers can trust our critique. Find out more, here. If you’re wondering where the humans are in Brookvale, they’re all throwing back pints at Bucketty’s. Arrive any hour of the weekend and the brewery is thrumming, even rolling out a red-rope barrier when it starts to spill over. When you’re struggling past car dealerships and abandoned warehouses along Pittwater Road, Bucketty’s unfolds from a desolate backstreet. It's like an unexpected (and welcome) mirage Husband-and-wife team Nick and Lexi McDonald moved into the sprawling warehouse space in 2021, joining nearly a dozen other craft breweries in the unsuspecting Northern Beaches suburb. Having upped sticks from its original site in the Hunter Valley (a 200-person town named, you guessed it, Bucketty), the taproom has muscled in beside beer-brewing rivals 4 Pines, Broken Bay, Dad and Dave’s, 7th Day and Freshwater Brewing Company. The place is vast but every square inch accounted for. Dozens of ‘World Beer Cup’ awards are proudly exhibited as you enter, next to a display cabinet of Bucketty’s branded hats, socks and, yes, dog bandanas. Small crowds clump at pinball machines, dart boards and foosball tables. Inside, there’s a stage for live bands, and out back, beneath a giant mural of ‘Old Man Bucketty’ (Lexi’s father), there’s a VIP children’s zone. The be

It’s probably fair to say – affectionately or otherwise – that dining out doesn’t get more Sydney than a fancy French bistro tacked onto a pub. Especially when the toilet speakers are still tuned to the horseracing. But fortunately for Rozelle’s chic new venue Chez Blue, it’s likely to attract far more lovers than haters. From brioche triangles served on a silver toast rack, to a pair of warm coffee-side madeleines, Chez Blue has close brushes with peak twee. And, that’s before the roving cream bowl at dessert time. The 90-seat bistro and bar is the latest from the Solotel group, whose 26-venue empire sprawls from Sydney to Brisbane, and includes iconic institutions like Opera Bar, Aria and Chiswick. Chez Blue’s head chef Mark Williamson has swapped the Eastern Suburbs for the Inner West, having ruled the roost at fellow French diner Bistro Moncur in Woollahra since 2016. Here, tables are fairly wedged into the modest space, donning frilly lampshades and branded tablecloths, with a private(ish) dining area available to reserve. The menu is emblazoned with hedonistic phrases like croque monsieur, chicken liver brûlée, and Le Dauphin double crème that take you to a place far from Rozelle’s hectic Darling Street and the adjoining Sackville Hotel. And just when you thought you’d sleepwalk past the aperitif list, a few entries could catch your eye. The Absinthe “frappe”, maybe. Or the Amer Biere, which pairs the budget lager Stella Artois with the hard-to-find French aperitif Amer