Time Out Sydney Food & Drink Awards 2026: Best Bar & Pub Nominees

In Australia, hotel bars usually lack cool-factor. Even when they have a lot going for them, they tend to be overlooked by locals. Bar Julius has bucked the trend; it's very fun and very cool. We've been to Bar Julius for breakfast, lunch, dinner and after-dinner drinks, and that’s the point – Bar Julius is open daily from 7am to midnight, and it was designed as a place you’d happily spend time in at any time of day.

Claret Club has a Parisian feel, with outdoor tables under the trees white tablecloths on small tables, and smiling people seated along the bar. It feels like a happy place, thanks in part to warm, natural service that puts you at ease. While upstairs is a proper Euro-inspired restaurant, the ground floor is a wine bar with excellent snacks. The couple behind Claret Club are two well-versed sommeliers: Bridget Raffal from popular Where’s Nick, and Harry Hunter, formerly of Rockpool, the Bentley Group and Dinner by Heston.

As night falls, Fred’s Providore in Cronulla morphs from a café, butchery and providore into Fred’s After Hours, a sophisticated Euro-leaning wine bar and bistro by butcher-turned-builder Nathan Creary. In this intimate 36-seater space, every aspect has been fastidiously thought through, with the warm lighting, leather banquettes, exposed brickwork and marble tables all adding to the seductive atmosphere.

Paradise, a wine bar on the corner of Roslyn Street and Ward Avenue in Potts Point, is the latest from two people who know what they’re doing: Gio and Enrico Paradiso – the brothers who, alongside Marco Ambrosino, co-founded Sydney staple Fratelli Paradiso back in 2001, before going on to open another hit, 10 William St, in 2010. Paradise hums with big European energy and Potts Point cool. Groups of friends spill onto the sidewalk, glasses of orange wine in hand. Couples snack on crusty baguettes and nutty cheese. As well as al fresco seating, you can opt to sit at the bar or at a large communal table.

You could walk past Silver’s Motel on Enmore Road and easily miss it – that’s how nondescript the front is. But once you step through the door, you’re greeted like a long-lost mate. Inspired by ’80s motel bars, the space looks sleek and old-school, with vintage artworks, wood-panelled walls and an Inner West warmth. It’s not a stretch to say founders and great mates Michael Chiem and Tynan Sidhu are two of Sydney’s finest bartenders – Chiem is the force behind Sydney’s award-winning PS40, and Sidhu perfected his craft at places like The Waratah, PS40 and Saint Peter Bar). So, naturally, the cocktails here are standout.

This historic boozer is one of Sydney’s finest pubs. Considering how packed it is with locals on a Sunday evening, we're clearly not the only ones who think so. Established in 1857, the heritage-listed Dry Dock is the oldest licensed pub in Balmain. In the mid-1800s, it was frequented by Mort’s Dock workers – Australia’s first ‘dry dock’ – in search of a cold ale. In November 2023, after a year-long renovation, the venue was reopened under new ownership by seasoned hospitality professional James Ingram (ex-Merivale, Rockpool, Solotel, Etymon) and Balmain local Mike Everett with the main goal of creating a haven for locals. It’s a beautiful, multifaceted pub, designed by interior architect Bianca Isgro.