If you still haven’t figured out your New Year’s plans, Barangaroo House makes a strong case for seeing out 2019 in the spectacular bowl-shaped building. Among its draws are three distinct venues, views of the fireworks, and Matt Moran-approved food and drink. But best of all, there’s no cover charge on a night when most harbourside venues will charge you a week’s rent just to get in.
Instead of dropping a fistful of bills at the door, you can put your hard-earned cash towards dinner and drinks for the night. Groups should look no further than House Bar on the ground floor, which pumps out crowd-pleasing pub grub such as burgers, salads, fish ‘n' chips and the like, plus pitchers of pinot noir or rosé sangria.
If standing around with your mates and shouting over the DJ sounds like a good reason to stay home, upscale dining room Bea offers a more civilised environment in which to celebrate. The unfussy menu is designed for sharing, and shows off executive chef Tom Haynes' skill with a woodfire grill. There’s even a kids' menu for families seeking a comfortable spot from which to enjoy the early fireworks show.
Around midnight you’ll want to head upstairs to Smoke Bar, where the party will be kicking on into the early hours. The rooftop venue won Best New Bar at the 2018 Time Out Bar Awards for its combination of stellar mixology, classy digs and stunning harbour views. Add a DJ and a world-class fireworks display to the mix, and you can consider your New Year’s sorted.