10 Essential Bars in Sydney, According to Industry Pros

There are countless reasons to plan a trip to Sydney, Australia: It has great beaches, fantastic nature with the Blue Mountains on the outskirts of town and bucket-list landmarks like the Sydney Opera House. As a destination, it also boasts one of the planet’s most thrilling urban cultures with world-class museums, hotels, shopping and dining. 

And if you love to sample a local drinking scene, Sydney excels there, too. In fact, what might set this Australian heavy hitter apart is the variety on offer. You can find great spirits specialists just as easily as you can find a fantastic beer or wine bar. Sometimes, impeccable selections of all of the above might show up in the same spot. And you know that vibes in a Sydney bar will always be top-notch.

To find the ones that are most worth inserting into an itinerary, we quizzed local industry pros on their favorite drinking dens. Here are 10.

Best Rum Bar: The Lobo

CBD

Rum is a rising category all over Australia, and to James Christopher, one of the founders of Sydney’s Brix Distillers, The Lobo is the standard bearer if you want a bar that specializes in the spirit. This underground Carribean-themed spot, named after sugar baron Julio Lobo, is both comfortable (with cushy Chesterfield banquettes) and seductive—the kind of bar you’ll want to linger in for a few hours.

“They have an endless selection of Australian and international rums with an ever-changing cocktail specials list,” Christopher says, adding that rum flights are available if you want to survey some of the bottles that make up the 250-strong selection. “But if you’re just after a damn good cocktail, definitely order the Old Grogram with their in-house spiced rum and watch the team bring out the fire with a swirling gas canister that will set the cocktail alight.”

Best Australian Spirits List: Dulcie’s

Kings Cross

Thanks to its all-Australian spirits list, Dulcie’s is a hearty favorite among Sydney’s hospitality pros. Samuel Shepherd, the head sommelier at Neil Perry’s beloved restaurant Margaret, describes it as “a moody basement bar where Australian kitsch meets Bohemian flair.” 

Here, his typical drink order is guided by exploration. “I usually ask for a martini with a gin I wouldn’t have seen anywhere else, or an Australian whiskey I wouldn’t have tried,” he says. “They recently reinvented the Sazerac for me with Archie Rose’s Whisky Gone A Rye #2, a rye malt aged in old Australian fortified wine casks. It was bonkers.”