From raspberry and lemongrass martinis to hardcore whisky sours, Sydney has so many amazing bars.
Most visitors to Sydney’s shores expect the inhabitants to be a bunch of beer guzzlers, with palates that barely extend beyond a tinny of Castlemaine XXXX. But we’re much more sophisticated than that.
Here are my top tips for great cocktails in Sydney.
1. Icebergs (Bondi)
1 Notts Ave, Bondi Beach
This strip of sand is one of the most famous beaches in Oz and it has a cocktail bar to match. Icebergs is where you come to see and be seen. Paris Hilton had a party here, Coldplay’s Chris Martin stopped for lunch and Beyonce has sipped a glass of something special on its balcony. There are spectacular sea views and they do a mean dirty martini. There’s also a huge wine list with a large selection by the glass – and one of the widest choices of the herbal liqueur amaro in Sydney.
2. Eau de Vie (Darlinghurst)
229 Darlinghurst Road
Welcome to the Queen Bee of cocktail bars, for the serious tippler. The drinks list is like a novel and the vintage cocktail-making paraphernalia, including a shaker shaped like a woman’s leg, show you this tucked-away bar means business. Go for a Hendricks Tea Party – which pairs Hendricks gin with black tea and fruit juices. It’s mixed in a teapot and served with accompanying teacups – a great drink for a group to share.
3. Tokonoma (Surry Hills)
490 Crown St
The sister bar of Japanese restaurant Toko, this sleek and sexy venue specialises in shochu, a clear Japanese liquor, distilled from barley, buckwheat, sweet potato and sugar. It’s also said to have one-third of the calories of vodka, so that ticks our boxes! There’s an eclectic cocktail menu – Japanese Gibson, a blend of gin, dry vermouth and Japanese vinegar, garnished with a pickled onion is as unusual as it is tasty. With its carved wooden shutters and long lounge sofas, it’s perfect for a chilled out mid-week drink.
4. Shady Pines Saloon (Darlinghurst)
256 Crown St
With its stuffed animal heads, life-sized carved American Indians standing to permanent attention and a rickety old piano, this is the perfect dive bar. There is no too-cool-for-school attitude – everyone’s here for a fun night out. The friendly staff are always on hand to mix you up anything you like, but the venue particularly prides itself on its vast selection of whiskey. Its signature cocktail is a killer whiskey sour.
5. Zeta Bar (CBD)
Hilton Sydney, 488 George St
Make it up the four escalators to get to Zeta Bar at the Hilton hotel and you’ll be rewarded with the feeling you have just walked straight into a Bond movie. With an open fire (yes it does get cold here in the winter!) rich velvet drapes and a beautiful terrace with city views, it’s ideal for a pre-prandial. Relax and unwind while drinking one of the signature raspberry and lemongrass martinis. The berries are shaken with Belvedere vodka, sake and creme de framboise, then finished with lemongrass and freshly-squeezed lemon juice. A winner.
