hero media

These Japanese-inspired listening bars are the best in Australia

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
Listening bars inspired by Japanese jazz kissaten are opening across Australia. Here are six of the best.

From retro road trip revivals to heritage stays, nostalgia is powering a new way to travel. Listening bars, also known as jazz kissaten, are part of this movement. Emerging from Japan’s Shōwa era (mid-1920s to late 1980s), these groovy hangouts are fitted out with quality sound systems and vinyl records. Today, the best listening bars in Australia pair killer soundtracks with tasty bites and unique ambiences, transporting patrons to faraway places. 

Loom Lounge, Sydney 

Loom Lounge, Sydney
Immerse yourself in a music lounge experience.

Whichever way you spin it, Loom Lounge has raised the bar in Crows Nest, North Sydney. From tracks that throw back to the ’60s to bass-heavy hip-hop, the music is selected based on the mood the DJs want to create. The concept, from Li’l Darlin in collaboration with the Sultry Group, is about creating an immersive space where music is much more than just a bit of blah background noise. Sip on cocktails and graze on late-night snacks such as arancini balls, chicken tacos and Peking duck pancakes.  

Sonny, Hobart 

Sonny dish
Get treated to good beats and good food. (Credit: Jesse Hunniford)

You can sit at home and stay plugged into Soundcloud. Or you can slink into Sonny , the Hobart/Nipaluna bolthole where the conversation hums along with the bassline. While Sonny doesn’t bill itself as a listening bar, it has a stack of vinyl that you can give a spin. Beyond being wired for sound, chef Sam Bray has a passion for provenance, serving just-shucked Tassie oysters with low-intervention wine.  

Bahama Gold, Melbourne 

Bahama gold
Music enthusiasts will have a blast engaging with their favourite tunes. (Credit: Monica Styles)

Fill your cup as well as your fridge at Bahama Gold . The music at the Lygon Street listening bar is as meticulously curated as the drinks list. While the sound is strictly vinyl, the bar is also a hi-fi temple featuring $60,000 worth of equipment imported from the USA. The 12-seater venue sits underneath a 500-bottle wine cellar, so you can choose a bottle and pay corkage, or select wines by the glass. Order snacks and small plates prepared next door at Old Palm Liquor. 

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

AI Prompt

Ode to Sirens, Fremantle 

Ode to Sirens
Ode to Sirens celebrates good music with equally exciting Greek food.

Listening bars are opening with increasing frequency in Freo. And Ode to Sirens is one for serious musos. The DJs at this immersive bar in Perth/Boorloo’s port city provide playlists that add even more personality to the 1970s-styled space. While the jazz kissa concept is strong, the Hellenic-inspired food and funky wines are also integral to the experience. Expect those analogue sounds to amp up with cocktails named after songs.  

Honeydripper, Adelaide   

Honeydripper
Honeydripper gives an unparalleled listening experience. (Credit: Neasan McGuiness)

Today’s listening bars are places where high-quality sound systems, good food and wine intersect. The vibes are amplified at Honeydripper in the heart of Adelaide/Tarntanya, thanks to the seductive sounds produced by a rotating line-up of local DJs. While the music played in the luxe, intimate space is the focus, drinks also move the needle when it comes to elevating the mood, as each cocktail is paired with a song.  

Disuko, Melbourne 

Disuko
DISUKO is a spot for izakaya plates and music-led energy.

Translated from the Japanese word for ‘disco’, Disuko is an homage to 1980s Tokyo disco culture. Enjoy izakaya dining in cosy nooks while listening to vinyl tunes. With hanging glow balls, late-night snacks and specialty sakes, it’s one of the best listening bars in Australia for night owls.  

Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
View profile and articles
This app can predict flight delays up to 25 hours in advance
Australia

This app can predict flight delays up to 25 hours in advance

Using live data and smart technology, this flight-tracking tool is keeping travellers one step ahead.

Read more
A pink-hued full moon in the sky
Australia

Why you shouldn’t bother looking for a pink moon tonight

Despite the name, the moon won’t, in fact, be pink.

Read more
aircrafts on field of Alice Springs airport in the Northern Territory
Australia

Australia’s most delayed flight routes revealed

A new report has ranked Australia's worst-performing domestic and international flight routes.

Read more
Krinklewood Winery, Hunter Valley
Australia

Affordable Easter getaways in every state to beat soaring fuel costs

Skip the fuel sting with these affordable Easter getaways and staycations across Australia.

Read more
hero media

8 ways to discover a new side of Port Stephens

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    Continue
    Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

    You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

    All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

    1. Stockton Sand Dunes

    Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

    Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

    Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape.
    Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

    2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

    History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

    Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens.
    Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

    3. Watch out for whales

    You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

    And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

    A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface.
    Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

    4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

    Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary  to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

    Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

    Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile
    See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

    5. Diving Port Stephens

    Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

    Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

    At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

    A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure.
    Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

    6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

    Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

    Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

    Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay.
    Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

    7. Fish the estuaries

    Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

    If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

    three men fishing on a boat in port stephens
    Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

    8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

    With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

    Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

    Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

    A plate of fresh oysters.
    Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .