If you can find their entrances, the best hidden bars in Sydney beg you to let your hair down.

Quirky decor, legendary cocktails and an air of exclusivity the bigger hitters couldn’t possibly replicate. The hidden bars of Sydney offer sexy sanctuaries, and half the fun comes in trying to spot them. Playing home to a truly local crowd of after-dark revellers, our favourite secret spots are worth your efforts. Presenting your access-all-areas ticket to every one of them.

1. Cantina OK!

Price: $$$

Best for: Mezcal and experimental cocktail lovers

Mezcal is the word at this tiny haunt housed in a small garage in a Sydney laneway. Cantina OK! claims to make the best margaritas in Sydney—a huge call for a city known for its love of spicy margs— and we can’t argue with it.

While there’s only space for ~20 patrons, the vibes and flavours are big.

If you know nothing about the spirit, you’ll walk away with a plethora of knowledge and a newfound appreciation for agave after a night here. While there’s only space for ~20 patrons, the vibes and flavours are big. The team go on Mexican sojourns to source the finest mezcal for tastings and concocting seriously inventive and playfully presented cocktails like the Hanoi Highball!—a beautiful mixture of mezcal, ginseng, rhubarb, and hot mint.

Address: Council Pl, Sydney NSW

2. Love, Tilly Devine

Price: $$$

Best for: Date nights and oenophiles.

Named after the infamous organised crime boss, Tilly Devine, this Darlinghurst wine bar is aptly located down what appears to be a shady laneway. But the vibes within this inner-city haunt couldn’t be further from that.

Cosy and welcoming, this charming two-level space is a favourite amongst locals who appreciate sophisticated wine and snacks. The ever-changing European-inspired menu offers tasty snacks such as French onion dip with salted cucumber and Olasagasti with anchovy, sourdough, and oxheart tomato, which can be perfectly paired with any of the 300 wines on offer.

Come for a relaxed post-work tipple, a charming date night, or follow their socials to find out when their next takeover is where they partner with a food or wine company to create a unique experience for the night.

Address: 91 Crown Ln, Darlinghurst

3. Disco Pantera

Price: $$$

Best for: Date nights and nostalgia seekers.

The 70s trend isn’t going anywhere with recently-opened Disco Pantera adding a dose of cool to the CBD’s bar scene. Scottish-born brothers Ross and Gordon Purnell took cues from 1970s New York, injecting disco flair into both the design choices and menu of this laneway bar.

Sit down at one of the vibrant blue leather seats and sip on imaginative cocktails such as the Alpine Sazerac with VSOP pine mastica Orris root and anise, and the Chimichurri Margarita with Casamigoes, mezcal, herbs and citrus. Meanwhile, the DJ spins groovy tunes to set the vibe.

The highlight tipple is the ‘Pantera Creaming Soda’; a funky take on milk punch with a hint of essential oil that evokes the scent of disco-era colognes.

When you’re ready to move on, the party kicks on downstairs at sibling venue Tigra . This vibrant wine bar takes inspiration from the laneways of Barcelona and Tokyo, so expect world-class Catalan-meets-Japanese bites and drinks.

4. Eau de Vie

Price: $$$$

Best for: Inventive cocktails

Nestled in the basement of a heritage 1930s Georgian revival building, Eau de Vie is a jazz-infused speakeasy that will transport you to 1920s America. Translating to “water of life", this drinking den’s menu pays homage to some of the characters you may have come across during the Prohibition era such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker.

Cocktails are creative and beautifully presented. One standout is the Birth of Venus, a Botticelli-inspired creation with Bombay Sapphire Premier Cru Gin, citrus liqueur, Suze, white peach sorbet, bubbly, and white balsamic pearls.

Address: Enter Via Wynyard Lane, 285 George St

5. Employees Only, Sydney’s CBD

Price: $$$

Best for: Cutting loose at after-work drinks.

From the owners of the legendary New York bar of the same name, the attention to detail at Employees Only  is incredible. From top-notch staff and ultra-swish interior design to the fabulous drinks, snacks and dinner menu, it’s all outstanding. There are even lockers to recharge your devices. To find its entrance, look for the red neon ‘Psychic’ sign and head down the opulent black and golden staircase to the tarot card reader before turning right.

Settle in among the cool crowd, get pampered by the staff, visit the resident psychic and jump up for spontaneous boogies when burlesque dancers hit the bar top. The cocktails are all excellent including a traditional Manhattan and sweet tooths can’t go past the Amelia – Wyborowa vodka and St. Germain elderflower liqueur shaken with fresh lemon and puréed blackberries.

Address: 9A Barrack Street, Sydney

6. Mjølner, Redfern

Price: $$$

Best for: A get-together with friends.

Push through the hefty wooden door and head down a darkened staircase. From Norwegian-born Sven Almenning and The Speakeasy Group behind some of the country’s chicest small bars, this Viking-inspired bar is like a decadent, secret cave. Mjølner  references the hammer of Thor, the Norse god of thunder, and the decorations include replica Viking swords and weapons. If you look carefully, a skeletal hand of a victim may even pop out of a corner.

Candles, wooden seating and brick walls merge classy contemporary with a Nordic niche. And while there’s a restaurant, the speakeasy bar entirely satisfies alone with over 400 whiskies and bar snacks including a delicious cured salmon and an intense roast bone marrow. Ask one of the bartenders to mix you up a Battle Axe V3 with woodchip-infused Dewars scotch, maple and shiraz reduction and bitters.

Address: 267 Cleveland Street, Redfern

7. Bobbies, Double Bay

Price: $$$$

Best for: Date night drinks before dinner or a post-lunch tipple.

Cocktail bar and intimate music venue, Bobbie’s is bringing life to Double Bay. Opened by renowned chef and restauranteur Neil Perry, the haunt pays homage to Australian hall-of-fame disc jockey, Bob Rogers and a life lived during the golden era of Rock n Roll.

Head downstairs at Gaden House and indulge in a menu that celebrates martinis, alongside a selection of riffs on classics and aperitivi.

Address: 28 Bay St, Double Bay

8. Stich Bar

Price: $$

Best for: Inventive cocktail catchups with pals.

A classy cocktail bar meets a classic American diner at this hidden bar in Sydney, just up from a seamstress shopfront. Head past the sewing machines and downstairs to find it. There are tables, booths with old newspaper clippings as wallpaper, candles and also a private room. Stitch Bar  is good to either get cosy in one of the many darkened corners or banter with locals and staff at the bar. Try their delicious Maple & Ash, a smoky and sweet blend that comes with a side of pork crackling.

Address: 61 York Street, Sydney

9. Door Knock

Price: $$

Best for: Crafty takes on classic cocktails.

Walk down the stairs at number 70 and along the long, dark corridor. At the end, you’ll find a door. Knock three times on the brass pineapple…

This popular Sydney haunt has undergone an oh-so-chic makeover, blending Parisian neighbourhood charm with underground speakeasy vibes. The space is now adorned with vintage French mirrors, herringbone panelling, marble tables, leather seating, and dimly lit lamps.

Work your way through the wine list of French, Italian, and Australian drops, or indulge in signature cocktails like the Sunny Leone with Don Julio Blanco, Amaretto, lime juice, tropical citrus and pineapple oleo, passionfruit sparkling wine, and sea salt spray. This is all to be paired with Mediterranean and North African-inspired bites such as stracciatella, grilled calamari, flank steak, Chermoula chicken, and Moroccan lamb tagine.

Address: B2, 70 Pitt Street, Sydney.

10. The Doss House

Price: $$$

Best for: Whiskey lovers stinging for the good stuff.

At this sexy old-world whisky and cocktail bar from Irish ex-pats Colm O’Neill and Eoin Daniels, suits and tourists coolly collide. But first, you’ve got to find it. There’s a sign out the front of The Doss House  but it looks like it’s for a clothing boutique. Trust us and walk through the building and out the back then turn right and head down the outdoor stairs.

Once you’re there, you’ll see leather couches, candles, old books to browse and a Chinese opium room (sans opium) inspired by the history of the 1844 building. On the weekends, there’s even live music. Once thirst sets in, it’s hard to go past the house speciality. Whiskey even gets its own menu, grouped by regions of origin and also arriving in the shape of beautiful whiskey flights.

Address: 77/79 George Street, The Rocks

11. The Swinging Cat

Price: $$

Best for: Great tunes and great get-togethers.

Inspired by New Orleans’ French Quarter, The Swinging Ca t is decked out with wooden floors, low couches, cushions and some greenery. To find it isn’t easy though. At ankle height, the windows go either unnoticed or seem to reveal a tiny venue not worth investigating but head towards the Subway fast food joint and turn left down the stairs.

Blues music provides a killer backing for inspired conversations with dates or friends. All it misses for total transportation is a live Dixieland or blues band. Don’t miss The Royale for a hit of sweetness. Vodka, white chocolate liquor, passionfruit, vanilla, egg white and lemon.

Address: 44 King Street, Sydney

12. Old Mate’s Place

Price: $$$

Best for: A first date.

Take the lift to the fourth floor at 199 Clarence Street, smile at the security guy and say ‘old mate’ to him. He’ll appreciate the effort and it will get you through the front doors of Old Mate’s Place . Inside, you’ll spy a large room with dramatically high ceilings, old books and memorabilia, hanging plants, chandeliers and candles.

More often than not, it’s going to be in full swing. If you’re early, head up to the small rooftop to grab a table to enjoy the city skyline. On a quieter hour of the night, get cosy on a couch and browse the bookshelf. The cocktail list is ever-evolving however a rum and coconut is never a bad idea.

Address: Level 4/199 Clarence Street, Sydney

13. The Cumberland, Manly

Price: $$

Best for: An exceptional change of scenery on the other side of the Harbour Bridge.

Don’t you love the hidden bars of Sydney that really make you work for them? The Cumberland is one of them. Shielded by a fridge door inside a gorgeous duck egg blue painted bodega-style deli, this place is the northern beaches’ best covert watering hole by far.

Walk down the stairs and step inside an incredible fit-out of rich timbers, antique furnishings and touches of marble. There are more than 250 whiskeys to select from, great beers and wines, excellent Champagnes and delicious classic and contemporary cocktails. Explore the ‘Foraged & Found’ portion of the cocktail list for ingredients sourced directly from Manly and its surrounds.

Address: 17-19 Central Avenue, Manly

14. Earl’s Juke Joint, Newtown

Price: $$

Best for: Party vibes and superb thirst-quenchers.

Talk about good vibes. When we visit Earl’s Juke Joint late on a Friday night, the tables are full and there’s barely any space to stand, even away from the bar. It’s pumping and exactly what a night out in the inner west should look like. Step inside the ‘Betta Meats’ butcher on King Street and brace yourself for expertly shaken concoctions, beers and ciders everyone should be drinking and solid wines. But it’s all about those cocktails and the Bam Bam is a goodie. Blending rum, Brazilian banana liqueur, the deeply complex Amaro Montenegro Liqueur, citrus, coconut-banana foam and other wizardry, it’s dead-set a holiday in your mouth.

Address: 407 King Street, Newtown

15. Papa Gedes Bar

Price: $$

Best for: An after-work drink before you run for the train.

If the pirate’s life is for you, head straight to Papa Gedes Bar , a cocktail bar specialising in rum and inspired by its namesake voodoo spirit of lust and laughter. What more could you want from a night on the tiles? Find the rocky stoned laneway and look for a candlelit darkened room.

Inside, cocktails are worth exploring in detail if only to marvel at their labels (Sloe News Day is particularly clever). Rest assured, they taste plenty good, too. Food-wise, there are cheap and cheerful spreads and snacks including a traditional ploughman’s platter and spicy pork crackling.

Address: 348 Kent Street, Sydney

16. Alice, The Rocks

Price: $$$

Best for: Pre-dinner or post-dinner drinks somewhere fancy.

With the slickest of street cred in its corner, Alice , from the team behind Rockpool Bar & Grill and Spice Temple, is a sophisticated hidden bar in Sydney, unlike the rest. Enter through the unmarked gates of the former bond stores on the cobblestoned bit of Argyle Street and head down the dramatic stairs.

Velvet booths and other plush fabrics, marble and gold accents, rich timber beams and its own VIP area ooze old Hollywood glamour. However, the drinks are fresh and the food is from the guys working with those aforementioned restaurants so expect seriously spectacular spoils. An Alice Spritz, shaking aromatised wine, prosecco and blackberry shrub together, leads a stellar list of boozy creations while Japanese-inspired snacks and pizzas roll out of the kitchen.

Address: 16 Argyle Street, The Rocks

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Originally written by Kristie Lau-Adams with updates by Rachael Thompson.