Overview
Sydney’s cocktail game is stronger than ever, and TimeOut’s 2025 feature, The Best Cocktail Bars in Sydney, is your ultimate guide to where creativity meets craft in a glass. Whether you’re hunting down moody laneway hideouts, glitzy hotel lounges, or innovative bars rewriting the rules, this list pours up the city’s finest.
Each venue featured in the guide is more than just a place to drink—it’s an experience. Expect menus that read like storybooks, garnishes that double as conversation starters, and bartenders who treat every pour like performance art. From the perfect Old Fashioned to playful modern concoctions, Sydney’s best cocktail bars deliver on both flavour and flair.
TimeOut captures the full spectrum of Sydney’s bar culture—low-lit and intimate, open-air with harbour views, or tucked behind unmarked doors in the backstreets of Surry Hills and Newtown. Whether you’re a connoisseur or a casual cocktail fan, there’s a vibe (and a drink) to match.
Some bars pay homage to the classics, with velvet booths and golden-age charm, while others lean into bold experimentation—think smoke, fire, foams, and native botanicals. And it’s not just about what’s in the glass; these venues often lead the way in design, music, and atmosphere too.
Perfect for pre-theatre drinks, late-night catch-ups, or date night done right, this 2025 list is your fast track to Sydney’s most memorable sips. So round up your crew, raise a glass, and let TimeOut show you where the magic’s being mixed.
Last update August 2025
