Bars | 10 Of The Best Balcony Bars


Spring has sprung, daylight savings is finally here and the idea of lounging al fresco with a cold beer or a refreshing cocktail in the setting sun just warms our hearts! Here are 10 of the best bars and pubs in Sydney offering balcony views and outdoor loveliness to while away the hours!


Lo-Fi Bar - Surry Hills 

Sitting right there on top of Kinselas is Lo-Fi, once known as Middle Bar. It’s funky, accessible and definitely all about the balcony – you’ll head straight out there to people watch the folks below as you’re sipping on your after-work cocktail. There are murals on the walls and live music.

FBi Social - Kings Cross

Walk into this building and you may not walk out again for the rest of the night. What’s great about FBi Social, aside from the wrap-around balcony where you can eat your pub meals and have your beers, is that it’s one of the best places in Sydney for great live gigs.

Opera Bar - Bennelong Point

Whilst not exactly a balcony, but quite possibly the most sigh-inducing view of Sydney Harbour if you are coming or going from our fair city, Opera Bar’s outdoor area looks like the balcony you dream of when you want to see what Sydney is known for. Great for visitors and a wonderful place to say tipsy goodbyes to the city. Summer drinking in the twilight hours here can’t be missed.   

Clock Hotel - Surry Hills

As their website suggests, this bar “has something for everyone.”  Once you’ve located your friends downstairs, and checked out the new Whisky Room (link to Outinsydney Whisky Room post), head upstairs to the balcony section and enjoy a meal and a glass of wine.  Sunday lunches stretching into Sunday afternoon drinks stretching again into Sunday evening last drinks work well here.

Café Del Mar - Cockle Bay Wharf

Amazing how a venue that is not by the sea can make you feel like you are actually by the sea.  Situated in the Cockle Bay Wharf area, Café Del Mar is surprising Mediterranean oasis in Sydney.  Enjoy sun and an El Jalisco with your friends in the sun deck/balcony area. Pretend you’re in Ibiza. Beuno!.

The Glenmore Hotel - The Rocks

Another bar with an amazing view of the harbour, The Glenmore Hotel has been tied to the Harbour Bridge’s history (in that they had to shift it from its original spot to make way for the bridge!), and also seen the rise and fall of the Plague in The Rocks (true story!).  Now, the rooftop bar acts as one of the most sensational balconies in the city, offering views of The Rocks and water below. 

New Brighton Hotel - Manly

Refurbished in 2013, New Brighton Hotel’s upstairs balcony area is the perfect place to rest your weary self after a day in the sun and surf, far enough from the hustle and bustle of The Corso below and close enough so you can still leg it to the wharf if you need to get to your ferry pronto. Offers dining (meals and finger food) as well as tasty cocktails. Water views are fantastic!

The Workers - Balmain

Once the home of the Australian Labor Party (former PM Bob Hawke gazes down on you from the ceiling above), The Workers is an eclectically-designed bar for the eclectically-designed people of Balmain. Doesn’t mean you can’t have a bevy if you’re not a Balmainian. The outdoor garden/balcony area with its fun AstroTurf and bright furniture are the perfect backdrop to your Mexican-inspired food.

Zeta Bar - Sydney CBD

Stylish and chic, Zeta Bar is THE place to go when you have your big girl shoes on (ladies, I mean heels).  A popular place for the city workers on a Friday, Zeta Bar’s outdoor balcony area offers views of the bustling city below while you sip on your Bondi-inspired (soooo Sydney) Beach-side cocktail.

Wolloomooloo Bay Hotel - Woolloomooloo

Hard to say, easy to stay! Great views of the water and great drinks make this bar one for lazy drinks enjoyed in the sunset.  The balcony upstairs can be enjoyed with food and drink, and is the perfect place for a casual get-together. 


Written by Erica Enriquez