These Bars Are Killing it in 2015

If you’re anything like us, you love to catch up with friends over a drink (or five). Some of you might like the hole-in-the-wall small bars that have started to pop up all over the city, while others might prefer a good rooftop view or pub-style meal. Whatever your preference, we’ve picked out the best new bars Sydney has to offer.


Deli Wine Bar - Surry Hills 

Formally the Red Door, this charcuterie and wine bar is a delightful addition to Surry Hills. Feeling a little like an underground bunker, it’s small and intimate - great for a romantic date night. Plus, with nothing on the menu over $15, you can even manage it if you’re on a strict budget (or you’ll have more to spend on wine!) Sample mains like ‘Foveaux Fried Chicken’, or create an indoor picnic of oysters, cheeses, meats and pickles. For drinks, choose from a long list of wines or try a signature cocktail - we recommend the ‘Blood & Sand’, if not for the great name, then for the delicious combination of scotch, vermouth, orange juice and cherry heering.

Print Room - Paddington 

An old Hollywood style cocktail lounge, Print Room is a charming bar on Glenmore Road that has a series of great specials every week - grab a group of friends for $12 cocktail Wednesdays and 2 for 1 Bubbly Thursdays, or chill out with some live music for Sunday Sessions. To balance out your glamorous cocktails and champagne, try some of their rib-sticking man food options - think sandwiches with smoked ham, pork belly, and bacon, or a stout braised lamb shank with white truffle & chive mash. With high tea coming to the Print Room soon, keep it in mind for birthdays and hen’s nights - the old school charm will add a touch of class to any event!

Daniel San - Manly 

There was a lot of buzz around this retro Japanese bar and eatery, and it’s definitely worth checking out. In a prime position on North Steyne Road, you can watch the surfers out on the waves while sipping on a Miyagi Mai Tai, listening to David Bowie and snacking on a Californication roll. Bathed in neon, with 80s rock blasting from the speakers, this is not a subtle little small bar, but a big, fun, in your face, beach-side rooftop bar. The menu is a contemporary take on the usual Japanese, featuring items like chips with wasabi salt, tuna & salmon tartare with crunchy gyoza wrappers, and milk & white chocolate tofu with cocoa nibs - and don’t be scared of the tofu, it’ll surprise you!

The Hayberry - Crows Nest 

For those of you on the north side of the bridge, there are new bars popping up constantly, as areas like Crows Nest, Cammeray and Neutral Bay become burgeoning trendy hotspots. The Hayberry, with a saloon-style small bar at the front, and a relaxed beer garden at the back, brings the Sydney obsession with Americana and diner-style food to Crows Nest. With a menu boasting popcorn chicken, waffle fries, spicy buffalo wings, and pulled pork nachos, this is definitely not a bar to visit when you’re on a diet. The cocktails are great here too, and the bartenders are charming and helpful.

The Powder Keg - Potts Point 

If gin is your thing, you need to get yourself to The Powder Keg immediately - they have over 120 varieties of gin, plus a signature gin and tonic blend on tap. If you’re not the biggest fan, never fear - they also serve great food, inspired by 17th century gin palaces and English taverns with a hipster twist. Think quail scotch eggs or duck schnitzel lollipops with pickled kohlrabi and tarragon mayo. The highlight here is definitely the cocktail list though. Try their show-stopping twist on a bloody mary - horseradish root vodka, steak smoked mary mix, beef jerky and BBQ bitters with dehydrated maple infused bacon and cherry tomatoes. Now that’s how you cure a hangover!