Cafés and bars

Savour delicious food and taste Australian wines at delightful cafés and bars around Sydney Harbour and at beautiful beaches. Reserve a table for lunch at Fort Denison Restaurant, in the middle of the harbour, and marvel at the spectacular views.

Visit one of the quirky small bars, such as The Roosevelt or Eau de Vie, springing up in inner Sydney neighbourhoods. Enjoy a cocktail made from seasonal ingredients, fresh from the market, at Bulletin Place, near Circular Quay. Relax with a drink at a beachside café or bar.

Watsons Bay Hotel, Sydney
Cafe C, Newtown

Coffee and cocktails

Sydney is famous for its easy-going lifestyle – and great coffee. Order your cappuccino or macchiato at one of numerous good cafés with which the city is blessed and peruse the menu for tasty food and cooling drinks.

You’ll find cafés a great place to relax and mingle with Sydneysiders. In the mild climate, you can sit outdoors at cafés most days of the year and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.

At city beaches, such as Bondi and Manly, you’ll find cafés and bars where you can eat, drink and watch surfers ride the waves.

In the city and neighbouring suburbs, you’ll discover numerous sophisticated – and quirky - small bars, like Eau de Vie in Darlinghurst.

There are plenty of bars in the city where you can enjoy a drink before or after a show. O Bar and Dining has amazing views from its 47th floor perch on Australia Square. The Opera Bar, adjacent to the Sydney Opera House, has impressive harbour and bridge views and a great atmosphere.

Wine bars are also popular; visit tiny Porteno in Surry Hills, which serves classic cocktails and delicate snacks. Monopole is part of a thriving bar scene in Potts Point. Among the many wine bars in the city centre are Fix St James and Ash Street Cellar.

Some bars specialise in liquors. Tio’s Cerveceria in Surry Hills serves tequilas, fans of rum frequent The Lobo Plantation in the city centre. Gin connoisseurs enjoy The Roosevelt in Potts Point, while the Baxter Inn on Clarence Street stocks 360 different whiskeys.