Must-see nightlife in New South Wales

  • Little Prince

    South Coast NSW

    Hidden away from prying eyes, Little Prince has an intimate feel and a secret garden that twinkles with fairy lights after dark. Adding extra sparkle to…

  • Gasoline Pony

    Newtown & the Inner West

    With a friendly, 30-plus local crowd, this is an excellent bar with street-side seating, local live music and a relaxing backyard area if you don't fancy…

  • Hyper Hyper

    South Coast NSW

    Nowra's smoothest espresso is poured at an industrial-looking, mural-covered shed north of the CBD. Grab kicking coffee to take away, or perch on a crate…

  • Paddington.

    The Paddington

    Sydney

    There's a kick to Paddington's weekend nightlife, and this bar-restaurant is a key player. Drinks and service are excellent, while chickens spinning on…

  • Imperial Hotel in Erskineville

    Imperial Hotel

    Newtown & the Inner West

    The art deco Imperial is legendary as the starting point for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This old, late-opening LGBTIQ+ favourite…

  • Rose of Australia hotel in Erskineville

    Rose of Australia

    Newtown & the Inner West

    This historic corner pub has had a smart makeover and is all exposed brick and hanging garden these days, but the place still has plenty of old-time charm…

  • Unicorn Hotel, map of Australia.

    Unicorn

    Sydney

    This spacious art deco pub is casual and unpretentious, and a fine place to sink a few craft beers, sip some Australian wines or join in nightly events…

  • The Rocks Brewery in Alexandria

    Rocks Brewery

    Newtown & the Inner West

    You know you're in Alexandria when you're sitting in the middle of an industrial estate, staring at a tall corrugated metal wall, but there are plants and…

  • Sly Fox Hotel in Enmore

    Sly Fox

    Newtown & the Inner West

    This late opener is famous for its Wednesdays with Birdcage, one of Sydney's key lesbian nights. Over the weekend it features live music and DJs taking up…

  • Great Northern pub.

    Northern Hotel

    Byron Bay

    This live-music stalwart is as grungy and boozy as it ever was, and has played host to everyone from Billy Bragg and Dizzee Rascal to Dinosaur Jr and PJ…

  • The Rails takes its name from the disused railway station next door

    Railway Friendly Bar

    Byron Bay

    The Rails sure smells like a beer-stained pub, and its indoor-outdoor mayhem draws everyone from lobster-red British tourists to high-on-life earth…

  • Midnight Special bar in Newtown

    Midnight Special

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Band posters and paper lanterns decorate the black walls of this groovy little bar. Expect mellow bluesy/country/rocky sounds and cocktails based around…

  • Coogee Bay Hotel.

    Coogee Bay Hotel

    Sydney

    This enormous, rambling, rowdy complex packs in the backpackers for live music, open-mic nights, comedy and big-screen sports in the beaut beer garden,…

  • Public House

    Southern NSW & The Murray

    The boldest of Albury's drinking establishments, Public House is packed on weekends with a younger crew enjoying good cocktails, a decent craft-beer list,…

  • This Must Be The Place

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    All Sydney's small bars seem to be dark, candlelit speakeasies with a dash of gangster chic, so it's refreshing to find this light, bright cocktail spot…

  • Jacoby’s Tiki Bar

    Newtown & the Inner West

    The latest from the team behind Earl's Juke Joint, this is another nondescript facade that opens into a fantasy world you wouldn’t guess from the street…

  • Dolphin Hotel

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Once a small corner pub, until it expanded into two neighbouring houses, the Dolphin's striking designer makeover means it deliberately looks like the…

  • Rag & Famish

    Sydney

    This classic old Australian pub once stood virtually alone, wide verandah providing the shade for contemplating another slow-paced north-of-the-harbour…

  • Uncle Kurt's

    Sydney

    This dingy, small, graffiti-strewn bar deliberately plays up its downbeat location at a corner of a multistorey carpark. The drinks, however, are very…

  • Donny's

    Manly

    This two-level bar-restaurant is an atmospheric spot for a great night-time cocktail – if you can read the menu in the low-lit speakeasy ambience. Sweet…

  • Bank Hotel

    Newtown & the Inner West

    The Bank didn't always sport the artful heritage-wood look that it has now, but it has consistently been a Newtown classic in its central railway-side…

  • Darlo Bar

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Something of a locals' lounge room, the Darlo’s triangular retro space is a magnet for urban bohemians, fluoro-clad ditch diggers and architects with a…

  • Eastview Estate

    New South Wales

    The sleepy hamlet of Kentucky, 40km southwest of Armidale, is home to this quirky winery, distillery and restaurant. The gins are particularly well…

  • Knox Street Bar

    Newtown & the Inner West

    A curious semi-underground layout, offbeat decor and an appealingly louche ambience have put this spot firmly on many Inner Westies' favourites list. DJs…

  • Booktique

    South Coast NSW

    If you're hard-pressed to choose between the joys of sipping coffee and those of leafing through literature, this bookshop and cafe combines both…

  • Black Bottle

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Sardined into a Darlinghurst terrace, this cute wine bar offers a small but well-curated selection of beverages, with punchy rosemary negroni as the house…

  • Reformatory Caffeine Lab

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Coffee is a serious business in Sydney, and this corridor's dark industrial decor and cell-block lighting cage combines with cartoon-noir wall…

  • Stonewall Hotel

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    A stalwart of the Oxford St LGBTIQ+ strip, Stonewall has three levels of bars and dance floors. Cabaret, karaoke and quiz nights spice things up; there's…

  • Loft

    Byron Bay

    Head upstairs to the breezy laid-back coastal vibes at this upmarket spot, with its whitewashed walls and big windows overlooking the main strip. The…

  • Eden Brewery

    Southern NSW & The Murray

    Six taps are featured at this cool craft brewery, just enough to showcase Eden Brewery's concise menu of interesting beers. Try them all with a tasting…

  • Duck Inn

    Newtown & the Inner West

    What Chippendale does best is a real feeling of neighbourhood despite its proximity to central Sydney. This backstreet pub takes food and drink seriously…

  • Winery

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    Beautifully situated in the leafy grounds of a historic water reservoir, behind the Pieno restaurant, this oasis serves dozens of wines by the glass to…

  • Rose Hotel

    Newtown & the Inner West

    There's something rather magical about the baroque, Italianate courtyard out the back of this pub, a great venue on a sunny afternoon or for candlelit…

  • Friendly Inn Hotel

    South Coast NSW

    Locals pour in to join day-trippers in the grassy rear beer garden and sunny verandah for people-watching or just checking in on the Kangaroo Valley vibes…

  • Our Place

    New South Wales

    A cosy, couch-equipped cafe that morphs into a wine bar with excellent food at night, Our Place is great for a drop-in most hours of the day. An…

  • Area Hotel

    Southern NSW & The Murray

    A popular spot for visiting backpackers and farm workers, the Area Hotel combines a friendly front bar with a rear beer garden that's often used for live…

  • Staves

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Hidden away by the bulk of the Broadway shopping centre, this small microbrewery has hanging tankards and the industrial paraphernalia of kettle, mash tun…

  • Bermi's Beachside Cafe

    South Coast NSW

    The coffee's as good as the view at casual Bermi's, which also serves hangover-curing breakfasts like avocado and Vegemite on toast and pancakes with…

  • Royal Hotel

    Newtown & the Inner West

    Right on the most pleasant stretch of Norton Street, surrounded by Mediterranean restaurants, this handsome old pub has a fairly uninspiring (but late…

  • Hotel Harry

    Surry Hills & Darlinghurst

    This breezy, humorous, faux-Spanish colonial fitout of the former Macquarie Hotel doesn't take itself (or the Spanish language) too seriously. It's an…

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