Nightlife in Sydney
Glitzy nightclubs and cutting-edge dance venues are Sydney's specialities. Join the throngs in Darling Harbour or find intimate lounge clubs in Kings Cross and Darlinghurst. Newtown boasts live bands and jazz. The dress code is smart-casual at sophisticated bars like Blu Bar on 36 but it's generally come as you please. Sydney's famous backstreet pubs close at around midnight but clubs stay open until 4am or later. Smoking is banned in enclosed public areas.
Bars
Expand all1. Arthouse Hotel - Heritage-listed bar
Show moreFormerly the School of Arts, central Sydney's massive Arthouse Hotel continues the theme with artworks on the walls and regular exhibitions. The busy main bar has soaring ceilings and antique plasterwork. Quieter bars offer sophisticated cocktails and comfortable leather lounges.E-mail this item
Address
275, Pitt Street, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9284 1200
2. Four in Hand - Friendly local pub
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Sydney is famous for friendly backstreet pubs like the Four in Hand. This popular pub in Paddington is a classic, with its big central bar and tiled surfaces. Locals and visitors are welcomed with restaurant-quality food, regular entertainment and sports-bar atmosphere.E-mail this item
Address
105, Sutherland Street, Paddington, Sydney 2021
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9326 2254
3. Bambini Wine Room - Candle-lit wine bar
Show moreDripping with chandeliers, Bambini Wine Room brings European glamour to central Sydney. Leather lounges, flock wallpaper and Parisian café tables make a stylish statement. Bar snacks and cocktails are sophisticated and the list of wines by the glass is extensive.E-mail this item
Address
185, Elizabeth Street, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9283 7098
4. Blu Bar on 36 - Cocktails in the sky
Show moreHovering 36 floors above The Rocks, the Blu Bar cocktail bar has vertigo-inducing harbour views through soaring floor-to-ceiling windows. The door code is strictly smart-casual, the atmosphere is exclusive and cocktails are a speciality, prepared by top mixologists.E-mail this item
Address
176, Cumberland Street Level 36, The Rocks, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9250 6000
5. Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel - Historic pub and microbrewery
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Like its location in The Rocks, Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel oozes history. Among Sydney's oldest pubs, it's also a microbrewery, producing six naturally brewed ales on site. There's plenty of 1850s atmosphere, a tavern-style bar and not a poker machine in sight.E-mail this item
Address
19, Kent Street, The Rocks, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9251 4044
6. Opera Bar - Harbour-view drinks
Show moreThe popular alfresco Opera Bar has spectacular views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay from its city-centre vantage point beneath the Opera House. Pull up a table for cocktails, fizz, own-label organic blonde beer and tapas-style tasting plates.E-mail this item
Address
Lower Concourse, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9247 1666
Clubs
Expand all7. Home Sydney - Harbourside dance venue
Show moreOverlooking Darling Harbour, Home Sydney, the city's biggest dance venue, has three laser-lit floors of entertainment. There's indie on Thursdays, legendary trance on Fridays, house on Saturday and electro on Sundays. Couples head to the intimate Rooftop and View Bars.E-mail this item
Address
101/1, Wheat Road, Cockle Bay Wharf, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9266 0600
8. The Loft - Clubbing for grown-ups
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The Loft's Moorish screens and rich amber tones are complemented by Darling Harbour views. The atmosphere is upmarket, with banquettes for lounging and teapot cocktails on the menu. Tunes vary from music for grown-ups to hip-hop and jazz.E-mail this item
Address
3, Lime Street, King Street Wharf, Sydney 3000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9299 4770
9. Tonic Lounge - Soul and funk club
Show moreTonic Lounge is a relaxed and intimate speakeasy-style club in a Victorian terrace house in Kings Cross. The decor has a boudoir style and the atmosphere is refreshingly unpretentious. Local and guest DJs play dance-floor friendly soul and funk.E-mail this item
Address
62-64, Kellett Street, Kings Cross, Sydney 2011
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 8354 1544
10. Chinese Laundry - Underground club
Show moreThe subterranean Chinese Laundry under the Slip Inn bar near Darling Harbour pumps out breaks and drum'n'bass on Fridays and electro house on Saturdays. Music-lovers can relax in the sandstone cave or rub shoulders on the vermilion-red dance floor.E-mail this item
Address
111, Sussex Street, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 8295 9911
Transport
Wynyard Train Station
Entertainment
Expand all11. City Recital Hall - Premier classical music venue
Show moreThe city centre's best venue for classical music is a modern space with brilliant acoustics. White marble stairs sweep up to the City Recital Hall's galleries, creating a sense of occasion. The Sydney Symphony and Australian Chamber Orchestra perform here.E-mail this item
Address
Angel Place, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 8256 2222
12. The Basement - Underground jazz club
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Right by Circular Quay, The Basement is Sydney's premier jazz club. Blues and funk also feature in this intimate underground venue. With a bistro on site, make a night of it by combining dinner with a show.E-mail this item
Address
29, Reiby Place, Circular Quay, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9251 2797
13. Sydney Opera House - Landmark culture venue
Show more The iconic harbourside Sydney Opera House is Australia's cultural heart. Several venues are housed under its sails but pride of place goes to the Concert Hall for symphonies and orchestral performances. The Opera Theatre hosts opera, ballet and dance.Show this on mapE-mail this item
Address
Bennelong Point, Sydney 2000
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9250 7111
14. Enmore Theatre - Art Deco rock venue
Show moreThe Enmore Theatre in inner-west Newtown is a classic Art Deco rock venue. It has played host to countless acts over the years, including Oasis and the Rolling Stones, and also stages big-name stand-up comedy acts.E-mail this item
Address
118-132, Enmore Road, Newtown, Sydney 2042
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9550 3666
15. Vanguard - New Orleans-inspired music
Show moreVanguard is a New Orleans-inspired live music restaurant in inner-west Newtown. A sophisticated crowd dine and enjoy cocktails then stay on for local and international jazz, blues and roots. The decor is upmarket honky-tonk and the atmosphere is 1920s decadent.E-mail this item
Address
42, King Street, Newtown, Sydney 2042
Telephone
+61 (0) 2 9557 7992
