Sydney after Midnight

Early hours drinkin'

The Flinders Hotel
Open till 5am Fri & Sat

The newly re-opened Flinders is awesome and open impressively late. 63 Flinders St, Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9356 3622).

ivy
Open till 4am

If you can be arsed with jumping through hoops to actually get in, ivy assures you a mega time. It's kooky, it's beautifully designed and every area is themed differently. Dance the night away at the Changeroom. 330 George St, Sydney 2000. (02 9240 3000).

Judgement Bar
Never closes

For those nights when sleep is the last thing on your mind the Judgie is the place. If you don't like to drink alone and you've got no one to hit the town with, you'll find friends here. It's a bit rough in the early hours but then again, who isn't? Judgement Bar, Upstairs at the Courthouse Hotel, 189 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9360 4831).

Gaslight Inn
Open till 3am Fri-Sun

You never know what to expect at the Gassy and that's the beauty of the bar. Sure, the carpet is sticky and the lighting a little dingy, but for crowd diversity you just can't beat it. Watch on as an Irish backpacker gets schooled in pool by a Lady Gaga drag queen or shimmy downstairs and take part in the 2.55am 'Wuthering Heights' interpretive dance-off. 278 Crown St, Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9360 6746).

Low 302
Open till 2am

Lush red velvet drapes line one end of the dark, wooden-panelled space that is scattered with high tables and has a big outdoor front section that spills onto the street. 302 Crown St, Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9368 1548).

Post-midnight feastin'

Chat Thai
Open till 2am

Chat Thai has its drawbacks: it's hard to get a table unless you're prepared to line up, they're not licensed and a lot of the dishes are sweeter than expected. But for all this, it beats nearly every other Thai restaurant in Sydney in terms of execution and flavour. 20 Campbell St, Sydney 2000. (02 9211 1808).

Golden Century
Open till 4am

The Golden C crew bring out a special late night menu at 10pm - give the nod and order the pork and preserved congee (Chinese rice porridge) any time after that. One serve of congee can be spread among four people, if you're on the austerity drive but if you're splashing out, order some salt and pepper squid and roast pork. 393-399 Sussex St, Sydney 2000. (02 9212 3901).

Mamak
Open till 2am Fri & Sat

Line up with the hordes for roti canai and lime sodas. The roti are made in front of your very eyes and fried on the massive shopfront hotplate. 15 Goulburn St, Haymarket 2000. (02 9211 1668).

Excellent BBQ
Open till 1am

This little gem serves shredded duck with rice cake and preserved vegetables, pork belly and greens, doughnut-shaped shallot pancakes and hand-cut pork pot stickers (steamed then fried dumplings). 1 Lakeside Rd, Eastwood 2122. (02 9874 8066).

Harry's Pies
Open till 4am Fri & Sat

Sitting on a bench looking over the black water past the naval ships to the twinkling city nightscape and spearing a plastic fork into a high-hat meat pie piled with mushy peas, mash and gravy is a potent reminder of what a stunningly liveable city we inhabit. Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo 2011. (02 9357 3074).

Overnight family fun

Camp overnight on Cockatoo Island

Love art so much you want to sleep with it? Then stay overnight at the Cockatoo Island camping ground during the Biennale of Sydney. Bring your own sleeping bag and pillow and stay in one of the pre-pitched tents that include two mattresses, two chairs and a lantern. There are showers and electric barbecues; food and alcohol is available from the Canteen. (02 8898 9774). $90/night per package.

Spend a night at the museum

If you've got dinosaur-loving kids aged five to 12 then why not join them on a night to remember at the Australian Museum's Dinosnore sleepover? The price includes a pizza dinner, craft activities, a tour of the museum by torchlight, DVDs to watch followed by a night's sleep surrounded by dinosaur bones. Fri 27 Aug, 7pm. (02 9320 6225). $110-$140.

Roar and Snore

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. And you can sleep right next to him. Roar and Snore at Taronga Zoo offers the opportunity to spend a night amongst the animals, with a Harbour view. Enjoy luxury beds, a roast dinner, drinks and close encounters with Taronga's famous residents. Taronga Zoo, Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman, 2088. (02 99692777) Fri & Sat $240 per adult; $185 per child (5-17yrs). 

Late night kink!

Get whipped into shape

If you've never had your ass spanked into a new shade of red or been strapped to flogging block and whipped by a dominatrix, then drop your Sudoku book and take a walk on the wild side to Inquisition. Sydney's longest running fetish club runs wild again on 17 July as part of Leather Pride Week and is always keen to a pop a curious novice's cherry.

Dance like a dag

Tap into your blue-light disco days and dance like nobody's watching at Sydney's out and proud dag-otheque, Palms. Gay meets straight at what has been crowned Sydney's most attitude-free dance spot where the Pointers Sisters, Tiffany, Juice Newton and Wham reign supreme. 124 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9357 4166). 10pm-late. Free.

Swing like Tarzan and swap like Jane

Get your mother-in-law to watch the kids and break your marital sex drought by swinging with other bored-to-death couples. Couples Club offers a comfortable and safe environment where you and your partner can finally 'fess up to your desires and live out your fantasies as a unit. Fri & Sat. Lvl 2 & 3/226 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills 2010. (02 9211 7177). $150 per couple.

Catch a drag show

When it comes to frocking up and lip-synching to a showtune, nothing beats the Sydney drag scene. Jump on the Glee train and see the drag tribute to the hit TV series at the Midnight Shift every Saturday night. Glee, The Midnight Shift, 85 Oxford St, Darlinghurst 2010. (02 9360 4463). Free.

Gore it up at Newtown Theatre

Fancy a late night scare? Newtown Theatre have been running their late-night Theatre of Blood at 11pm on Fridays: a regularly-rotated series of short plays that are heavy on the gore, for those who need a little bit of Grand Guignol horror-erotica-comedy in their lives. Which is everyone, surely? Newtown Theatre, Cnr King & Bray Sts Newtown, 2042 (02 9519 5081).

After hours titillation

Bada Bing
Open till 6am

With regular DJs, Thugs and Hoes themed nights, a mixed crowd and the occasional nude bath extravaganza, come and enjoy the sexy show or just carry on the party. (70 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross, 2011. (02 9356 2442).

Crystal Boudoir
Open till 2am

OK, so the clothing doesn't really come off, but you won't even care - these scantily clad dancers deliver plenty of thrills as they offer up naughty burlesque moves at this weekly event. Saturdays, Crystal Bar, GPO, 1 Martin Place, Sydney, 2000. (02 9229 7799).

Men's Gallery
Open till 3am Fri & Sat

Swap your Aussie dollars for MG dollars and prepare to be entertained as these ladies strut their stuff on tabletops or in one of the 15 private rooms. 92 Pitt St, Sydney, 2000. (02 9232 1800).

Minx
Open till 2am

This swanky CBD strip joint serves up nude entertainment to tickle the fancy of both gents and ladies along with dishes and cocktails to tickle their taste buds. 72 Pitt St, Sydney, 2000. (1300 789 798).

Porky's
Open 24 hrs

A Sydney landmark, this grimy little joint is the real deal oozing sleaze and girls galore - just keep your hands to yourself, especially when it comes to the peanuts. 77 Darlingurst Rd, Kings Cross 2011. (02 9357 7120).

How to get around after midnight

BUSES

Sydney Buses run late in all directions to compensate for the railway closures, so if you're stranded in the city, head to Town Hall and jump on an ‘all nighter'.

TRAINS

The last train usually leaves around midnight and services don't start again until 4.30am. During this period Night Ride Bus services take over, departing from Town Hall Station on George St (near Woolworths).

TAXIS

Beware the 3am changeover time! Around this point of the night it can be near impossible to find a driver willing to pick you up unless you're headed in his direction. If things are looking particularly dire, head to one of the secure taxi ranks or try calling:

Taxis Combined: 13 3300
Silver Service Taxis: 133 100
Legion Cabs: 13 1451

STRANDED!

Armed with an iPhone but without a way of getting home? Get your hands on the TripView app can tell you the next departing bus, train or ferry from anywhere in Sydney, with the option to search directly by route or just by suburb if you're completely lost. The best part is it's FREE, but if you're going to be using it a lot we recommend downloading the full version for $2.49 which saves all your routes and information for easily accessible convenience.

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