Bars in Sydney CBD

DeVine
In the event you're lucky enough to get a table (it's very popular with inner-city suitcase carriers), order a cheese plate to go with something from sommelier Andreas Puhar's Austrian-leaning list. There are some stunning rieslings but he also roams the world with an impressive Champagne selection (there's Gosset by the glass) and a few Aussie drops, too. They also have Trumer Pils on tap. DeVine is the perfect drop-in point for a pre-dinner drink or an after-work wind-down - just get in there quick of an afternoon, as everyone else has the same idea.

Ash St Cellar
Ash Street, a laneway created pretty much so a laneway bar could exist, holds a great little wine bar. Ash St Cellar - the jewel in the crown of Ivy - features a two-tone marble bar, massive chunky chandelier and a wall lined with wine. The list put together by sommelier Franck Moreau is affordable (there are carafes for $30) and highly drinkable. They also have an impressively large Champagne list. The kitchen, run by chef Lauren Murdoch, is open all the way through lunch to dinner, giving you the luxury to eat any time of the day. The vibe's great: it's so casual and inviting you can't help but order another carafe, another dish and sit back and enjoy the evening.

Zeta Bar
Zeta Bar employs fantastic staff who are well skilled in the art of the cocktail as well as the art of bouncing the odd drunk hen on a Saturday night. The drinks list encompasses all things that are right in the land of cocktails; staff can make you anything you care to name. The space is sophisticated with dark nooks and a long, polished bar. If it's a bit of fresh air you're in need of, there's a huge balcony looking over the QVB - a total stunner by night and great in summer. Simple bar snacks keep you real and lounges out back are a great place to hide if you've had one too many Manhattans.

Hemmesphere
Sink into one of the chubby leather armchairs or drape yourself over an oversized Ottoman. It's table service here, so there's no need to totter about anywhere - the drinks come to you. Hemmesphere service is highly professional and they'll do their utmost to make sure you've got what you need, down to offering slices of sugar-coated orange for members of your party who may have a case of the hiccups (hey, it works). Try a Bling Bling with Herradura Silver tequila, basil and pineapple juice. A late licence makes this one of Sydney's best after-hours bars.

Arthouse
Nestled at the top of the old Sydney Art School building, Attic is Arthouse's cocktail headquarters. The friendly bar staff mix up a storm and if you ask nicely, they're happy to accommodate special requests. But if cocktails aren't your thing, fear not: you'll find a very respectable selection of spirits and house wine. This popular Sydney watering hole also doubles as an art gallery, holding about 30 shows each year. If you fancy an art lesson with your aperitif, there are free life drawing classes each Monday from 6.30pm; the model is supplied, but bring your own materials.

Rockpool Bar
The bar at Rockpool is like something out of another time altogether, with beautiful Art Deco architecture, plush leather seats, dark corners and a bar filled with housemade tonics, syrups and sodas. The cocktail list is concise and packed with classics and new favourites - you've got your Trader Vic's Mai Tai, your Prescription Daisy and then you've got what Rockpool are calling 'Sydney's best Mule'. And yes, they've got the goods to back up the boast: it's fresh, spicy and it certainly has kick. (The secret? It's made with gin.) Although the restaurant is full most nights, you don't need to book at the bar and it's open at lunch time.

Redoak
Serious about your liquid amber and like to support the local guys? Now supplying plenty of places around town with bespoke brews, the source is still the sweetest spot of all. This inner-city cafe run by the Hollyoak siblings boasts 12 beers brewed in-house (with seasonal batches on top). The amber arsenal includes excellent organic pale ales and hefeweizens. A breezy, open room offers respite from the sticky city on a hot day and there's nothing better than the crisp honey ale to quench a dirty great thirst. 

Bacco
The cocktail list at Bacco will be right up your alley if you like floral, fruity drinks. But you can totally ignore the list if your tastes run to straighter stuff - the bar staff are incredibly accomplished and can make anything you hit them with. If you do order off the list, the L'Arrogante is the winner: tequila, house-made sweet vermouth and fresh squeezed grapefruit served short. The space, designed by Michael McCann, is all warm wood, low, long booths and tinkling, grape-shaped purple lights. Sit up at the bar and admire the huge booze selection, along with the cold larder filled with a selection of cured meats. Bacco is a really cool bar and a great spot for meeting during the day, or having an after-work drink.

Marble Bar
Built in 1893 by George Adams, this is one of Sydney's most beautiful bars. Tonnes of marble, intricately carved wood and stained glass for miles make it an almost holy drinking experience. In 1968, the bar became heritage-listed and the entire structure was carefully dismantled, refurbished and moved to its current location inside the Sydney Hilton. Hard-drinkin' local rockers Cold Chisel even shot the cover of their 1979 album Breakfast at Sweethearts here and, true to its past, the Marble still gets hot, loud and super-sweaty. But that in itself is part of the appeal. Drinks-wise, we stick to beer or simple mixers as partners for soul, jazz and R'n'B nights and a venue nigh on unbeatable for getting your groove on.

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