Editorial
Sydney's bar scene transformed when small-bar laws relaxed in 2008. Ten years on, the city has one of Asia-Pacific's most consistent drinking scenes. Maybe Sammy has won World's Best Bar; Eau de Vie has been on the list since 2013. The 10 below cover the CBD, Surry Hills and Bondi — Sydney's three drinking quadrants. Most are walkable in pairs.
Sydney's small-bar revolution produced a generation of bartenders who now compete globally. Maybe Sammy and Eau de Vie are the technical bookends. The Baxter Inn delivers the encyclopaedic whisky experience. The harbour-side rooms (Opera Bar, Icebergs) are the view-bars worth a separate evening. Most cocktail bars peak between 9 and 11 PM; CBD rooms run until 3 AM weekends.
West Coast Editor — Los Angeles to Mexico City. Casual luxury, never aspirational.