Sydney
Polished, precise, civilised. Sydney's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
The Rocks · $$
The Glenmore Hotel Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in The Rocks. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$$
Paramount House Hotel Bar sits inside the heritage Paramount Studios building in Surry Hills — converted into a boutique hotel in 2018. The cocktail bar has woo
The Rocks · $$$
The Doss House draws a steady local crowd in The Rocks. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
CBD · $$$
The Rook Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in CBD. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
The Baxter Inn has been ranked in the World's 50 Best Bars list for years. The basement bar holds around 800 whiskies — Scottish single malts, Japanese, Austral
CBD · $$$
Mr Wong Cocktail Lounge draws a steady local crowd in CBD. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Clovelly · $$
The Clovelly Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Clovelly. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Marrickville · $$
The Crystal Lounge draws a steady local crowd in Marrickville. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
The Rocks · $$
The Australian Heritage Hotel draws a steady local crowd in The Rocks. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Circular Quay · $$$
The Basement draws a steady local crowd in Circular Quay. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond Sydney? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.