Old Mate's Place is the ideal place to begin this list. Built-in a run-down office building on Clarence Street in Sydney's CBD, this secret pub is a little difficult to find. But don't be deceived by the simple façade; there's something very remarkable inside. With stately bookshelves, elegant furnishings, and family heirlooms around the bottom level, it seems like you're in an old estate home.

You'll be treated to a beautiful green garden and city views if you're lucky enough to get a spot on the rooftop. The decor and beautiful lighting show that this pub was not designed with a gimmicky style in mind. According to the owner, they wanted it to look "just a bar". When it comes to their drink menu, Old Mate's encourages experimentation. The bartenders make fresh wonderful cocktails from their 300-strong back bar selection, so the menu is unlikely to be the same from visit to visit. Unlike many bars, you're more likely to have a conversation with your bartender at Old Mate's Place, since they help you in selecting a drink. Customer service is really important to these people, and you'll feel right at home here, almost as if you're at an Old Mate's Place.

Address: Level 4/199 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Website: https://oldmates.sydney/

Las-Vegas themed bar that opened in 2019 and is considered the greatest in Sydney and has gotten a lot of critical acclaim. Maybe Sammy came in 43rd place on a list of the world's 50 best bars, the only Australian bar to be included in the list.

Maybe Sammy, named after legendary American artist Sammy Davis Jr. The bar is decorated in a classy 1950s Las Vegas-style, with plenty of green, pastel colors, and gold trim, as well as bartenders dressed in pale pink dinner jackets. The cocktail menu here includes the classics as well as some more adventurous selections for the adventurous drinker. Their assortment of martinis is featured prominently on page one of their menu. You would think it's risky to bet on what is perhaps the world's most famous cocktail, yet the risk pays off thanks to their perfect execution. If a Martini isn't your cup of tea, though, you'll certainly doubt find something else to tempt your taste buds. Maybe Sammy will provide a wide range of vintage cocktails, some of which you've definitely heard of and others that might easily be lost to time.

Address: 115 Harrington St, The Rocks NSW 2000, Australia

Website: https://www.maybesammy.com/

PS40 has been one of Sydney's most unique cocktail bars since its inception in 2016. PS40 has a 'soda-door', which is different from a basement door, which is typical at many venues. They've created a range of exotic sodas that are meant to be a twist on the classic mixers you're all familiar with. Whether you're mixing them with alcohol or not, smoked lemonade and cola with wattle are a nice change of pace from the standard.

PS40's interior design may be classified as modern or even brutalist. The strong contrast between the large black furniture and walls and the crisp white ceiling is remarkable. In many ways, this emphasizes the vibrant nature of their cocktails. PS40 also started a successful delivery service in 2020, allowing customers to enjoy their artisan cocktails at home. They started this service so that people who couldn't (or don't want to) make it in may still enjoy it from the comfort of their own homes.

Address: 40 King St Enter, Skittle Lane, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Website: https://ps40bar.com/

Little Felix, a French-style cocktail bar with a moody decor, is located on Ash Street in Sydney's CBD. This spot is like the 1920s-style Parisian hotel bar of your dreams, moving from modern to classic.

Little Felix's décor is classic and classy while being friendly and pleasant. It's a great spot to go before or after the theatre and it's also a great place to take a date you want to impress. The waistcoat-clad bartenders and delicate tablecloths give this cocktail bar a high-end atmosphere. Sip champagne and wine from magnum bottles, as well as cocktails inspired by early 20th-century Parisian hotels like the 'Paris Meridian' and the 'Raconteur' when coming here. Their 'We'll Always Have Paris' cocktail is a delightfully potent cocktail that goes great with their charcuterie selection or chicken liver parfait from their equally appealing food menu.

Address: 2a Ash St, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: https://merivale.com/venues/little-felix/

While most cocktail bars stick to the good old spirits you know, Cantina OK! are champions of mezcal, a spirit that is sometimes ignored. Although both mezcal and its more well-known cousin tequila are derived from the agave plant, the process of distillation for mezcal involves cooking the agave in earthenware ovens, which gives mezcal its distinct smokey flavor. Mezcal is still relatively unknown in Australia and other areas of the world, but Cantina OK! are attempting to offer this unique flavor to the Australian public.

Cantina OK! is located in a tiny garage at the end of a delivery passageway in the CBD. It features 140 bottles of spirits on the walls, as well as an exquisite Nepalese ice carving machine! Cantina OK!, which frequently performs Afrobeat music, has its own style and is well worth checking out. If you decide to visit Cantina OK!, keep an open mind and be willing to try something new. There's no need to be afraid since the bartenders here are passionate about what they do and will care for you. If you decide that mezcal isn't for you after your first sip, there are plenty of other tequila-based cocktails, as well as some old favorites to keep you going.

Address: Council Pl, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia

Website: https://www.okokok.com.au/

Archie Rose is a one-of-a-kind thing on this list because, in addition to being one of Sydney's top cocktail bars, it's also a functioning distillery. Archie Rose, the brainchild of owner Will Edwards, is Sydney's first distillery since the 1850s. The main purpose of this bar, which is attached to the distillery, is to sample the outstanding range of Archie Rose gin, vodka, rye whisky, and single-malt whisky.

With a massive central pressed copper bar and beautiful leather and timber booths designed like whiskey barrels, Archie Rose's set out is almost as spectacular as the artisan spirits they produce. The cocktail menu features a variety of inventive creations that highlight each of the Archie Rose spirits, with cocktails ranging from light and fruity to dark and sultry. You can try a couple of them on the night, and then bring home a bottle of your favorite spirit so you can enjoy your own cocktails at home.

Address: 85 Dunning Ave, Sydney, New South Wales 2018, Australia
Website: https://archierose.com.au/

At this whisky-focused bar, the Shady Pines Saloon's hardworking team serves up top-notch drinks. This drinking den is an unexpected surprise for the first-time visitor, located in the basement of a building at the back of an unmarked lane off Clarence Street.

The dark, linear interior has a bar that runs almost the whole length of the structure. The helpful staff can help you with an overwhelming list of approximately 800 whiskies (which includes anything from Talisker 10-year-old to Glenfiddich 12-year-old). However, the menu isn't limited to whisky. It also has a large beer and wine list, as well as all of the standard spirits and cocktails. The Whisky Room, hidden in the cellar, is for true connoisseurs. It has a larger selection of rare whiskies and a more intimate atmosphere in which to enjoy them.

Address: 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney NSW

Website: thebaxterinn.com

Re, the Sydney newcomer by UK ex-pat Matt Whiley, is billed as the world's first permanent no-waste bar. The motto is "reduce, reuse, recycle" at this Sydney's unique regenerative bar and kitchen.

There's a range of sophisticated cocktails on the menu, as well as three inventive cocktails based on a changing theme. The Wimbledon Gimlet made with Ketel One, pickled strawberries, and housemade milk wine cordial, and the BP & B, an old-fashioned spiked with peanut butter, banana, and caramel, are two examples of unique cocktails.

Beyond the back bar, Re serves Yulli's brews and Wildflower wild yeast fermented beers, as well as Latta Vino natural wines served in eco-friendly 10-liter goon bags.

Address: Shop 8/2 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh, Sydney, Australia

Website: https://wearere.com.au/

The Cumberland is an underground speakeasy with a Spanish twist, hidden behind a fridge door in Manly's laneways. When you open the antique 1920s fridge at Manly's Cove Deli, you'll find a spiral staircase leading down to The Cumberland, the Northern Beaches' own speakeasy-inspired bar.

The sophisticated basement bar is hidden behind a fridge door within a small, bodega-style deli and serves a collection of over 250 whiskies, natural wine, craft beer, and an extensive themed cocktail menu that includes prohibition classics, tipples inspired by original counties from Sydney and surrounds. Drinks like the Dandelion Espresso Martini, which contains both the flower and the root, may be found on the Foraged and Found menu, which is influenced by local ingredients found around Manly.

Address: 17/19 Central Ave, Manly NSW 2095, Australia

Website: http://www.cumberlandmanly.com.au/

From the outside, Earl's Juke Joint resembles Betta Meats, the company it acquired in 2013. Behind this cheeky facade, is a bar casual and rustic, with a little bit of loud music for late-night dancing.

A pleasingly simple drinks list may be found at the long bar. Resch's on tap, and Samuel Smith, Young Henrys, and other beers are available in bottles. Along with more standard labels, the wine offer includes a selection of natural and skin-contact bottles. Earl's, on the other hand, is known for its cocktails, which comes as no surprise given that it is owned by Shady Pines Saloon alumnus Pasan Wijesena. The selection varies frequently, as it does at any good bar, but dark spirits like bourbon and rum came to favor. The famous Espresso Diabolique is a powerful mix of bourbon, espresso, chocolate, orange, and cinnamon.

Address: 407 King St, Newtown NSW 2042, Australia

Website: https://www.earlsjukejoint.delivery/