Gone are the eccentric lamps and mismatched antiques that made The Victoria Room so endearing when it burst onto the Sydney bar scene around eight years ago. The new quartet of owners - The Lobo Plantation’s Michael Hwang and Eddie Levy, and The Island's Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias – have redone the spacious loft with an L.A. country club in mind.
Be prepared to wade through a sea of suits before you arrive at this luxe drinking den, tucked away at the far end of Martin Place Bar. Moore Street Den adds a swish new hidden dimension to this bustling CBD bar, making it the perfect place to unwind with a few of your closest strappy-heeled corporate Barbie buddies over a few cocktails and nibbles after a busy day of city life.
You'll have trouble finding a bar in Sydney with a more welcoming vibe than this cosy wedge of community spirit.
Hearts might have sunk when news spread that the old KB Hotel was getting an American-themed refit, but the place has never looked better.
Quite frankly, I'd rather eat a bag of wet hair than potter around a garden any day of the week. Hence I was quite sceptical about how much I was going to enjoy a night out at a botany-themed bar.
It’s the Festival of Guilty Food Pleasures, and as a result the shoestring fries at Firefly, usually Parmesan-dusted and truffle-oiled, come additionally bacon-enriched with a paprika aioli.
I'll admit that the colour did drain from my face as I arrived at The Royal, a new date in tow, to be greeted by a gauntlet of half-cut construction workers.
Assuming I was heading to another Surry Hills hipster bar, I invited a date, promising quirky cocktails, bar snacks and laughs. And at first glance, that’s what this deep brown Cleveland Street drinking den suggests...
Bursting onto the bar scene late last year, The Butler, is housed in the former Mezzaluna. It’s the latest Applejack Hospitality venture by the lads who brought you Bondi Hardware, The Botanist Kirribilli and So Cal Neutral Bay, Hamish Watts and Ben Carroll.
The post-work white-collar crowd is quaffing pints and cocktails amid wine barrels and wooden tables. The gathering is generic, but the beverages are not.