Newtown's Best Bars for Weekend Catch Ups

Newtown is blessed with an abundance of watering holes, making bar-hopping an ace idea. There's so much to try that one stop just won't do it. To help you create your bar bucket list, we've put together this super helpful post. There's a little something to suit everyone's fancy from sake bars to cocktail lounges, live music venues to dark and moody drinking dens. 

Newtown is famous for its edginess and diversity, and its bar scene is definitely a reflection of that. Here, we round up the best bars in Newtown.

Odd Culture

This is the kind of bar where seasonal, fermented and inventive varieties reign supreme. A popular watering hole for the weird and wonderful, Odd Culture is European at its core with an Asian flare. A natural wine and wild ale bar with one of the most extensive offerings of its kind; a deep dive into terroir and place - accompanied by a seasonal cocktail program of local ingredients.

The two-level, hybrid space boasts a bar, restaurant and cafe, as well as an extensive bottle shop a couple of doors down - all centered around the exploration of fermentation.

266 King Street, Newtown

Pleasure Club 

The newest venue from the Odd Culture Group, Pleasure Club, invites visitors to descend into a world of live music, performance, experimental concoctions and fever-dream revelry. Open from Wednesday to Sunday 4 pm to 4 am, it's both a cutting-edge cocktail bar and entertainment and live music space, with each corner hiding something pleasurable to do or engage with - plush booths, nooks and crannies to hide away in, a pool table in the corner, a 1950s vinyl jukebox, and bar eats to chat with the bartenders as they make you a bespoke, expertly-crafted cocktail. Their latest cocktail program draws on the nostalgia of growing up in Australia, with inspired creations like Cheez TV, Vegemite and Mr. Whippy on the menu.

6 Wilson Street, Newtown 

Ante

Modelled after Japan’s famous jazz cafés, Ante pairs delicious sake with great records. On the hustling bustling King Street, this bar is home to one of the best sake selections in Australia. With over 65 unique sakes and 2500 records, this is a delight for all the senses. As well as the sakes, Asian-inspired cocktails and a range of low-alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, they have a seasonal menu with snacks and larger dishes. 

146 King Street, Newtown

Famelia 

This female-run wine shop and bar specialises in women winemakers, women-led wineries and wife and husband teams. Ahem. Could a wine shop get any more perfect? Each month Famelia feature 12 wines with a story and offer them up for tastings. Swing by for a wine flight and pair it with a rotating selection of grazing dishes. 

55 Enmore Road, Newtown 

Bar Louise

With one of the coolest visages in Sydney – courtesy of the old Mary-Louise Salon – Bar Louise is a chic tapas and wine bar from the same people who brought us Porteno, Continental Deli and Bastardo. Expect tapas, house-cured and preserved snacks and an extensive collection of wine and spirits. Our favourite cocktails stick with the venue’s Spanish flair: sangria and kalimotxo, a surprising Spanish classic that combines red wine and Coca-Cola.

135 Enmore Road, Enmore

Courthouse Hotel

To join the locals for a Sunday session, head to Courthouse – a lively, unpretentious pub that’s known for its beer garden. It’s large, leafy and laidback, featuring a wooden verandah, tropical plants, frangipani trees and picnic tables. It fills up quickly (even in the cooler months), so go early to score a seat among the fairy lights. The pub also has pool tables, pinball machines, and AFL games on the big screens inside, and a huge range of beer on tap.

202 Australia Street, Newtown

Fortunate Son 

The motto at Fortunate Son is 'cool drinks, warm service' and it's incredibly accurate. The bar is worked by some of the loveliest people we've come across in our travels and the drinks are equally excellent. Expect a retro Americana atmosphere and endless mint juleps. If you're catching a show at the Enmore, this petite bar is located opposite making it ideal for a pre or post-show sip. 

105 Enmore Road, Enmore 

Corridor

A cosy space that serves up some of the best cocktails in town, Corridor is the ultimate small bar. It’s perfect for a romantic date night, thanks to its dim lighting, mezze plates made for sharing, and plenty of nooks and crannies to settle in. If you want to mingle with more people or soak up the sun, head up to the rooftop courtyard, which is buzzing all year round. 

153A King Street, Newtown

Jacoby’s Tiki Bar

Shake off the week at Jacoby's Tiki Bar, a colourful neighbourhood favourite. The venue transports you to an island paradise, serving up exotic cocktails, natural wines and tropical vibes. Try a mix of their house specialties and favourite classics like Trader Vic’s Mai Tai and Jacoby's Old Fashioned while snacking on delicious bites from the guys at Epic Pizza.

154 Enmore Road, Enmore

The Bank

Unwind at this relaxed Newtown bar with open street views and a leafy beer garden. The Bank serves up a selection of cocktails, wine, Uncle Hops and hearty and delicious food, making it the perfect spot for a casual after-work drink or weekend catch-up with the crew.

324 King St, Newtown

SPON 

SPON is a bar/bottle shop boasting a range of eclectic wines, ales and other bottles accessible to try by the glass, as takeaway or as an online order. Guests are encouraged to take a moment out to enjoy a drop at the bar or the seating that spills out onto bustling King Street. Should you find yourself peckish, there are snacks from the Odd Culture kitchen on rotation including Spanish Yellowfin Tuna with Capers and Potato Chips, Beer Bread and a range of cheeses. 

256 King Street, Newtown 

The Midnight Special

Nicknamed ‘The Spesh’, The Midnight Special is another small bar that is cool, unassuming and quintessentially Newtown. The décor is all-American, with checkerboard floors, booths and music straight from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Every season, the bartenders create new cocktails that “taste as good as music makes you feel,” and there’s always a range of sweet and spicy sips. The menu is overhauled often, but expect cheap and cheerful eats, along with a few vegetarian options.

44 Enmore Road, Newtown

Websters Bar

Websters Bar is a three-storey playground. The lower floors are more intimate, with 1920s décor, small, candle-lit tables and a dedicated bourbon bar. The bar’s main calling card is the rooftop bar, which has insane views of the Sydney skyline, a BBQ-style menu, and a kitschy vibe. If you’re a sucker for sport or specials, you’re in luck: Websters screens football, as well as craft beer and cocktail deals during happy hour.

323 King Street, Newtown

Young Henrys

A staple on Sydney’s craft beer scene, Young Henrys is the perfect place to spend an afternoon with friends. The brewery-slash-bar closes at 7pm, so aim to arrive early to savour any of their signature beers, experimental brews, or cloudy ciders on offer. This venue is absolutely buzzing on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and with this formula, it’s not hard to wonder why.

76 Wilford Street, Newtown

Earl’s Juke Joint

You’d be forgiven if you walked straight past this place – it’s a speakeasy-style bar that’s disguised as a regular deli. Pretty cool, right? Inside, the bar pays homage to New Orleans with low lighting, eclectic music and strong cocktails. The staff is friendly and relaxed, and it’s the kind of place that brings people together. After dark, the dancefloor cranks up, making Earl’s Juke Joint the place to go for a late-night boogie in Newtown.  

407 King Street, Newtown

Made your way through our hitlist of the best pubs and bars in Newtown, and now looking for more to check out? From rooftop bars to dedicated wine bars, Sydney has so much to offer in the way of nighttime fun!