The Best Hidden Bars in Sydney CBD

Prohibition days might be long behind us but knocking on the door of a speakeasy and secret hidden bar still gives us quite a thrill.

So skip the happy hour at your local and head to these character-filled watering holes scattered throughout Sydney’s incredible bar scene, each with a line-up of terrific concoctions and cosy fit-outs.

From barbershops to grandma-inspired bars, here are the best hidden bars Sydney has to offer.

Bar Messenger 

Tucked away below Transport House, entrance is granted to those who can locate the Sculpture of Mercury and follow along. A moody atmosphere is paramount at Bar Messenger with low lamps providing ambience in spades. 

The incredible Australian wine list is the star of the show with a curation of drops available by the glass and even the magnum! As for eats, expect luxurious toasties, cheeses and tasting plates.

10 Phillip Street, Sydney 

Palmer & Co

Prohibition-style drinking is hidden in Abercrombie Lane, inside a brick-vaulted basement also known as Palmer & Co. The 1920’s-themed cocktail bar offers all the classics as well as share plates for those feeling peckish late into the night. Jazz bands like to entertain here and the bar has the Merivale polish that only Justin Hemmes can execute. 

Abercrombie Lane, Sydney

The Doss House

Tucked away in Sydney's historic quarter, The Doss House is a cool basement bar in The Rocks. From boarding house to opium den, the building has a rich history and the latest tenants have created five cosy bar spaces.  Front and centre is the whisky offering, with over 150 behind the bar, along with a range of signature cocktails. 

77 – 79 George Street, The Rocks

The Swinging Cat

Below the pavement on King Street and inspired by all that is New Orleans (the food, the drink, the music), The Swinging Cat is the kind of bar that is perfect for a nightcap. Classic cocktails sit alongside quick and simple food from the South, think grilled cheese sandwiches and cocktails of cognac, single malt scotch or bourbon. 

44 King Street, Sydney

Marble Bar

Beneath the Hilton in Sydney’s CBD, Marble Bar is a Victorian-style escape with marble and mahogany interiors. From Prohibition mixes to single malt scotch, whiskies and rum, the drinks menu here has bite and offers a killer negroni. A live music venue too, drinks are often accompanied with good tunes making it hard to escape.

Level B1, 488 George Street, Sydney

Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern

A black sign donning three skulls is the hint to wander down the Ramblin’ Rascal stairs. Decorated with red carpet, leather-bound booths and a liquor menu weighted with whiskey and cognac. Craft beers and an approachable wine menu are also on offer. 

199 Elizabeth Street, Sydney

The Lobo Plantation

The Lobo Plantation is a Caribbean-themed watering hole with one of the best rum lists in Sydney. With cocktails garnished with flames and high-end rum flights as well as a Cuban-inspired menu, there's so much to love about this CBD small bar.

1/209 Clarence Street, Sydney

Cantina OK!

A self-described micro-mezcal Mecca, Cantina OK! is a the epitome of a Sydney small bar. In fact were willing to dub Cantina OK! the smallest of small bars, built atop of a disused car space. Stocked with small-batch wonders from handmade agave and tequila, their world-famous margaritas and classic cocktails are made with hand-shaved ice and hand-pressed limes. Down a quirky laneway – eat your heart out Melbourne! – and just one car wide, just big enough for two bartenders this is the perfect place for an evening tipple.

Council Place, Sydney

The Library Bar

One of Sydney's best-kept secrets, our beloved State Library, where countless students come to cram for exams, is also home to a fun rooftop bar with views over the city and a literary twist. Open from Wednesday to Saturday each week, The Library Bar is the perfect spot to unwind with the rest of the local literati and glitterati. Pick up a patio spritz with mistelle, vermouth, gin and soda or a library martini with NSW-made Archie Rose gin.

State Library of New South Wales, 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Apollonia

This underground drinking den in Hinchcliff House will have you swooning. Apollonia is mysterious and seductive and provides the perfect spot for a post-dinner nightcap. The bar takes its name and inspiration The Godfather's tragic bride and bills itself as a fictional Sicilian bandit drinking den. With their hitlist of specialty cocktails, cool vibes and extensive drinks list, you will be sure to find your new signature libation.

5-7 Young Street, Sydney

Jolene’s

Let’s do Dolly proud by sinking a few at York Street’s Nashville-inspired whiskey, cocktail and live music bar. In the proper Southern tradition, you can expect a back bar over 150 whiskeys strong. Jolene's pays homage to late nights spent on the town in Nashville. Whisky lovers will rejoice as this bar stocks some the most delicious, rarest drops usually not available down under including Angel's Envy Rye Whisky (if you know you know!).

Lower Ground, 73 York Street, Sydney CBD

Door Knock

Behind the doors in Sydney's CBD, you'll find a veritable wonderland of cocktails, champagne and more. Door Knock is hidden behind a basement security door and marked with a brass pineapple and boasting fruity and fresh signature cocktails.

Basement, 70 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD

Dusk Club

This intimate, jazzy lounge offers a 1920s speakeasy feel. With a variety of gin-based cocktails upstairs at the Edinburgh Castle, Dusk Club is the perfect spot for your next night on the town.

Edinburgh Castle Hotel, 294 Pitt Street, Sydney CBD

The Barber Shop

Make your way through a retro barber shop to this hidden watering hole, where impressive cocktails, an extensive wine list and craft beers await. South Australian and French drops dominate the wine menu while Young Henry’s and Little Creatures keep craft beer lovers content. 

89 York Street, Sydney

Double Deuce Lounge

Named after the nightclub in Patrick Swayze’s 1989 cult classic Road House, Double Deuce Lounge is a Sydney hidden bar decked out with a 70s-porno-chic interior. Wood panelling, leather booths, VCR boxes… this is the place to come to for a good time. The team behind Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern and a team of legendary mix-masters are behind the bar slinging delicious and creative drinks.

6 Bridge Street, Sydney

PS40

It’s unlikely you’ll stumble across PS40 accidentally, but it’s worth the search. In-house sodas are created with staples like smoked lemonade, bush tonic and blackstrap ginger. The chic and light-filled bar features a rotating list of 10 cocktails, which are the drawcard, and the food menu is designed to complement the drinks with crowd pleasers like charcuterie, pates and pickles.

2/40 King Street, Sydney

Stitch Bar

Sewing machines and spools of thread line the bar here but the constantly rotating cocktail menu is the star, with an impressive whisky collection. An Old Fashioned and Manhattan come highly recommended as do their snacks, so settle into a booth at Stitch Bar and devour American-style pork crackling and mac’n’cheese.

61 York Street, Sydney

Dulcie's Kings Cross

Cosy but not quaint, Dulcie’s is the mysterious parlour bar that will take your date night to a new level. Dulcie’s Bar has reinvigorated the Golden Mile by slinging prohibition-era cocktails and showcasing some of Sydney’s best underground cabaret acts. 

44B Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point 

The Rover

The Rover is one for Irish expats and Sydneysiders with a penchant for Bloody Marys. The rustic bar teams exposed brick walls and dim lighting with bright animal print murals, and its playfulness extends to the cocktail menu. Drinks are listed as light, medium or heavy while the Kilpatrick Bloody Mary features bacon-washed vodka. Food-wise, sausage rolls and oysters keep the peckish at bay.

75 Campbell Street, Surry Hills

Piccolo Bar

In 2021, we said welcome back to Piccolo Bar, the oldest café in Kings Cross which first opened all the way back to 1952. A pint-sized spot with just 12 seats inside and eight outside, the lore behind this Sydney small bar is legendary. In its former incarnation, The Piccolo Bar was a cosy, non-licenced café opens from 6pm-6am every night run by legendary former operator Vittorio Bianchi, who started working in the café back in 1964, these days the space hosts an aperitivo bar and diner with a cosy and intimate feel.

6 Rosyln Street, Kings Cross

Charlie Parker's 

Tucked below Fred's, Paddington's favourite fine diner, Charlie Parker's is a stylish, subterranean speakeasy in the heart of Paddington. Perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail or a naughty nightcap, this is one of our favourite hidden bars in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

Basement, 380 Oxford Street, Paddington

The Long Goodbye

Ever wanted to have a cocktail that tastes like your childhood summer vacation? How about a spicy marg inspired by the last season on Game of Thrones? At The Long Goodbye, your only limit is your imagination. Up a short flight of stairs from the busy and buzzy Stanley Street, you’ll find one of our favourite hidden bars, the moody and intimate Long Goodbye. Walk up to one of the skilled bartender, tell them a flavour you like and describe anything from and they’ll make you a drink inspired by that story, emotion or anecdote. Truly one of the most fun experiences you can have at a bar.

1/83 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst

La Farmacia

Are there any five words more enticing than ‘enter through the sandwich shop’? La Farmacia, located behind Mrs Palmer Sandwiches, is a delicious Mexican restaurant and margarita bar. Moody and atmospheric but with a heavy helping of coloured string lights, this is the perfect spot for your next marg. 

81 Stanley Street, Darlinghurst

Loved discovering secret Sydney spots with our guide to the best hidden bars in Sydney? Plan another unique tipple with the best Sydney rooftop bars with stunning views or, if you're looking for a mellow drop or two why not check out Sydney's finest wine bars.