Being the experience-oriented person I am, my search for hidden bars never seem to end. There is a mystery about them and here are some of my favorite hidden Bars in Sydney.

Let the fun begin before you enter!

Old Mate’s Place 

The discrete ground level entrance will take you 4 levels up to the main entrance of this relatively new crowd favorite.  Real Plants, brown leather booths & bookcases enhance the ambiance while you choose the drinks and food from a not so big menu. There is a small rooftop space as well, which I found pretty crowded most of the time.

They do not take reservations & Mondays are closed. 

Address: level 4/199 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: http://www.oldmates.sydney

Uncle Mings

Uncle Mings is one of the recent favorites. For the specialty cocktails & mouth-watering dumplings, this is the best place to be in. Again a discrete entrance which leads you to a small seating area, red light Asian decor including terracotta warriors. The Exotic list of Asian drinks includes unique cocktails. For food, Prawn dumplings & Pork Dumplings are highly recommended. They are served with three varieties of sauces & I must say the peanut sauce is to die for.

Visiting the toilet is also fun considering that you get to listen to Madarin lessons 🙂

Address: LG, 55 York St, Sydney NSW 2000

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

Grandma’s Bar

Who doesn’t wanna go back to grandma’s ?

Tucked away in the unsuspecting Kent Street is this small bar, underground & very cozy. I think it is also one of the smallest bars in the CBD. Very friendly bartenders even helped my friend with a custom cocktail when she did not like what she ordered. A great place for the mouthwatering cocktails, my favorite is the sinful Peanut butter colada!

Address: Basement/275 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000

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

The Baxter Inn

Known for its vast collection of whiskeys (around 800 of them), The Baxter Inn is quiet popular almost every night of the week. There is no option for food although they offer free pretzels. Apart from the whiskeys they are famous for, the menu also includes all the usual spirits and cocktails, and large beer and wine lists.

The nicely stacked alcohol bottles against the glass wall define this little space vividly. This indeed is one of the best hidden bars in Sydney.

Address: 152-156 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: http://thebaxterinn.com

Palmer & Co 

Welcome to the prohibition era themed bar quite close to Wynyard station. If 30+ Gins, 80+ whiskeys, 40+ tequilas and Absinthe, 20+ champagnes don’t do the trick, then what does ?. The meat-heavy menu has a Jewish focus and certainly rare to find in Sydney. Great ambiance and excellent service. As it is in the center of CBD quite crowded even on the working days evenings.

Address: Abercrombie Ln, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: MerivaleBooking

Door Knock

Only in my third attempt, I got lucky to enter this bar, twice closed out due to public events – so a good idea to call up and ask before you plan the visit. There is no board, push the door and go down the stairs. At the end of a long lonely corridor, you see the sign ‘knock to enter’. You knock and enter. Cosy, dark ambiance with quite a few lovely nooks. It also comes with a good Menu with a substantial variety of food.

Address: Basement/70 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000

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

The Rook 

Unlike most of the other hidden pubs, this is on the rooftop. Though not a large seating arrangement it has got a dark corner and a well lit industrial themed corner ( mostly for meals), both are equally good. They have a good range of starters including Oysters! Great Vibes, Good crowd!

Address: level 7/56-58 York St, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: https://therook.com.au

Stitch Bar 

Reminds me of the Singer machines my mum used to sew. Not very hard to spot as you cannot ignore the Singer machines from the road. A staircase downwards will lead you to the bar. Try out the Jalapeno bites while sipping your beer in one of the dark corners.

Address: 61 York St, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: House of pocket

Shady Pines Saloon

Half the fun of a hidden bar lies in finding them. Shady Pines live up to that. Very hard to point out the alley door which leads you to a midwestern themed pub. Taxidermy is the art and good cocktails are a must. To taste some rare beers, this is a great place!

There is no food other than the peanut bowls. You are allowed to order in from other eateries.

Address: 4/256 Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Website: https://shadypinessaloon.com

The Lobo Plantation 

Once to take the stairs down, you feel like you are entering an old movie scene. The lighting and seating are very vintage and cosy. One of the best cocktails bars, bonus it is hidden too. And not to forget the complimentary banana chips. The food menu is quite limited, unlike the drinks menu. The most interesting item on the menu is the Rum flights – a set menu of Rum from all over the world. The package varies from $60 to $1599 per person and requires at least 4 people or more.

Address: basement lot 1/209 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000

Website: http://thelobo.com.au