The best first date bars in Sydney

With half a dozen wines by-the-bottle for under $65 at this all-class European-inflected wine bar on Llankelly Place, you can work your way through a bottle or two along with some buffalo mozzarella, slow roasted pumpkin or cured kingfish.

Intimate, cosy and dotted with round tables calling your name, Enmore Road's Famelia is a excellent option for your next first date. Plus, they offer wine flights so you can go on your first journey together (too soon?).

If you take someone here for an afternoon of old-fashioned cocktails, soft cheese and freshly sliced charcuterie and they’re not into it, that person probably isn’t for you.

Exposed brick walls, fairy lights, vintage knick knacks and a friendly bar team set the foundation for an ace first date at this Redfern bar. Trust us, we've tried and tested it, and each one was a hit.

"Copains" means friends in French, but with a cool vibe, excellent wine list and seriously tasty food, we reckon you could take it to the next level here. If we're on a date, this is where we're heading. 

There's no need to worry about anything at Earl's. The natural wine selection is just as good as the range of craft beers, and they're both on par with the excellent cocktails. Now for the hard part: a seat up at the bar, against the wall or a table in the back?

Hidden underground in Circular Quay is this Sicilian-inspired cocktail bar with gorgeous sandstone walls. Apollonia is sexy as hell, serves up on-point drinks and has low lighting – which gets a tick, tick, tick in our first-date book.

It’s really hard to take things too seriously if your drink is blue, or full of crème de menthe, or packed with purple liquorice and shaded by a tiny umbrella. That’s the beauty of a drink at Big Poppa’s; they have the skills to master the classics and then get a bit silly with the drinks list.

Vermuteria is illuminated by neon-red lights. Everywhere you look there are vintage posters, black and white photographs and liquor bottles. The space is kitschy, retro, and has as much charm as Matthew McConaughey’s character in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Read: a lot. Pair that with vermouth and tasty plates and you've got yourself a killer first date bar.

When you pull up to the Cove Deli, just off the Corso in Manly, your plus-one might have some questions. When you open the upcycled vintage fridge door at the back and descend the spiral staircase into Sydney's snazziest speakeasy, you'll prove you have the answers.

The thought of Paris in the 1920s conjures plenty of romance, and Merivale channels it elegantly and imaginatively at this petite cocktail parlour in the Ivy complex. The lights are low, the drinks are stiff and the mood is just right.

Fire! Plastic dinosaurs! Rum! All these drawcards make this bar a novel spot for a first date. The couches are comfy, the interiors are spiffy and many of the cocktails are a spectacle in their own right. 

This walk-in wine bar is all about interesting vinos curated by sommelier Julien Dromgool and tasty snacks by Ester's Matt Lindsay. It's as good as his five star Chippo resto, but a bit more casual, making it excellent date night territory.

Relax – we're not saying to drop a casual $300 and take your first date to Le Foote's impressive dining room (that can be saved for your anniversary). Rather, stoll on in from The Rocks to the front wine bar. You don't need to make a booking, and there's swagger in spades. Order a fish sandwich to share, a bottle of orange wine and Bob's your uncle. 

Did you also know that in addition to excellent drinks, these guys also make their own line of sodas, including a smoked lemonade that they make by putting a tray of ice cubes in the smoker at LP’s Quality Meats? This is a fun fact to impress your date with when you take them to this monochrome bar tucked down a laneway off King Street. 

The journey down the stairs and through the winding corridor is a perfect way to settle all those butterflies. Once you've finally reached this cosy little cubby – which feels further underground than Town Hall Station – grab a well-deserved cocktail, find a poky corner and get acquainted.  

Not sure where to go with your new flame? Head to one of Sydney's original wine bars, Love, Tilly Devine, for top vino and snacks. Many a first date has been had here – and you will soon find out why.

Whether it’s the taxidermy, the caravan in the back courtyard, the gender-neutral toilets or the great weekly queer performances, there are plenty of first date ice breakers at this colourful Regent Street bar. 

This airy Redfern bar will shake you up a great cocktail, and it's intimate enough to feel special, but not so fancy that it feels OTT for a first date. 

Marrickville is lucky to have this little wine bar, which is home to one of the best natural-leaning wine lists in town. Very friendly staff and very comfy furniture come in very handy, so don't feel like you need to be the one making all the right moves.

Sydney’s CBD is full of bars. Irish- and English-style pubs, American-style sports bars, Japanese whiskey bars, German beer cafés, Spanish tapas bars and, now, hundreds of little wine bars like those you might find in Italy. Sky Bar – which sits at the peak of the multi-tiered venue Shell House – brings a little bit of New York to Sydney. And it's a showstopper. Bring your date here and thank us later.

Order up a maple pecan Old Fashioned at this subterranean bar that channels Old Hollywood glamour without an air of pretentiousness. Check out what's screening in the cinema if you want to catch a film while you're at it.

If your date's a flop you'll be more than entertained by the nightly drag show, and if it's a success the dancefloor downstairs will serve well as your next destination.

There’s no denying we live in a really ridiculously good looking city, and this glass-boxed rooftop bar makes the most of our good looks with 360-degree views of the harbour. It's also indoor and outdoor, so even if the weather's average, you can still take in the views.

Add Lil Sis, Chippendale’s new-ish neighbourhood wine bar that’s charming, cosy, and up for a fun time, to your first-date hit list. The drinks are affordable, the food is really good, the vibe is relaxed. What's not to love?

Yes, there are toasties. Yes, there are craft beers. And yes, there is a fair bit of everything in between. This is one of Marrickville's best local watering holes, which makes it an easy option should you want to take it slow, grab a couple of drinks and get to know each other.

We don’t need to tell you how much Sydney loves a rooftop bar, so impress your date at the top floor addition to the East Village Hotel (previously the Darlo Village), which is an A-grade, lofty drinking perch. 

They say half the adventure is getting there, so put that saying to the test and catch a ferry to this sun-drenched harbourside pub as a warm-up for your drinks and dinner date.