The best bars in Enmore

The team from Enmore’s slice of Middle America, Fortunate Son, is behind this 60-seater Nashville-inspired booze den called Palomino Lounge Enmore. Cocktails are a strong focus here, as is old-fashioned service and a ripping vibe, with a soundtrack of Southern twang, hard rock and blues. One of the best bits is its location – Palomino Lounge is right next door to Enmore Theatre, so you won’t have to take many steps for a pre- or post-gig bevvy.

Named after our national icon, The Magpie may be Sydney's smallest pub – but it's big on character and vibe. Inspired by the classic pubs and sports bars of the ’80s, The Magpie features sports heroes on the walls, TV screens blasting the game of the day and ice-cold pints. Whenever you stroll in, you’re bound to catch a handful of people watching a game, catching up and hanging out. The vibe is as low-key as it comes. Swing by on Tuesdays for trivia with your mates.

Take a staycation through a cocktail glass at this Inner West Tiki bar themed for die-hard Twin Peaks fans. Once you’re inside this tropical cabana, you won’t want to leave.

The Trocadero Room is a live music venue on Enmore Road by the teams behind legendary Sydney bars Earl’s Juke Joint, Jacoby’s Tiki Bar and the Cliff Dive. It's the place to catch up-and-coming bands, DJs and comedy shows. Feel like a beer and boogie under disco balls after your shift? You can do that there, too. Spearheaded by Pasan Wijesena and Russell Martin, the Trocadero Room is named after the OG entertainment venue Trocadero on King Street, which was the spot to be in the 1940s. The team is keen to bring some of that magic back to the Inner West. We're down.

Fortunate Son is conveniently located opposite the Enmore Theatre, and the vibe is one that balances being both novel and familiar, drawing on all the elements of a great local dive whilst still injecting just a few new twists. The result is an unpretentious haunt for good times, great music and exceptional drinking. It feels effortlessly cool, with a custom made Jack Daniels sign, 300 bottle strong back bar, and, of course, more than a few Creedence tracks filling the air. Old school service and a clear obsession with quality make this drinkery as good for a mid-week date as a weekend knees up, and with only a dozen or so vinyl stools lining the dark wood bar you get a sense of intimacy without feeling crowded.

Elegance, top-notch service, great drinks and above all, deliciousness is found on the Enmore block at Bar Louise. Housed in a heritage-listed pink and purple façade, the Spanish-style tapas bar is by the Porteño Group – so you can expect some seriously tasty plates of food alongside killer wine.

From the industry legends that brought us Sydney institutions Tio’s, Cantina OK and the Cliff Dive comes Bar Planet, a psychedelic Inner West dive-bar re-imagining the world's most divisive cocktail, the Martini. And yes, we know Bar Planet technically is in Newtown, but it's found right on gritty Enmore Road, and close to the Enmore side of things, so we will let it slide. Love Martinis and all things werid and wonderful? Add this bar to your list.

Maybe you never bothered to venture into the Queens in her former days, which is not surprising – it was an underwhelming pub whose major drawcard was a TAB – but now that Merivale have sprinkled some fairy pub-mother magic (and a whole lot of cash) on the place it’s an impressive sight. Hungry? Most of Queen Chow's (the Cantonese restaurant on top) hits are available in the bar area, and yes, you should order the dumplings.

The Odd Culture Group (Odd Culture Newtown, the Old Fitz) took over the reins of the Duke in October 2020, and ever since then have been committed to making it an ace free live music destination, hosting local artists, up-and-coming hot talent and established acts. The wine list is natural leaning and delicious, and there’s an excellent sheltered beer garden where you can kick back over a cold one.

The big advantage of this Enmore favourite can be summed up thusly: the beer garden. It's extremely spacious, which is unusual for this densly packed pocket of the Inner West, and it's staunch Swans territory in AFL season.